Betty de Hart

Betty de Hart is a Professor of Transnational Families and Migration Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Law. She holds additional appointments at the Kooijmans Institute and leads research initiatives like the ERC-funded EUROMIX project (2017–2022) and the NWO-funded 'Politics of Emotion' project (2021–2025). Her work bridges legal, historical, and socio-ethical dimensions of migration law, focusing on family reunification, citizenship, and racialized legal frameworks.

Education and Grants: Completed her PhD in 2003 (Onbezonnen vrouwen: Gemengde relaties in het nationaliteitsrecht en het vreemdelingenrecht). Recipient of prestigious grants including ERC Consolidator (2017), NWO VIDI (2007), and NWO Open Competition (2021). Authored seminal books like Een tweede paspoort (2012) on dual citizenship.

Research Interests: Explores how migration law regulates intimacy (e.g., mixed marriages, asylum claims based on sexuality), the role of emotion in legal decision-making, and historical legacies of colonial policies. Recent projects address the socio-legal dynamics of 'mixed intimacies' in Europe and the politics of emotion in migration control.

Public Engagement: Active in public debates via media contributions (Nederlands Dagblad, radio interviews) and serves on the board of Stichting Lovingday.nl. Teaches courses on Refugee and Family Migration Law and Human Rights at VU.

Key Achievements: Over 115 publications, including 2025's Regulating Interracialized Intimacies. Supervised 3 PhD theses. Her work has influenced legal discourse on migrant rights, gender equality, and transnational family dynamics.