Sonja Evaldsson Mellström is a PhD candidate at the AISSR where her doctoral research explores political contestations over transnational queer families. Her research looks at how national migration policies in postcolonial Europe are informed by the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, class, ethnicity and religion. Sonja has a particular interest in how societal notions of  ‘national belonging’ and ‘normative families’ inform migration policies. 

The research falls under Dr. Saskia Bonjour’s VIDI project 'Strange(r) Families. Political Contestation over Family Migration Rights for Non-Normative Families'.

Sonja holds a double degree Masters: a Msc with Distinction in International Relations from London School of Economics (LSE) and a MA in International Public Management from Sciences Po- Paris. She completed her BA in International Relations at Stockholm University with a Minor in International Law from the Swedish Defence University.  

In addition, Sonja has previously worked with asylum and migration for the Swedish Migration Agency. She has also worked with LGBTIQ+ asylum and migration with NGO’s ORAM International and ADEFHO in Cameroon, Israel and Turkey.