Heli Askola

Immigration and Citizenship

International and Comparative Law

Gender and Law

International Human Rights Law

Trafficking in Human Beings and Modern Slavery

The European Union

LAW5465 Migration and Human Rights

LAW1114 Criminal Law 1 SEM1/T2

LAW5304 Overview of international human rights law SEM2/T3; SUM/T1

LAW4161 Introduction to European Union law SEM2/T3

My primary interests lie in studying the various legal, social and political practices through which states seek to manage and control movement across international borders and the incorporation of (im)migrants, and the ways in which these efforts shape the lives of both migrants and citizens. 

I have written about these matters from various inter-disciplinary angles and national, regional and international perspectives. I am particularly interested in the role of gender in migration; transnational families and care; demographic change; freedom of movement in international law; and multiculturalism and the treatment of minorities. 

I also maintain a strong interest in the critical analysis of legal responses to trafficking in human beings, irregular migration and migrant exploitation, including various forms of modern slavery.

I have authored a number of peer-reviewed publications in these areas, including two monographs, The Demographic Transformations of Citizenship (Cambridge University Press, 2016) and Legal Responses to Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation in the European Union (Hart, 2007).  

My interest in migration is also personal, and my background as an international migrant informs not only my research but my approach to teaching. Having lived and worked outside my country of birth (Finland) for two decades, I believe in internationalising legal education and seeking to understand one's own legal system through a comparative lens. 

I've held a number of visiting research positions and taught in my areas of expertise across a number of jurisdictions, including Canada, the UK, Italy, Malaysia, Germany, Viet Nam and Finland. I have also provided legal and policy advice to various local and international bodies, including the International Organization for Migration, the European Commission and the European Parliament.