So this was a difficult week for everyone but perhaps especially for those of us living in Italy who, over the course of just a few days, lurched from facing ‘red zones’ in the North to complete ‘lock down’ as the country battled to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). For me personally it meant…
Author: Migration researcher - writer - policy analyst
I am a highly qualified research professional with extensive management and engagement skills and more than 35 years’ experience working with the UN, international organisations, refugee and migrant-led groups, NGOs and the private sector. I was previously head of asylum and migration research at the UK Home Office, Associate Director at the Institute for Public Policy Research, Director of the Centre for Migration Policy Research at Swansea University and Head of Equitable Development and Migration at the UN University’s Centre for Policy Research in New York. Since 2019, I have been Director of the Migration for Development and Equality (MIDEQ) Hub, a global consortium of 18 research institutions, six international organizations and numerous local and regional partners that aims to transform knowledge and understanding of the relationships between migration, inequality and development in the context of the Global South. I have published extensively on a wide range of asylum and immigration issues including the drivers of migration and migrant decision-making, gender issues in forced migration, refugee and migrant rights, the experiences of children and young people on the move, attitudes towards migration and migrants, and politics of migration. My 2017 Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (JEMS) article (with Dr Dimitri Skleparis) on the problem of categories in refugee and migration policy making is the 2nd most read JEMS article of all time (with more than 90k views) and the 5th most cited. Most recently I co-edited (with Professor Joseph Kofi Teye) The Palgrave Handbook of South-South Migration and Inequality to showcase the work of migration scholars in the Global South. The Handbook has been downloaded more than 170k times.
Da casa a casa: il corridoio italia-filippine
Whilst anyone from the Philippines will tell you that Filipinos are everywhere, so too, it seems, are the Italians! After a morning of snorkelling at the sunken cemetery in Camiguin and a long walk on the beach I was hungry and ready to eat when I stumbled across an Italian restaurant called ‘Luna’ (‘moon’) close…
Sinigang na hipon (shrimp in sour soup)
The freshness of this simple sour broth, so typical of Filipino cuisine, allows the seafood to be the star of the dish. This recipe was made during my cookery lesson with Oscar and Gregg booked through Traveling Spoon. We used fresh shrimp (prawns) purchased at a local fish market in Manila but you can use…
Mixing it up in the Philippines: the story of halo-halo
Before last week I’d never heard of halo-halo which means ‘mix-mix’ in Tagalog, the dominant language in the Philippines where I’m spending a few days on the island on Camiguin following a work trip to Manila. Now my conversations more often than not end up returning to it. Halo-halo is one of the most popular…
Cabs, kofte and Kurdish cuisine
One of the best parts of journeying – of which I do a lot – is the unexpected, fascinating and often inspiring encounters that you have along the way. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to talk and whilst not all cab drivers like to chat, many do. I met Aydin on my…
Roasted pumpkin, coconut and ginger soup
An unexpected flight back to the UK to avoid the worst of Storm Chiara meant a day hunkered down with my daughter and grandson making roasted pumpkin, coconut and ginger soup. A Thai-inspired winter warmer with a chill kick, perfect for a wet and windy day! Ingredients A medium size pumpkin, this one was green,…
Creamy chickpea, spinach and sweet potato curry
This is one of my favourite dishes. With spices and coconut, it has its roots in India but if you are not a curry maker or lover don’t be put off…this dish is all about taste not heat. It’s basically a bowl of creamy vegetarian/vegan deliciousness that can be eaten like a stew or served…
Tagliatelle con trota e ricotta
This week I had the pleasure to be invited to the Agriturismo Aquadolce for a wonderful lunch with Lorenza Borsarelli. You might remember that in my last blog I wrote about Lorenza’s work with Intrecci, a collective of local agricultural producers who, like me, believe passionately in the power of food produced sustainability and with…
Opening doors and hearts…food, friendship and solidarity in Mondovi
Last week I met with Lorenza Borsarelli – fifth from the right – to find out more about the work of ‘Intrecci’ (interweave), a collective of local agricultural producers who, like me, believe passionately in the power of food produced sustainability and with love to bring together communities and create a shared sense of identity…
Less is more…a morning at Mondovi’s mercato contadino
I’ve always adored Italian food but it wasn’t until we started living in the beautiful town of Mondovi which lies in the foothills of the Italian Alps that I came to understand the vast regional differences between the food produced and eaten in the South of the country – often dominated by tomatoes, soft cheeses…
Ese ne tekrema 