Adetokunboh Adesuyi

This study critically examines the governance of migration between the European Union and Libya, focusing on how security priorities, institutional networks, and border externalisation shape migration management. Drawing on securitisation theory and a social network analysis of an EU Trust Fund project in Libya, it investigates how European institutions and North African state authorities influence migration policies while migrants themselves remain largely excluded from decision-making processes.

It argues that, despite the growing emphasis on multilevel and networked governance, migration cooperation continues to reproduce unequal power relations and hierarchical structures — and calls for a more inclusive, human-centred approach that prioritises migrants' rights, participation, and security.

Status: submitted to the Journal of Borderland Studies (2026).

This paper examines the role of the European Union and the G7 in shaping global migration governance, using Giorgia Meloni's leadership in Italy and its 2024 G7 presidency as a case study. Through secondary research, critical discourse analysis, and securitisation theory, it explores how the Italy–Albania migration protocol, agreements with Libya and Tunisia, and the Mattei Plan link border security, development cooperation, and the externalisation of migration control.

The study investigates the tension between European commitments to human rights and free movement and policies focused on deterrence, offshore asylum processing, and preventing irregular migration. It also considers the implications for African countries and calls for greater transparency, independent human rights oversight, safer legal migration pathways, and more equitable partnerships between Europe and African nations.

Output: SSRN preprint (2024).

This paper examines visa regulations, migration management, and the legal principle that foreign nationals do not have an automatic right to obtain a visa to enter another country. Focusing on Nigeria and international migration systems, the study explores how national security, diplomatic relations, and applicants' intentions influence visa decisions.

Using a mixed-methods approach involving questionnaires and interviews with 30 visa applicants, it investigates the challenges faced by individuals seeking study, religious, medical, sports, and permanent residency visas. The paper highlights the tension between states' sovereign authority to regulate entry and migrants' legitimate aspirations for mobility and opportunity, and calls for fairer, more transparent visa procedures, effective migration governance, stronger international cooperation, and greater attention to the unintended consequences of restrictive visa policies.

Output: SSRN preprint (2023).

This paper examines how changing perceptions of national identity influence migration policies and practices worldwide, using the film The Swimmers as a case study. Through qualitative content analysis, the study explores the motivations, challenges, and risks experienced by migrants and refugees, with particular attention to how gender, ethnicity, and national identity shape their treatment and integration in host countries.

It critically examines the tension between national security, border control, and humanitarian responsibilities, highlighting the biases and assumptions that influence migration policies. The paper advocates for more inclusive, balanced, and humane migration policies that recognise migrants' lived experiences, protect vulnerable groups, and promote international cooperation while respecting the rights and dignity of people seeking safety and better opportunities.

Output: SSRN preprint (2023).

This paper examines the socio-economic integration of Global South student migrants in Italy, focusing on how migration status, labour market participation, and housing conditions shape their experiences and settlement decisions. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines survey responses from students and recent graduates with secondary data, the study explores barriers including limited employment opportunities, language difficulties, racial discrimination, bureaucratic challenges, and housing insecurity.

The findings highlight how these intersecting structural barriers can discourage graduates from remaining in Italy, contributing to onward migration and the loss of skilled talent. The paper calls for more inclusive policies at national and EU levels — improved employment pathways, accessible language support, affordable housing, and stronger protections against discrimination — to promote student integration and long-term talent retention.

Output: peer-reviewed article, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (2026).

This paper examines the relationship between citizenship, migration, and the need for political and institutional restructuring in Nigeria, focusing on the grievances of the “Japa” generation — particularly young Nigerians who emigrate in search of better opportunities and living conditions. Using conceptual and secondary analysis, the study explores how insecurity, unemployment, educational challenges, political disillusionment, corruption, and gender inequality influence migration decisions.

It argues that mass emigration reflects broader concerns about governance, citizenship, inclusion, and public trust, while also potentially weakening Nigeria's human capital. The paper calls for institutional reforms, accountable leadership, equitable resource distribution, youth participation, improved security, quality education, and gender equality to address the underlying causes of emigration and rebuild citizens' confidence in the Nigerian state.

Output: SSRN preprint (2022).

This study critically examines the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, focusing on gaps in legal protection, humanitarian assistance, and government accountability. Drawing on qualitative research, including focus group discussions with 30 displaced persons at the Durumi IDP Camp in Abuja, the study explores the challenges of accessing adequate shelter, healthcare, education, security, and other basic necessities.

It highlights the systematic neglect of displaced persons living in host communities and the limitations of Nigeria's domestic legal framework in protecting their rights. The study advocates for stronger legal enforcement, improved humanitarian coordination, and an inclusive national verification mechanism to ensure that all internally displaced persons receive protection and assistance, regardless of where they reside.

Output: BSc thesis (2020) and SSRN preprint.

This thesis asks how belonging is narrated, claimed, and withheld for Global South international students studying in Italy and China. It draws on storytelling and witnessing as both method and subject: how students account for their place in European and Chinese higher education, how they are received, and how they make sense of inclusion and exclusion.

The study connects those accounts to migration policy, labour markets, and everyday encounters, and was supervised by Professor Francesca Helm with Professor Matteo Bassoli as co-supervisor at the University of Padua.

Output: MSc thesis, University of Padua (2026).