“Human Migration: Myths, Hysteria and Facts” is the inaugural lecture of Prof. Hein de Haas from June 27, at the Aula of Maastricht University. Hein de Haas is the Co-Director of the International Migration Institute (IMI) and University Lecturer in Migration Studies within the Department of International Development at the University of Oxford. He is a professor in Migration and Development at UNU-MERIT and has been teaching migration theory at Maastricht University for several years.
In his very interesting lecture de Haas discusses hotly debated, though unwell understood issue of migration. He argues that traditional thinking about migration is based on myths rather than real facts and, according to him, this is the reason why migration policies often fail. He claims that migration is an essential andunavoidable part of the social change and globalization, and thus, it should not be seen as a “problem to be solved.”
In his lecture, de Haas discusses seven right- and left-wing migration myths and presents latest research findings to support his claims. The myths he analyzes during the lecture are as follows:
Professor de Haas thoroughly analyzes each of these arguments and based on various researches he presents the facts that disprove those myths.
At the end of the lecture he concludes that today migration is seen to be a fundamental threat or a solution to fundamental societal problems. But de Haas claims that it is not migration, but rather the xenophobia driven by politicians and the media, that is the problem.
If you want to understand migration issues better the lecture by Prof. Hein de Haasmight will be very helpful for you. Click here to watch the video.
