The project welcomes its two new researchers, Claire Linley from Ryerson University and Maja Grundler from the Queen Mary University of London. Liney will contribute to the fieldwork of Work Package 4 in Canada, while Grundler will be involved in the legal research of Work Package 2.
Meet Claire Linley
Claire Linley is a PhD student in Socio-Legal Studies at York University. She holds a Masters degree in Immigration and Settlement studies from Ryerson University. Her research focuses on immigration detention in Canada, with a particular focus on Canada’s Alternative to Immigration Detention framework. She was the founder of the King’s University College chapter of the World University Service of Canada. Claire previously worked as a policy analyst in transformation for the Government of Canada, focusing on organizational culture prior to pursuing her masters. She is currently conducting research on the possible impacts of Canada’s Alternative to Immigration Detention program.
Meet Maja Grundler
Maja Grundler is a PhD candidate in the Department of Law at the Queen Mary University of London, where she researches irregular migrants’ eligibility for refugee protection. Her doctoral thesis “Protection for Irregularised Migrants? – Trafficking, Smuggling and Asylum” examines whether harm experienced during irregular migration can constitute persecution for the purpose of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Based on trafficking-based asylum claims from the UK and Germany, the thesis constructs irregular-re-migration as a risk, which results from an inability to reintegrate in the country of origin due to “vulnerabilities” acquired during the initial dangerous journey. Maja is also co-founder and co-chair of the Human Trafficking Research Network and a Research Affiliate of the Refugee Law Initiative.