The Center for Migrations and Citizenship was created in 2011 at the French Institute of International Relations, as a continuation of the research program "Migrations, Identities, Citizenship", established in 2005.

The new Center is dedicated to the study of migratory flows and migration policies, as well as to issues of citizenship, ethnicity and discriminations within the European context, from an international comparative perspective. Taking migrations as a structuring factor in today's international relations and in the practices of citizenship in an increasingly interdependent world, the CMC intends to contribute to renew thinking on migrations and diversity within international academic research, and to better inform public debates on such complex realities. The Center is a place for the elaboration of innovative research through original fieldwork (i.e. on racial and religious discrimination within hospitals and the military; citizenship practices of dual nationals in their origin countries; categories developed by employers to evaluate migration policies, etc.)

The Center is part of various international research networks and regularly collaborates with academic institutions in Europe (Amsterdam University, Warwick University, WZB, European University Institute in Florence), the US (CUNY, Washington University in St-Louis, Council for European Studies, Social Science Research Council) and Mediterranean countries (American University in Beirut, University Mohammed V in Rabat).