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Migration magazine founded by ODID alumni celebrates half-decade

Routed magazine, set up by a group of ODID graduates with a shared interest in migration and (im)mobility, this year celebrates its fifth anniversary and has marked the occasion with a new special issue. 

Five years ago, a group of graduates of our MScs in Migration Studies and Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, came together to bring a fresh, critical perspective to the study of how and why people move. They created a new space where academics, practitioners, and people on the move could share their work and experiences.

Routed, run by a team of independent editors, has been read in 173 countries, telling stories by and of 350+ refugees, professors, and undergraduate & postgraduate students, as well as government and NGO officials and artists – many migrants themselves. 

The publication has offered established scholars the opportunity to share their research with a wider public in an accessible format, while students have gained confidence through the magazine to secure publication in academic journals, and people on the move from hundreds of different backgrounds have shared their stories.

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, Routed released a special issue with the latest academic research, news analysis, personal stories and book recommendations. Readers are invited to explore migration tales about Taylor Swift and Beyonce, the Titanic submersible, an Iraqi sewing machine, a Cambodian trip that turns into human trafficking, and lessons learnt about Venezuelan refugees perspectives; as well as question how media talk about people of colour on the move, how to teach migration and use art in diaspora exchanges.

Routed’s Editor-in-Chief, Margaret Koudelkova said: “Today we’re celebrating with our readers in 173 countries, our 350+ authors and an amazing team of independent editors. Our half-decade anniversary is a shared achievement. We are also thrilled to announce that our most read article award belongs to Camille Dupont, who courageously wrote about her relationship beyond borders: the emotional impact of Brexit back in 2020. Her love story perfectly shows why we need to go beyond news headlines and theoretical models when trying to understand migration: each journey and each forced stay is a personal story of a fellow human being.” 

The image shows an illustration created for Routed's five-year anniversary by Maïté Simard.