Understand. Connect. Belong
Who We Are?
Behind Migration Nexus is a team committed to listening deeply, telling stories responsibly, and building bridges between lived experiences, knowledge, and belonging.
Executive Office
Ayse Nur Yilmaz
Founder & Executive Director
With a background in Psychology, Political Science and International Relations, and migration-focused research, Ayşe Nur Yılmaz works on refugee inclusion, political behaviour, psychosocial support, and community engagement. Her experience in research, NGO leadership, and social impact projects shapes her approach to migration through evidence, storytelling, and lived experience.
Yelda Tanrivermis
Director
With a background in Politics and International Relations and experience in international networks, volunteer leadership, and multicultural environments, Yelda Tanrıvermiş works on migration, European politics, social inclusion, and community engagement. Her approach supports dialogue and storytelling around the lived realities of migration, belonging, and cross-cultural experience.
Our Offices
Aqsa Suleman
Research & Knowledge Office
Research Officer
Aqsa Suleman is a policy, research and advocacy specialist and has worked across racial justice, gender justice, health and mental health, for over 7 years across organisations including Mind, BEO and the Runnymede Trust. She serves as a School Governor and Trustee of Synergi Project CiC and is also a fellow of the Salzburg Global Institute
Ylenia Bertoletti
Community & Events Office
Event Officer
With a background in International Politics and European Institutions, Tourism and Brand Management, Ylenia focuses on event and conference management, bringing people together and fostering meaningful connections. She has a longstanding interest in international migration, with a particular interest in the history and experiences of Italian migration. Her experience in organising conferences has shaped her approach to creating events that connect people, ideas and concrete projects.
Fizza
Community & Events Office
Community Officer
With a background in International Relations and extensive experience in migration-focused research and practice, Fizza works on human trafficking, smuggling of migrants, refugee, climate-induced migration and migrant protection. Her professional experience spans migration research, project management, policy advocacy, and community-based engagement. Her work is grounded in the understanding that migration is a complex, non-linear phenomenon shaped by intersecting social, political, economic, and environmental realities. She seeks to centre lived experiences in migration research and translate empirical insights into evidence-based arguments for more informed, inclusive, and humane migration governance.
Sofia Correa Gavito
Partnership & Advocacy Office
Partnership & Advocacy Officer
Having lived in four different countries herself, Sofia has developed a deep personal and professional connection to questions of migration, diversity, and interculturality. As a former professional dancer, she brings many years of experience in the cultural sector, alongside her more recent work in the social sector and with NGOs. She has worked with migrants and asylum seekers in Italy and France, and has also accompanied victims of human trafficking. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and a specialization in Intercultural Mediation. Sofia particularly enjoys multicultural environments and exploring migration-related issues, seeing diversity and intercultural exchange as essential pillars for building a more equal and inclusive world.
Ecesu Akkus
Communications Office
Multimedia Officer
With a background in Psychology, with a focus on individual and organizational contexts, and counseling, focuses on psychological well-being, inclusion, belonging, and human experiences. Her experience in media, volunteering, and psychology shapes her approach to creating meaningful content that highlights social connections, diverse perspectives, and stories of human experience.
İrem Sıla Yöndem
Research & Knowledge Office
Research Officer
With a background in Psychology and Sociology, İrem Sıla Yöndem focuses her interests on clinical psychology, psychoanalytic thought, and social psychology. Through her involvement in different volunteer initiatives and projects, she works on understanding human behavior from both an individual and social perspective.
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