Maïna Aerni obtained her Master of Law from the University of Neuchâtel in 2023. Since 2025, she has been a PhD-student at the Chair of Public Law, European Law, and Migration Law under the supervision of Professor Cesla Amarelle at the University of Neuchâtel, currently writing her doctoral dissertation on the interplay of criminal and punitive logics within migration law. Her research focuses particularly on crimmigration and its implications for human rights.