Yasmeen Abu-Laban

Dr. Yasmeen Abu-Laban serves as a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Politics of Citizenship and Human Rights at the University of Alberta, appointed since January 7, 2018 under the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Her work examines critical intersections of governance, marginalization, and democratic resilience.

Her research investigates how neoliberal policies, digital surveillance, and xenophobic populism impact marginalized communities including immigrants and minorities. She analyzes the destabilization of democratic values through rapidly evolving communication technologies while assessing colonial legacies in immigration-receiving nations. Her comparative framework spans Canada, the United States, and Australia to identify patterns in citizenship rights erosion and expansion.

Scientific Awards

• Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Politics of Citizenship and Human Rights (2018-present)

Research Leadership

Dr. Abu-Laban directs a multidisciplinary research team examining citizenship stability in the 21st century, with SSHRC-funded projects analyzing policy outcomes across North America and Australia. Her work connects theoretical frameworks with urgent real-world challenges in refugee rights and democratic backsliding.

Research Environment

Her collaborative research environment focuses on decolonizing citizenship studies through comparative analysis of settler-colonial states, emphasizing how historical power structures manifest in contemporary immigration governance and human rights protections.