What happens when borders cross families? How do families navigate these interruptions to their ability to live together? This episode considers what shifting perspective to families opens up to view in terms of thinking about the work of borders and their impact on people’s everyday lives. Helena Wray, Professor of Migration Law at the University of Exeter, explains the historical development of family migration laws and what these make visible about the racialization of the nation and its political community. Elena Zambelli explains what a ‘mixed-status family’ is, and the many ways in which states may affect its members’ everyday lives and future imaginings. And co-hosts Nando Sigona and Michaela Benson consider how the state’s regulation of family migrations is linked to the reproduction of the nation state, and draw on data collected within the MIGZEN project to show the effects of Brexit on British-European families. 

You can access the full transcripts for the episode, further resources and active listening questions over on our website: Who do we think we are?