Student Blog Submissions
The University Research Chair on Migrant Protection and International Law invites submissions from undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in Law, Sociology, Political Science, Public Administration, or related disciplines, and who are interested in international law, immigration, refugee protection, displacement, human rights, and related migration issues. The Chair is committed to supporting emerging scholars and creating platforms for students to share their research and insights. Our research team will carefully review each submission, and selected pieces will be published on our website as part of our regular blog series.
Why contribute?
Your piece will reach a large professional community of academics, practitioners, legal experts, NGOs, policymakers, and civil society actors. Contributing offers you the opportunity to engage with a professional audience, integrate into academic networks, sharpen your research and writing skills, and build your profile in migration and refugee law.
How to submit:
Submit your full draft by e-mail to chair.protect.mig@uottawa.ca. Selected pieces will be edited in consultation with authors and published on the Chair’s blog. Please follow the formatting guidelines below — submissions that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be accepted.
Guidelines and Specifications for Submissions
Canadian asylum and temporary migration policy transformations: Changes over the past two decades and their impacts on migrants' trajectories, rights, and protections
International commitments vs. domestic practice: Gaps between Canada's global obligations and national policies, with recommendations for better alignment with international human rights standards
Comparative perspectives: Legal situations of temporary migrants and asylum seekers in Canada compared to other jurisdictions, with policy recommendations based on international best practices
Commentary on a recent legal development or policy change
Critique of a policy or judicial decision
Comparative analysis (Canada vs. another jurisdiction)
Gap analysis: Canada's international commitments vs. domestic practice
Reflections from field experience (internships, clinical placements, volunteering)
Mini case study of a migrant protection challenge
International and domestic frameworks for migrant protection (e.g., Refugee Convention, Global Compact on Refugees, Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, Safe Third Country Agreement, Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).
Canada’s role in global migration governance and displacement responses.
Recent changes to Canada's asylum and temporary migration policies and their impacts on migrants' rights, protections, and access to essential services.
Comparative approaches to refugee status determination, regularization programs, or climate displacement.
Emerging challenges: digital borders, AI and migration management, private actors in refugee protection, climate-induced migration.
Critical or theoretical reflections: intersections between migration law, colonialism, race, gender etc.
Lived experience reflections: grounded commentaries and insights drawing on internships, clinical legal work, community placements, or volunteering with migrant-serving organizations
Review Process
Submissions will be reviewed by the Chair's research team, including PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and research assistants. Reviewers will assess submissions based on:
Clarity and accessibility of writing
Originality of argument or perspective
Analytical rigour and evidence-based reasoning
Relevance to the Chair's migrant protection themes
Engagement with international and/or comparative perspectives
Selected pieces may be edited in consultation with authors prior to publication.
Publication
Once accepted, your blog post will be published on the Chair's website with full author attribution. The Chair may also promote your piece through its social media channels and newsletters, extending your reach to a broader audience of migration scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
We look forward to reading your submissions!