Toward Human-Centered Migration Systems: A Legal, Ethical, and Policy Framework for the 21st Century

Affiliation:Founder & Research Lead, Humanitan | Independent Researcher in Migration Ethics and Policy Innovation Description:This research paper critically examines the structural and normative limitations of current global migration systems, highlighting their overreliance on state-centric sovereignty, categorical filtering, and opaque technological decision-making. Drawing on legal theory, global justice, and administrative law, the paper advances a framework for human-centered migration governance rooted in dignity, procedural fairness, and interdisciplinary ethics. It introduces policy and design principles to reform immigration systems using data-informed, human-aligned methodologies. This paper represents a core contribution of the Humanitan initiative to the field of migration ethics and aims to stimulate cross-sector dialogue among academics, policymakers, and technologists.