Assistant Professor, Political Science
PhD, McMaster University
MA, University of Waterloo
BA, McMaster University
Office: Plaza 349
905-688-5550 x4076
[email protected]
Dr. Gordon’s research focuses on irregularized migration and the externalization of European border controls, with particular attention to civil society Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. His work explores the theoretical intersections of sovereignty, solidarity, forced migration, and border politics at the edges of the Global North.
Dr. Gordon’s work investigates grassroots organizations and the spatial politics of the Mediterranean Sea, conceptualized as a dynamic and contested borderscape. His research examines the complex interplay between acts of solidarity with migrants and broader state strategies aimed at externalizing border control and criminalizing humanitarian efforts. By analyzing civil society Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, he highlights how solidarity at sea reveals emerging patterns in bordering practices, mobility, and citizenship. These NGO-led interventions challenge the use of natural environments as tools of border enforcement, exposing the violence embedded in state border regimes. Dr. Gordon’s research frames these rescue efforts as politically charged acts that resist racialized exclusion and advocate for justice, rights, and freedom of movement. His scholarship is deeply connected to direct engagement with these movements, bridging academic inquiry with active solidarity alongside people on the move. Currently, he serves as a Co-Editor of Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees.
- Forced Migration
- Civil Society & Non-Governmental Organizations
- Search and Rescue (SAR)
- Border Resistance & Activism
- Critical Border Studies
- Citizenship
- Political Geography
- International Political Sociology
Journal Articles:
- Gordon, MB (Forthcoming) “Solidarity and the Civil Fleet: Irregularized Migration, Search and Rescue and the Maritime Borders of Europe.”
- Gordon, MB. (2020) “Bordering Through ‘Crisis’: Migrant Journeys, Border Industries and the Contestation of Control.” Migration, Mobility and Displacement. 5 (1): 39-58.
Edited Book:
- Hennebry, J., S. Samuk & MB Gordon (eds.) (Forthcoming) Handbook on Temporary Migration. Edward Elgar Publishing. Cheltenham, UK. Submitted to Publisher.
Book Chapters:
- Gordon, MB. (Forthcoming) “Solidarity at Sea and the Failure of Temporary Migration Governance in the Mediterranean” in Handbook on Temporary Migration, Hennebry, J., S. Samuk & MB Gordon (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing. Cheltenham, UK.
- Hennebry, J, S. Samuk, MB Gordon & M. Jeziorek (Forthcoming) “The Temporary Migration Paradigm: Temporalization as a Permanent Mode” in Handbook on Temporary Migration, Hennebry, J., S. Samuk & MB Gordon (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing. Cheltenham, UK.
- Samuk, S., J Hennebry, MB Gordon & V. Dragusha (Forthcoming) “Normalizing the Status Quo : Temporalization in Temporary Migration Governances” in Handbook on Temporary Migration, Hennebry, J., S. Samuk & MB Gordon (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing. Cheltenham, UK.
Working Papers:
- Gordon, MB. (2020) “Responsibility.” States of Refuge II: Key Concepts in Critical Refugee Studies. Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition Working Paper Series, McMaster University. 19 (1): 42-45
Popular Press:
- Hoffstaedter, G. & MB Gordon (2026) “The sea as silent witness: Toward a community of care in maritime refugee research.” Border Criminologies. Published 25 March 2026.
- Gordon, MB. (2019) “Standoffs at sea highlight the shameful criminalization of rescuing migrants.” The Conversation. Published 18 July 2019.
- Gordon, MB. & V. Squire (2019) “EU leaves Migrant Search and Rescue NGOs in the Mediterranean Without a Paddle.” The Globe Post. Published 29 May 2019.
Current courses taught at Brock University:
- POLI 4/5P16 – Global Migration: Canada in a Comparative Context
- POLI 3P26 – International Law and International Organization
- POLI 4/5P26 – International Politics and National Security
- POLI 5P86 – Graduate Seminar in International Relations
Previous courses:
- POLI 2P20 – Introduction to Global Politics
- POLI 4/5P20 – Globalization and Global Governance
