E.g., 06/08/2026
E.g., 06/08/2026
Katie Kuschminder
MPI Authors

Katie Kuschminder

Katie Kuschminder is Senior Researcher at the University of Amsterdam where she is the Principal Investigator of the Reintegrate project funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at Maastricht University and United Nations University-MERIT. Her research focuses on irregular migration, return migration, and migration and development.

Dr. Kuschminder holds a PhD from Maastricht University. She is co-editor of the Handbook of Return Migration (Edward Elgar, 2021) with Russell King, and author of Reintegration Strategies: Conceptualizing How Return Migrant Reintegrate (Springer, 2017). Her work has appeared in the Journal of Refugee Studies, International Migration, and Migration Studies, among other academic journals, and in popular media outlets.

Bio Page Tabs

A Somali migrant who returned from Libya.
Feature
July 17, 2024
Migration Interrupted: Can Stranded Migrants from Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan Rebuild Their Lives upon Return?

East African migrants traveling irregularly can face terrible conditions in transit, including torture and even death. Many may become stranded and need assistance from an international organization or government to return to their country of origin. This article analyzes the results of a major return and reintegration initiative for stranded migrants, finding that certain types of assistance can be quite beneficial.

Migrants aboard a rubber vessel are rescued in the Mediterranean
Feature
August 6, 2020
Once a Destination for Migrants, Post-Gaddafi Libya Has Gone from Transit Route to Containment

Libya was once a prized destination for workers from around the world. But after Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011, the country became the transit point for hundreds of thousands of Europe-bound asylum seekers and other migrants. Following Libya's 2017 deal with Italy to detain and return migrants caught at sea—which was renewed in February 2020—migrants became trapped in an unstable country, facing harrowing realities, as this article explores.

Recent Activity

Articles
July 17, 2024

Migration Interrupted: Can Stranded Migrants from Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan Rebuild Their Lives upon Return?

East African migrants traveling irregularly can face terrible conditions in transit, including torture and even death. Many may become stranded and need assistance from an international organization or government to return to their country of origin. This article analyzes the results of a major return and reintegration initiative for stranded migrants, finding that certain types of assistance can be quite beneficial.

Articles
August 6, 2020

Once a Destination for Migrants, Post-Gaddafi Libya Has Gone from Transit Route to Containment

Libya was once a prized destination for workers from around the world. But after Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow in 2011, the country became the transit point for hundreds of thousands of Europe-bound asylum seekers and other migrants. Following Libya's 2017 deal with Italy to detain and return migrants caught at sea—which was renewed in February 2020—migrants became trapped in an unstable country, facing harrowing realities, as this article explores.

Policy Briefs
August 2018

Deciding Which Road to Take: Insights into How Migrants and Refugees in Greece Plan Onward Movement

EU policy debates about moving asylum seekers from overburdened frontline countries, such as Greece and Italy, to other Member States rarely consider how migrants form and act on preferences for certain destinations—and how difficult it may be to change these views. This issue brief explores decision-making among migrants in Greece, including how living conditions, jobs, and legal status factor in.