Elsemieke Van Osch is a PhD researcher in Social and Cultural Anthropology at KU Leuven, affiliated with the Interculturalism, Migration and Minorities Research Center (IMMRC) and Ghent University's Center for the Social Study of Migration and Refugees (CESSMIR). She holds a Master of Arts in International Migration and Human Rights Law (Distinction) from the University of Kent (Brussels School of International Studies), where she earned the MacGregor Award for her master’s thesis on undocumented families. Education: PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology (KU Leuven, ongoing) MA in International Migration and Human Rights Law (University of Kent, Distinction) Her research focuses on processes of illegalization, racialization, asylum systems, and the intersection of citizenship practices with inclusion/exclusion dynamics among families. Her doctoral study employs longitudinal ethnography to explore families’ experiences within Belgian and Dutch asylum regimes, emphasizing everyday citizenship through participant observation and storytelling. Key projects include the Family-life, difference and practices of citizenship (2019–2023) and the pandemic-related SOLIDARITY project (2020–2021), which surveyed marginalized groups. Her work bridges academic research with policy/practice, emphasizing ethical fieldwork and care in ethnography. Awards: MacGregor Award for Master’s Thesis (2016–2019). Lab/Teams: IMMRC (KU Leuven) and CESSMIR (Ghent University).





