Research on the history of migration continues to flourish and grow, but scholarship is also becoming increasingly splintered, often focusing on particular settings or population groups. Migration is often used as a way to discuss questions of national identity or diverse religious, ethnic, religious and local identities in the UK, the development of the British political system or aspects of the history of the British empire. But could the history and historiography of migration offer us any broader, overarching insights? In this talk Jessica Reinisch suggests several ways in which the history of migration can help to bring into focus big questions about our world, such as around the nature and role of modern states and international organisations, and the use of history to inform current policy.