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Lud­m­ila Bog­dan

Postdoc

Emner
Kvalitativ metode Identitet Sociologi Immigration Køn Minoriteter

Primary research areas

Migration, Discourse & Power

Examines how migration is framed through narratives of crisis, illegality, and deservingness, and how these discourses shape governance, policy, and public perception across Europe.

Participatory Migration Research

Uses participatory action research to co-produce knowledge with migrants, centering lived experiences and challenging extractive research practices in migration studies.

Human Trafficking & Exploitation

Focuses on trafficking networks, lived experiences of exploitation, and the intersection of migration, gender, and criminal justice responses.

Human Rights & Migration Governance

Explores how migration policies impact rights, inclusion, and access to protection, with a focus on developing more equitable and rights-based approaches.

Examining migration, discourse, and social justice

My research examines how migration is framed, governed, and experienced, with a focus on challenging dominant narratives of “crisis,” illegality, and deservingness. I work to shift migration debates by centering the lived experiences and perspectives of migrants, particularly those whose voices are often excluded from policy and public discourse.

Using participatory and qualitative methods, I collaborate with migrants to co-produce knowledge that informs more inclusive and rights-based approaches to migration governance. My work contributes to academic debates while also engaging policymakers, NGOs, and practitioners through applied outputs, training, and dissemination.

I am motivated by the need to address inequalities embedded in migration systems and to develop research that has tangible social impact. My ambition is to contribute to more just and humane migration policies by bridging research, practice, and lived realities.

Selected publications

Monographs

Bogdan, Ludmila (finished & forthcoming, 2026). Psychology of Traffickers: Ethnographic Insights from Romanian and Moldovan Prisons. Routledge.

Articles in Journals

Bogdan, Ludmila (2026). “Strings Attached: How Donor Agendas Shape Anti-Trafficking Policy and Practice in Moldova.” International Migration.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2025). "Who Are Human Traffickers? Evidence from Romanian Prisons." Comparative Migration Studies.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2025). "Undocumented and Queer Adults." Emerging Adulthood.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2025). "Transnational Mobility in Moldova: Socioeconomic Triggers for Migration Aspirations." International Migration.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2024). "The Exodus of Moldova: Understanding the Migration Dilemma." International Migration Review.

Bogdan, Ludmila, Botelho, Flora, & Power, Séamus A. (2024). "Analyzing Anti-Polygamy Legislation in the 19th Century United States." Law, Society, and Humanities.

Botelho, Flora, Bogdan, Ludmila, & Power, Séamus A. (2024). "Polygyny in Denmark: A Study of the Instrumentalization of Cultural Differences in Immigration Policies." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2024). "Immobility in Moldova: Beyond the Migration Paradigm." International Migration.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2023). "Navigating Migration Risks: The Role of Risk Perception and Information Engagement Among Moldovans." Journal on Migration and Human Security.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2021). "Human Trafficking, Information Campaigns, and Public Awareness in Moldova: Why Do Anti-Trafficking Organizations Operate Under Inaccurate Assumptions?" International Migration.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2020). "Public Perception of Human Trafficking: A Case Study of Moldova." Comparative Migration Studies.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2018). "Who Wants to Leave? Migration Motivations in Moldova." Journal of Identity and Migration Studies.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2018). "Human Trafficking in Moldova: A Literature Review." Journal of Human Trafficking.

Policy Publications

Bogdan, Ludmila (2025). Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants in Nepal. UNODC Policy Report.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2025). Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants in the Maldives. UNODC Policy Report.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2021). "The Role of Bias in the Identification of Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings in the EU." Policy Report, ICMPD, November Issue.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2019). "Ausbeutung und Menschenhandel: Es geht nicht immer um Sexarbeit." Wissenschaft: Geschichte Österreichs, Der Standard newspaper.

Bogdan, Ludmila (2013). "Human Trafficking." Conference of Undergraduate Research Proceedings, University of North Carolina at Asheville Press.

Outside activities

Volunteer – Caritas Denmark , April 2026 –present

Support services for migrants and asylum seekers, including communication and community assistance.