Podcast
The Migration Oxford podcast is created by Migration Oxford. Its aim is to bring together researchers and other observers to address the major migration issues of our time, both in UK and internationally, inform and influence public debate and policy considerations, and to connect with people who want to engage more deeply with issues of human movement. For more information see the Migration Oxford webpage.
For several decades, researchers based at the University of Oxford have been addressing one of the most compelling human stories; why and how people move. Combining the expertise of the Centre on Migration Policy and Society, the Refugee Studies Centre, Border Criminologies in the Department of Law, the Transport Studies Unit in the School of Geography and the Environment, and scholars working on migration and mobility from across divisions and departments, the University has one the largest concentrations of migration researchers in the world. We all come together at Migration Oxford.
Should we be optimistic about the future of welcoming in UK cities? In this feature episode, we navigate the policies, practices and perseverance essential to strengthen migrant welcoming and inclusion in the UK. What does it mean for a city to be genuinely welcoming? How can cities foster inclusive attitudes and how do local policies and practices shape the experiences of those who have newly arrived? Is optimism realistic and, ultimately, useful?
In this special episode of The Migration Oxford Podcast, we speak with Jacqueline Broadhead, Director of the Global Exchange on Migration and Diversity, the knowledge-exchange arm of COMPAS at the University of Oxford. Jacqui highlights that creating welcoming, inclusive cities is not simply an ideal; it is essential for the future of increasingly diverse urban spaces. Yet too often, policy and practice are not grounded in the research and theory needed to make this work meaningful and effective.
How can practitioners and academics bridge this gap? We explore the work of the Global Exchange (GEM) over recent years and take a closer look at the Inclusive Cities project, which applies an interdisciplinary, research-driven framework to explore the work of 12 UK cities and international partners. Together, we ask how cities can best develop and implement welcoming policies, and consider the challenges they face in navigating governance at both local and national levels.
Jacqui’s new book, Welcoming Cities, moves past critique to offer a constructive, action-oriented approach to integration and social cohesion. This conversation provides a preview of what the book offers UK policymakers, regional leaders, and scholars across sociology, political science, migration studies, and urban governance. Welcoming Cities (Bristol University Press, 2025) is available here.
Jacqui Broadhead oversees a wide portfolio of knowledge-exchange and research initiatives that aim to extend and deepen COMPAS’s international contribution to sharing expertise among academics, policymakers, practitioners, civil society, and others in the migration sector. Her work focuses on local government, integration and inclusion, and understanding how place-based narratives can facilitate the shaping of more inclusive communities.