Miguel Pajares has a PhD in Social Anthropology and is a researcher at the University of Barcelona's exclusion and social control group, Grup de Recerca sobre Exclusió i Control Social. He has written several books of essays and a large number of his articles have appeared in academic journals and the press. His articles have focussed on topics such as immigration, asylum, human rights and the fight against racism. He has been involved in setting up groups such as SOS Racism and has encouraged union structures for the assistance of immigrants, and presently is president of the Catalan refugee commission, Comissió Catalana d’Ajuda al Refugiat.