Understanding the Socioeconomics of International Migration Decisions and Outcomes Through the Capability-Based Migration Framework

This dissertation critically reviews neoclassical migration theories and conceptualises the capability-based framework as a prospect in migration theory. I show that most of the neoclassical migration theories were formed in the twentieth century. They therefore require an update to accommodate contemporary migration dynamics. I argue that a multifaceted and multidimensional capability-based approach that centralises human agency and capabilities can address the earlier theories’ shortcomings. Hence, I adopt the capability-based migration framework as the main framework in my dissertation. The dissertation differs from previous empirical studies in its unique methodology and exceptional attention to the grey areas in the migration discourse. Using data from prospective Nigerian migrants living in Nigeria, actual migrants living in Italy and a collection of secondary data sources, the dissertation addresses three research questions: how do capabilities influence migration decisions in the home country; what are the capability-depriving constraints faced by migrants in the host country; and how do migrants contribute to capability improvement in the home country?

Characteristics of migration from Serbia to Slovakia (on the example of the municipality of Kovačica)

Due to numerous transformation problems which determined the collapse of the industrial sector, unemployment and low living standards, an increasing number of working population leaves Serbia. For a very long time, Serbian emigration was directed primarily to the developed Western European countries (especially Germany and Austria). However, Slovakia has recently joined the narrow circle of countries-destinations for emigrants from Serbia. The article focuses on this wave of the working population emigration from Serbia to Slovakia and considers it in the framework of the contemporary migration theories, especially the push-and-pull factors theory. The research data was compared with the relevant data from previous studies. The research was conducted in the municipality of Kovačica (northern Serbia) with a questionnaire on the sample of 100 respondents (the snowball method was applied), and the authors also used various other data sources: statistical data (censuses, migration statistics, etc.), media reports and scientific papers. Given the unfavorable social-economic context of the Serbian working population emigration and the chosen theoretical framework, the authors considered economic factors as crucial for this wave of migration, which seems to be similar to the previous waves of migration. In general, this assumption was confirmed: emigrants from Serbia go to Slovakia for a variety of reasons, but the key ones are the small salary in Serbia, the impossibility to find a job in ones profession, and a poor financial and political situation in the country. On the other hand, Slovakia attracts Serbian migrants by offering possibilities to earn more money, to have higher living standards, better conditions for education and work, thus, promising a better and predictable future.

The History of Migration from Turkey to Western Europe: A Multi-theoretical Analysis of the Routes to Germany and the United Kingdom

Since the existing research on migration from Turkey to Western Europe does not employ multiple theoretical perspectives, this article, based on two field studies, focuses on the changing phases and forms of this human mobility by utilising a number of relevant international migration theories. The article examines the uncovered socio-economic, demographic, and political aspects of migration from Turkey to Germany and the United Kingdom and unpacks how the parameters and motives for these two routes have changed from a comparative historical perspective. In this way, it deepens the discussion on the factors and circumstances leading to migration and demonstrates that while individual, household, and historical-structural distinctions and conflicts initiate human mobility, it is perpetuated by ongoing differences, a culture of migration, networks, and ethnic economies.

Moves - Spaces - Places

In the complex and multi-layered process of migration and identity-building, classical migration theories and approaches of transnationalism seem no longer able to grasp how belonging and home are to be found in movement. This ethnography leads the reader into the lives of five Jamaican women in Montreal; their daily practices and experiences, their spaces of communion, their memories and projections for the future. Lisa Johnson sheds light on the mobile biographies and migratory agency of her interlocutors by following the intricate mental and physical trajectories of their deep-rooted yearning to return home.

Stimulating Flexible Citizenship

This paper explores the relationship between migration and integration policies in the Netherlands, diaspora policies in India, and the transnational practices of Indian highly skilled migrants to the Netherlands. We employ anthropological transnational migration theories (e.g., Ong 1999; Levitt and Jaworsky 2007) to frame the dynamic interaction between a sending and a receiving country on the lives of migrants. This paper makes a unique contribution to migration literature by exploring the policies of both sending and receiving country in relation to ethnographic data on migrants. The international battle for brains has motivated states like the Netherlands and India to design flexible migration and citizenship policies for socially and economically desirable migrants. Flexible citizenship policies in the Netherlands are primarily concerned with individual and corporate rights and privileges, whereas Indian diaspora policies have been established around the premise of national identity.

Socio-Economic Inequity and Decision-Making under Uncertainty: West African Migrants’ Journey across the Mediterranean to Europe

Understanding the nexus between poverty, inequality and decision-making under uncertainty in migrants’ journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe remains a significant challenge, raising intense scholarly debate. Several suggestions have been offered on how to reduce migrants’ journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in several guises, including the formulation and implementation of proper social, political and economic policies in Africa. Despite all odds and challenges, migrants from Africa cross state boundaries and stay in transit state(s) for limited periods, en route the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Underpinned by different migration theories and conceptual frameworks, our study applied a qualitative methodology to examine why migrants decide, under uncertainty, to cross the Mediterranean Sea from their countries of origin to the ultimate destinations in Europe. While focusing on the life experiences of purposively selected migrants from West Africa, the research seeks to address the underlying factors of irregular migration. The result of this empirical study clearly illustrates that limited access to opportunities, poverty and unemployment amidst precarious development challenges and the youth population bulge, exacerbate Africa’s migration crisis. The study finally brings into focus empirical observations and provides suggestions for stakeholders’ engagement in addressing African migration challenges.

International Migration of Highly Qualified Housewife Mothers and Their Career Concerns

e purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of highly educated mothers with at least one child who have left their jobs and have immigrated to the UK because of their spouse's job. The study investigates the barriers that these Turkish women may face in the UK. Research on immigrants has been mostly restricted to quantitative methods which rely on statistical data sets. A search of the literature revealed that qualitative studies are rarely used within the field. In order to examine this issue, in-depth interviews were held with 20 Turkish participants who meet the research criteria. Integrating these findings with relevant international migration theories, this study reveals that those highly educated Turkish women with advanced career success who took part in this research have not managed to break the cycle of traditional gender roles. It also shows that these women have not only taken care of their children, but also have established a harmonious family environment in order to assist their husbands' career. The findings of this study show that moving to the UK with their spouses inevitably has resulted in a decline in the career success, financial and social status for the participants.

North to South Migration

The economic crisis set in motion new migration trends in southern European countries. In Portugal, post-crisis migration has occurred in two main directions: northwards to more prosperous European countries and southwards to former Portuguese colonies in Africa—notably oil-producing Angola. Migration from the Global North to the Global South has received little attention in migration theories. In this study, the author argues that Portuguese migration to Angola should be understood not only as a result of the economic crisis, but also as a complex web of intersections in the context of Portuguese culture, Portugal’s linguistic heritage in Angola, family networks, discourses, myths and colonial power.