Craig Damian Smith

Craig Damian Smith’s research examines the international politics of irregular migration, global migration governance, and refugee integration. His work is based in long-term, qualitative research with migrants, policymakers and civil society groups. His recently-completed SSHRC Insight Development Grant project, entitled "Understanding Emergent Irregular Migration Systems to Canada", explored the rapid development and expansion of irregular migration routes to Canada after the Spring of 2017. He and his research team conducted over 300 interviews at refugee shelters and community organizations to understand the information, perceptions and catalysts behind people's mobility decisions. His current SSHRC-funded research projects are titled "Access to Justice for Refugee Claimants: Measuring the impacts of refugee legal aid in Canada" and "COVID-19 and Refugees: Understanding the human security consequences of delayed resettlement."

Craig has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto. His doctoral thesis, “Malignant Europeanization: Schengen, Irregular Migration Governance, and Insecurity on Europe’s Peripheries” examined the effects of European migration governance on transit states and entailed over three years of fieldwork throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Western Balkans, and Europe. Craig is also the creator of “Pairity”, a data-driven research project which seeks to measure the effects of access to social networks on refugee integration and social cohesion (www.pairity.ca).