Irregular migration has become a political priority in Europe. While European and national policies criminalize migrants who are on the move to a further destination, cities and local actors are taking a more inclusive stance. However, local responses to ‘transit migration’ tend to suffer from a lack of coordination between institutional and non-institutional actors who engage in service provision and a limited understanding of the mobility trajectories and conditions of migrants on the ground. The NWO Vidi Project URBIMM (‘URBan migration infrastructures for Irregular Migrant Mobility’) led by dr. Thomas Swerts aims to address these issues by comparing how European cities are dealing with the local challenge that ‘transit migration’ poses. These two 4-year PhD projects help to contribute to this goal by studying how formal and informal migration infrastructures locally facilitate the arrival, transit, settlement and exit of undocumented migrants.

The project is embedded in the Team Policy, Politics and Society of the Department of Public Administration and Sociology at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. It relies on a comparative urbanism research design to study urban migration infrastructures and mobility trajectories in "transit hubs" along irregular migration routes in Europe. Selected cities might include Brussels/Rotterdam (by the PI and the research team), Vienna or another transit hub in Central Europe (by PhD candidate 1) and Thessaloniki/Athens or another transit hub in Southern Europe (by PhD candidate 2). You will use a variety of methods within a participatory action research setting, collaborate in a small international research team, and actively work to share knowledge and make public impact.

The project can be divided into four phases:

• In phase 1, we map forms of service provision and policy initiatives towards undocumented migrants via interviews with local actors and set up a Participatory Action Research Network (PARSN) in each city.
• In phase 2, we adopt an intersectional approach to trace the dynamic mobility trajectories of transit migrants via life story interviews.
• In phase 3, we zoom in on challenges faced by practitioners on the ground via two strategically chosen ethnographies.
• In phase 4, we co-create and develop interventions in local policy and/or service provision together with stakeholders and formulate recommendations for improvement.

Tasks:

• Develop, conduct, and publish research on urban migration infrastructures and irregular migrant mobility;
• Complete a PhD dissertation consisting of research articles within the appointment period;
• Set up a Participatory Action Research Network (PARSN) in one of the selected cities under research, organize three workshops for the network and coordinate this network for the duration of the PhD project;
• Help set up the URBIMM Academic Research Network and contribute to organizing 2 events for international scholars (academic workshop and conference);
• Collaborate with other researchers involved in this or similar projects (e.g., other PhD candidates, international colleagues, etcetera);
• Present your work at national and international conferences;
• Contribute to the vibrant academic life in Rotterdam by attending workshops, meetings, and lectures;

• a (Research) Master’s degree in sociology, urban studies, migration studies, geography, or a related field, or will obtain this degree before the start of the project;
• a strong interest in and preferably knowledge of the topic of migration policies/service provision in European cities and/or irregular/transit migration in Europe, and can ideally prove this with demonstrable knowledge on this topic (e.g., study assignments, MA thesis);
• a firm basis in and ideally experience with qualitative research methods and data analysis, in particular: participant observation (ethnographic fieldwork), interviewing (life story methods) and participatory action research;
• previous experience doing research on vulnerable or hard-to-access populations (especially migrants with a precarious legal status) is considered a plus;
• previous professional experience or proof of engagement (e.g. via volunteering or organizing) in the field of local service provision/activism/policy making towards undocumented migrants is considered a plus;
• preferably experience with mapping, for instance via GIS or other applications;
• strongly committed to methodological rigor, research integrity and ethics;
• curious and eager to learn new skills, theoretical perspectives and practical issues;
• excellent spoken and written command of English (as you will write an English-language dissertation and present at international conferences); being able to speak and write in Dutch is desirable but not essential;
• excellent social and organizational skills;
• eager to contribute to the scientific field;
• motivated to share your knowledge with academic and non-academic audiences;
• able to work in a team, as well as autonomously.

Fixed-term contract: 4 jaar.

An internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with good working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU).

The start date of this position is February 1st 2024 and you will be based at the Team Policy, Politics and Society of the Department of Public Administration and Sociology at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The position is for 1,0 FTE. In total the PhD contract is for four years. You start with a contract for one year and depending on good performance this will be continued with a contract for the other three years. The salary starts with € 2.770 gross per month on a fulltime basis in your first year and ends up with 3.539 gross per month on a fulltime basis in the fourth year, in accordance with scale P of the CAO-NU. In addition, we offer an 8% holiday allowance, an end-of-year payment of 8.3%, and a very generous paid leave scheme. Furthermore, EUR is affiliated with ABP for the pension provision, and we offer partially paid parental leave, fully paid extended birth leave for partners, a personal career budget, work-life balance coaches, discounted collective health insurance, and more. As an employee, you can also use EUR facilities such as the University library and receive a discount on subscriptions for the Erasmus sports center.

Erasmus University Rotterdam offers a Dual Career Programme (DCP) to assist the life partners of new academic staff (on payroll) in finding employment in The Netherlands. The programme is offered in close cooperation with the nearby universities of Delft and Leiden.

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfill their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB)

The Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences is home to a vast diversity of scientific disciplines: public administration, pedagogical sciences, psychology and sociology. In addition, the Erasmus University College, IHS, and two research institutes RISBO and DRIFT are linked to the faculty. This also reflects in the content of the (international) bachelor's and master's programs and in research.  Our activities are always focused on people and society. At the ESSB fundamental, internationally oriented research is of paramount importance. In addition, social research for professionals, policy makers, and the society is part of our research activities. ESSB offers a stimulating research environment where major national and international research grants are received. Appealing guest researchers and ambitious PhD candidates come along to conduct their research. Our education is small-scale and works with innovative forms of education such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Both the Dutch and English programs are highly ranked by students and alumni. ESSB is home to over 4000 students and more than 400 staff-members. More information about research at ESSB can be found here https://www.eur.nl/en/essb/information/researchers/research-themes. More information about education at ESSB can be found here: https://www.eur.nl/en/essb/education/find-your-study

Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)

DPAS covers the disciplines of Public Administration and Sociology. Two related scientific fields with different profiles. Public Administration studies governance capacity and policy interventions. It focuses on the institutional power to organize and intervene in the relations between different social, political and economic actors. Public Administration in Rotterdam goes well beyond the public realm itself and pays attention to public-private cooperation and networks of organizations. Sociology investigates the social structure of societies and the way it evolves. Sociologists in Rotterdam focus among other things on processes of globalization and individualization and on the effects of these processes on international social relations, the labor market or family relations. Related social problems that are studied are migration, flexibilization and solidarity. The perspectives of Public Administration and Sociology complement each other. Together they guarantee a highly relevant and scientific approach to topical administrative and social issues. The bachelor- and masterprogrammes of DPAS are built on this profile and educate students to become scientifically schooled professionals.

Team Policy, Politics and Society

As PhD candidate, you will work in the Team Policy, Politics and Society (PPS), just like your supervisors dr. Thomas Swerts and prof. dr. Godfried Engbersen. Amidst long term processes of (de)globalization, digitalization and polarization, the PPS team focuses on the many aspects of the interplay of society, politics and policy on and across various levels of policy making (local, national, EU, international). The team covers the whole policy cycle ranging from questions such as how public opinion and civil society actors impacts on government agenda setting and policy -making to the impact of policies and the institutions created by them on various groups in society. The PPS team is a truly interdisciplinary team, which is open to a diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches, but with clear focal points in international comparative research at various levels (international, national, local (city) as well as cross-level)) and attention for inclusion, integration and inequality from a political and public policy perspective. More information about Team PPS can be found here: https://pure.eur.nl/en/organisations/policy-politics-and-society