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International migration is arguably an important challenge and opportunity for the world today. In these two first decades of the 21st century, we are witnessing important changes in the direction of flows, the motivations of people on the move and the complex patterns of human migration. In addition, 2020 has brought an extraordinary and unexpected pandemic crisis, that has temporarily brought international migration to a standstill while further exacerbating inequalities and vulnerabilities of migrants and their families. This special issue finds its origins in the inaugural conference of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration programme at Ryerson University in Toronto which took place in February 2020, while the COVID‐19 epidemic was being felt in China but was still believed to remain a regional and short‐lived challenge. As we developed our writing, COVID‐19 turned into a global pandemic pushing us also to rethink some of our considerations and arguments. The first set of papers aims to unsettle the main migration policy narratives and to critically engage with dominant views of international migration governance. The second set of papers focuses on the new complex realities of temporary migration, investigating critically policies and practices in different world regions, and how they compound vulnerabilities for migrants while failing to offer a sustainable way forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generic accounts of pervasive cases of exploitation and abuse against migrant domestic workers in the Middle East exist in the extant literature. However, very little is known about the breadth, depth and gendered nature of abuses experienced by female migrants from especially the sub‐Saharan African region. Abuses of the rights of sub‐Saharan Africans are under‐represented and under‐theorised. This paper interrogates the question what is the nature, extent and severity of exploitation and abuse against female Ghanaian domestic workers in the Middle East? Using data from mixed‐methods research, this paper adopts the framework of structural, symbolic and interpersonal violence to examine the range of abuses against domestic workers and the context within which these abuses take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During research conducted in the summer of 2020, I observed the advanced marginality of the refugees in Ankara, Turkey. While some authors have examined this precarity, and some others have examined how refugees have begun to live in a spatially distinct section of certain cities, the combination of these two phenomena demands further investigation. If the underpinning truly is spatial as claimed by Lefebvre (The production of space. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell, 1991), then the precarious subject and the precarious space co‐produce each other. What this paper intends to do is to combine space and precarity using the observations of Wacquant (Urban poverty and the underclass: a reader. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell, 1996, Urban Studies, 2016, 53, 1077) in his various analyses on the ghetto in France and the United States. In Wacquant's work, we can begin to see a spatial conception of precarity, and we can further extend this to the point that as space is a production and its subjects are also a co‐constitution of that space. Nevertheless, Sampson (Ethnic & Racial Studies, 2014, 37, 1732) points out a certain state centrism in Wacquant's analysis. Building upon this, as well as the work of Roy (International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2011, 35, 223 and Territories of poverty: rethinking north and south. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2015), we can offer the refugee neighbourhood in Ankara as an example of "bottom‐up" agency, alternative to Wacquant's original state‐centric analysis. In the course of this paper, this possibility of a "bottom‐up" refugee solidarity and related refugee space will be analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in a massive exodus of Ukrainians to Europe but also the emigration of Russian citizens. While attention has primarily been on the flow of Russian migrants to neighbouring countries, intercontinental migrations to regions like South America have been overlooked. This paper sheds light on the growing trend of Russians settling in Brazil. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset of migration statistics and qualitative data from empirical fieldwork conducted between 2019 and 2023 in three Brazilian cities, our analysis reveals that new Russian migrants to Brazil are primarily young, highly skilled and resourceful individuals. Unlike in other regions, family migration with young children is common among recent Russian migrants to Brazil. We show that strategic births ‐ using the birth of children to gain  residency and citizenship ‐has become the primary migration channel, forming a new migration system characterised by intensive circulation and turnover between Russia and Brazil. Moreover, while Russian emigration is driven by political reasons, the incorporation of migrants into Brazilian cities is influenced by the relatively privileged economic and legal status of these families. The paper contributes to a deeper understanding of complex migration patterns in the “Global South” by illuminating a geographically unconventional flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the issue of creation of migrant networks in different contexts along the Eastern Mediterranean route and the Balkans. Drawing on 27 qualitative interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, it uncovers the information about migration journeys and the ways how social capital is transferred among migrants. The paper sheds light on the role of social networks, their influence on strategies, behaviour patterns and resource allocation during migration. The findings underscore different benefits of using migrant networks, highlighting their role in providing crucial support as well as increasing safety and supporting migrants' well‐being. Moreover, the shared identity forged through these networks enhances migrants' resilience, empowering migrants to navigate challenges more effectively. These empirical findings challenge the narratives of migration being individualistic and contribute to the literature on creation, dynamics, and benefits of networks of irregular transit migration, highlighting the differences from other migrant networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify how the diaspora consciousness of Syrian entrepreneurs in Egypt might affect their business practices. The research sample comprises semi‐structured interviews with Syrian refugee owners of small and medium‐sized businesses in Egypt. Thematic analysis was subsequently used to determine the main ideas in the transcripts from the interviews. The findings showed that diaspora consciousness stimulates Syrian refugees to actively engage in three categories of business‐related practices: contextual (expanding entrepreneurial activities outside their host country, desire to constitute a Western country‐based business venture), functional (reliance on a value chain within the same nationality, tending to adopt shadow economy practices), and procedural practices (preferring to develop family businesses, establishing only small and medium‐sized enterprises). This paper contributes by filling a gap in the literature on refugee entrepreneurship in which empirical studies on the effect of diaspora consciousness on the business practices of refugee entrepreneurs have been limited so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper engages critically with the emergence of a global migration governance regime today, particularly through the Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). The paper questions why and how the global governance of migration is emerging today under a blueprint that emphasizes orderly, safe, regular flows when the reality is that most flows are disorderly, unsafe and partly regular or indeed largely unauthorized. The paper discusses how the global governance of migration is inscribed in the paradigm of risk society and why we need to go beyond this paradigm acknowledging complexity and uncertainty, arguing that we need to rethink migration governance as messy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little research on the relationship between welfare policies and immigrant entrepreneurship. Accordingly, this paper examines changes in three welfare domains: child‐care, health/medical insurance, and unemployment insurance in the context of France since roughly the 1980s, but with a focus on the 21st century. Given changes in French welfare policy, I show that immigrants' greater access to fluctuating, sometimes declining, but overall increasing spending in the three domains, can be positively correlated with slowly increasing immigrant entrepreneurship since the early 2000s. However, I also argue that welfare policies do not seem to have a significant effect on the levels and survival of immigrant‐owned firms in France. The findings of this paper should nonetheless be taken with extreme caution in light of the obstacles to analyzing this relationship. As a consequence, I provide an assessment of three possible research designs as a route towards better understanding this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the motivations and barriers behind the decision of economically disadvantaged Moldovans to refrain from migrating for better economic prospects. Drawing on 30 qualitative interviews with voluntary stayers, it uncovers a range of individual‐level characteristics that impede migration aspirations. These findings highlight the heightened sensitivity of lower‐wage stayers to their perceived social status abroad, their limited adaptability to new cultures and environments and their lower willpower to endure the challenges of long‐term gains. Moreover, this paper sheds light on their contentment with modest material gains and their aversion to migration risks. At the structural level, it emphasizes how social inequalities act as barriers for specific social groups, particularly the economically disadvantaged. These empirical insights challenge prevailing assumptions about the dominance of economic costs and network abroad in migration decision‐making, offering a fresh perspective on the social factors and costs shaping stayers' choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the role of personal ties in migration decisions has received considerable attention. However, this aspect has seldom been studied in the context of retirement. This paper addresses this gap by shedding light on the composition of personal networks, types of mobility patterns and retirement locations for four groups of older adults. To this end, two methodological approaches are employed: (1) a qualitative Social Network Analysis to examine the composition of older adults' personal networks and (2) thematic coding to analyse the relational aspects of migration decisions. This paper draws on 29 semi‐structured interviews conducted in Spain and Switzerland in 2020 and 2021. The findings demonstrate that pre‐retirement migration trajectories shape personal network composition. Moreover, personal ties play a critical role in older adults' mobility patterns and choices of retirement location. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the impact of personal networks on migration decisions of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on two extended qualitative research projects conducted between 2017 and 2022, this paper analyses the refugee reception programme (RP) in Spain, which is managed both by the central state and some specialised social organisations. This cross‐sectoral RP presents notable and enduring problems, which have deepened since the increase in asylum applications during the so‐called European refugee crisis in 2015. This paper affirms that, although this increase in asylum seekers represents a serious challenge, the persistent shortcomings of the RP are better explained by a set of structural factors related to (1) the restrictive institutional model of asylum and immigration policy, (2) the lack of development of the RP, its dispersal policy and its social intervention design, (3) the lack of multilevel governance between the State and the municipalities and regional administration and (4) the current neoliberal and nativist policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration has become highly contentious. Turkey is no exception. Turkey faces even further challenges as the host to the world's largest refugee population, with Syrians as the majority. Fear about loss of control over borders, and its subsequent political, economic, social and cultural repercussions lies at the heart of migration debates. Parliamentary deliberations provide a public venue for airing these concerns. The paper focuses on Turkish Parliamentary deliberations on the Syrians to assess its issue salience. To do so, an extensive coding of the Parliamentary debates from 2015 to 2019 is conducted. The paper's rigorous analysis of the Turkish Parliamentary debates on the Syrians reveals multiple findings, uncovering a divide among the five political parties in the Parliament—the AKP, CHP, MHP, Iyi Party and the HDP emphasizing different dimensions. The paper captures the commonalities and differences among these political parties with a systematic empirical study of Turkish Parliamentary debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the determinants of emigration from six Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries in light of the Arab Spring of 2011. The aim is to determine if the economically unfortunate events which occurred as a result of the Arab Spring, resulted in a brain drain for many countries. The paper's analysis is conducted using the Arab Transformation Project dataset of the year 2014 by employing an ordered probit model. The paper's main conclusion is that sentiments of unhappiness appear to be the primary determinant of the willingness to emigrate. Other post‐revolutionary feelings include lack of trust and political and democratic discontent, which highly encourage the willingness to emigrate. In addition, socio‐economic factors, such as being young, male, and highly educated, contribute to the willingness to emigrate. However, married individuals are less likely to consider emigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite this being the era of migration, no systematic theory of international migration has emerged, nor is there an academic or political agreement on ways in which migration is a 'gendered' process. Both theoretically and as inputs in the policy‐making process, gender‐blind approaches have actually rendered the gender dimension of migration more or less invisible. Through an in‐depth examination of the place of gender in the key theories of migration and relevant sources of data, the paper seeks to take stock of how these theories treat this dimension and investigate the cross‐sectional challenges in uncovering gender in international migration data. It, therefore, provides a critical review of both theory and data by shedding much‐needed light on their neglect of the gender aspects. Our findings based on a conceptual review of the literature and a case study based on Eurostat data on migration drivers demonstrate that migration theories and statistics typically equate gender with sex, which limits our ability to develop a comprehensive understanding of how complex gender dimensions shape the migration process. Moreover, given the extent to which existing data and theories overlook the intersectionality between the drivers of migration and diversity within migrant groups, this gap in knowledge presents an obstacle to gender‐responsive migration governance. In light of this, the paper discusses priorities for 'gendering' international migration research. We argue that in addition to improving accuracy and coverage of sex‐disaggregated statistics on international migration, both regular and irregular, it is crucial to develop quantitative as well as qualitative indicators to monitor the gender dimension in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks how refugees' second‐language learning processes are embedded in their lives in host countries. To address this question, the paper proposes the concept of second‐language learning trajectories. These trajectories explain refugees' second‐language learning as closely intertwined with learners' self‐understanding, experiences and positioning in host countries. Using longitudinal narrative interview data from Syrian refugees in Germany, the paper identifies three different types of second‐language learning trajectories, that is empowerment, accommodation and disinvestment. These trajectories have vastly diverse outcomes, not only in terms of second‐language proficiency but also in terms of learning motivation, self‐views and future prospects. Moreover, second‐language learning trajectories evolve based on self‐reinforcing dynamics that make switching between trajectories increasingly difficult over time. This is particularly detrimental to refugees on the disinvestment trajectory, which entails social decline and exclusion. The paper also identifies institutional regulations in Germany that compound refugees' struggles to gain a foothold in their host country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection in the region has rapidly become a favoured durable solution to refugee situations and the hallmark of all current policies. These initiatives reflect changes in humanitarian approaches that have taken place over the past decades as the focus has shifted towards the resilience of crisis‐affected communities and the need to enable their self‐reliance. Despite the strong logic that this change will bring about more dignified solutions, the approach is easily instrumentalized. This instrumentalization is particularly evident where resilience humanitarianism meets security‐migration politics. This paper focuses on the efforts of the European Union and a number of its member states to advance so‐called protection in the region. The paper reviews the characteristics of these policies, highlights a number of risks and defines some known and lesser known implications of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the example of recognized refugees in rural Germany, and following the housing pathways approach, the paper addresses the complex interplay of individual and family‐related residential preferences over time as well as structural factors regarding access to housing and associated settlement and integration. Results are from a long‐term empirical study that encompassed both refugees' and local actors' views. Mechanisms and practices of exclusion that prevent refugees from accessing appropriate private housing are related to the negotiation of residential preferences about where and how to live, as well as to structural aspects such as the pattern of local housing markets, accessibility of infrastructures or the unwillingness of landlords to let to refugees. The paper concludes to highlight the role of place in housing trajectories and the significance of social resources within refugees' practices and local intermediaries' strategies to overcome exclusion and provision of access to rural housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are contesting perspectives on migration, there is little understanding of how narratives of various policy actors shape migration governance in West Africa. This paper relies on a desk‐review and qualitative data to examine the narratives that shape migration policy formulation and outcomes in West Africa. The findings indicate that while various stakeholders have been championing divergent narratives on migration, programmes that have been adopted by West African countries to manage migration have largely been based on the narratives of political elite and international development partners, although there were situations where these narratives were not supported by any strong evidence. While early views on the impacts of international migration portrayed it as a threat to socio‐economic development, more recent narratives have recognized the potential of migration to contribute to socio‐economic transformation. Consequently, various West African countries are developing policies to harness the benefits of immigration, emigration and return migration for socio‐economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of intra‐Asian labour migration is regulated on the basis of governing tools that aim at managing cross‐border movement of workers on a strictly temporary, employer‐tied basis. The key elements involved in the operationalization of strictly temporary migration are recruitment, remittances and return; these three 'Rs' are also central to global policy discussions around the migration‐development nexus. The core premise of this paper is that this strict framework results in a particular form of migrant precarity which in turn shapes migrant transnationality, leaving migrants with severely circumscribed labour agency. This leads to the argument that temporary migration paradigm as practiced in much of Asia constitutes involuntary transnationalism. The paper ends by arguing that based on proactive migrant rights activism, the involuntary character of transnationalism is being challenged by bringing a different set of 'Rs' into the discussion derived from global social policy and global justice perspectives: regulation, redistribution and rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies in the field of international migration focus on utilizing migrant networks in migration process, outlining their role in the choice of destination country as well as in the job search process. However, relatively few of the studies discuss migrant networks' role in the choice of a specific location within destination cities. This paper contributes to this research area by providing additional insights into the motives behind choosing place of residence by immigrants in contemporary European cities. In our paper, we use data of a tailor‐made survey of 610 Polish immigrants, who emigrated from Poland to the UK shortly after 2004, that is, after opening of the British labour market for Polish citizens. Our study results reveal that propensity towards living in the Polish neighbourhood is inversely correlated with migrants' English language proficiency. Moreover, we discover that networking within the Polish diaspora is to a large extent limited to family and close acquaintances, which most likely results from the limited generalized trust towards other Poles. Based on our study results, we argue that settling in geographical proximity of migrant's ethnic group is likely to maintain its relevance in the contemporary cities, especially in case of immigrants with poor destination language skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the migration of women from Bangladesh to the Middle East as short‐term migrants, mainly for work in the domestic care sector as domestic workers, housekeepers, nannies, cooks, etc. This group accounts for about 15 per cent of the total short‐term migration cohort. They face particular challenges around not only the precarity of their employment but also in navigating a series of patriarchal norms in both Bangladesh and the destination countries in the Middle East. The paper will build on the work of Deniz Kandiyoti and her seminal work on patriarchal bargains. This paper will explore the challenges women face in migrating to the Middle East: in their decision to migrate, their experiences abroad, and on return and reintegration into Bangladesh society and their home life, and how these are determined by a series of patriarchal bargains both in Bangladesh and the destination country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before full‐scale war broke out in 2022, over 1 million Ukrainians resided legally in Poland. Within weeks of Russia's aggression, around 1.5 million new Ukrainian forced migrants had arrived, many of whom remain in Poland. As of September 2023, 970,000 Ukrainian refugees were still in Poland, where they enjoyed temporary protection status. This paper analyses data from a 2022 survey of both forcibly displaced and pre‐war Ukrainian migrants with the aim of establishing what measures are needed to facilitate the economic integration of the former group. The two cohorts differ in terms of gender, age, family status, ways of seeking employment, employment situation and aspirations. Although 66 per cent of respondents had completed tertiary education, only 30 per cent of the forcibly displaced group had Polish‐language skills. The paper recommends strategies for the provision of language education along with solutions to enable the labour market participation of this group and otherwise support their integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on qualitative data from the civil wars in Syria and Libya since 2011, this paper seeks to build a better understanding of immobility and of displacement trajectories within conflict countries and towards neighbouring countries. The paper shows that different types of violent experiences—personal threats, generalized violence, an increasing hopelessness relating to the absence of violence in the future—trigger different exit movements across internal and external borders. Second, the analysis demonstrates that migration decisions in civil war contexts are complex processes with people balancing between strategies of how to avoid violence with strategies of how to realize broader life aspirations related to family, love, work and political change. Life aspirations often play a more important role once people move out of a situation of immediate danger and in later phases of trajectories and influence (im)mobility patterns in three different directions: stay, move (on) or return. Life aspirations, especially related to political change, outweigh perceptions of violence in some cases. Financial vulnerability can force people to stay in or return to violent contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrant‐run businesses are playing an increasingly important role in the Polish economy. This paper focuses on the patterns of entrepreneurship and ethnic economy employment among Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants residing in the Warsaw metropolitan area (WMA). It uses microdata from a survey of Vietnamese and Chinese residents of the WMA and employs logistic regression analysis in order to assess the factors that affect the odds of entrepreneurship and ethnic economy employment among them. Subsequently, the paper analyses the impact of entrepreneurship and ethnic economy employment on the earnings of Vietnamese and Chinese citizens living in the WMA. Empirical analysis demonstrates that Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants are not pushed to become entrepreneurs by an opportunity structure that blocks alternative options and enjoy significantly higher incomes than native‐born Polish citizens. The ethnic economy becomes a temporary adjustment mechanism for newly arrived migrants but is not lucrative for longer‐term residents of these two origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextual entrepreneurship and mixed embeddedness approach alike emphasize the importance of the political‐institutional embeddedness next to social embeddedness along with further contexts for migrant entrepreneurship, yet the aspect of international migration policies as an important institutional framework has been somewhat neglected. This paper introduces the case of political‐institutional embeddedness of migrant entrepreneurship in Japan from an international migration policy perspective, discussing embeddedness of migrant entrepreneurs and their support institutions from a multi‐scalar perspective. By analysing the migration policy context of migrant entrepreneurship at different policy levels, that is, national, regional and urban scales, it demonstrates the analytical value of differentiating policies along these scales and also their inter‐connectedness, conceptually proposing the inter‐ and trans‐scalarity of these policy contexts. By bringing issues of migration regimes and particularly the East Asian developmental state as a lens to analyse migrant entrepreneurship, it brings further approaches in comparatively analysing different entrepreneurial contexts for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much migration research analyses one‐off migration from origin to destination, of a more‐or‐less permanent character. This paper argues that the reality of international movements is more complex. Thus, the aim of our analysis is to shed light on the diversity of migration patterns involving repeat movements between origin and destination and multiple migration, which encompass more than one destination country within its migration trajectory. A review of the literature points to the gap between the literature on repeat migration and that on multiple migration. These two strands of literature developed separately; each took as a frame of reference one‐off migration. In this paper we bridge this theoretical gap. Empirical analysis, based on the European Internal Movers' Social Survey (EIMSS), quantifies the volume of one‐off, repeat and multiple movements between selected European Union countries. The study also points to how the diverse patterns of migration are socially structured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transnational families have long used migration as a strategy for upward social mobility. However, migration projects are increasingly complex and often do not involve a single move from one country to another. Drawing on qualitative interviews, this paper explores how Latin American families negotiate different stages of their migration from Latin America to Spain to the UK. The paper demonstrates how families negotiate within the opportunity structures afforded to them to achieve physical and social mobility. These opportunities are structured by different legal regimes and the way that immigration, citizenship and labour market policies are implemented. The initial migration from Latin America to Spain had enabled Latin American families to gain economic stability and EU citizenship, but at the cost of a period of family separation. However, faced with the financial crisis, some families opted for onward migration to the UK, a process that resulted in families becoming "re‐transnationalised." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the literature on multiple migrations by using qualitative data to address two questions. First, why do some migrants engage in multiple moves that may include returns or re‐migrations? Second, how do migrants frame these multiple migrations? The paper focuses on the paths of Colombians and Ecuadorians in Spain as they reacted to the 2008 economic crisis, which severely affected their employment options. The crisis started a new migratory cycle in Spain, with significant numbers of migrants who returned to countries of origin or migrated onward. This paper argues that precarious incorporations leave migrants susceptible to economic shocks and push many to move again. New migrations are often a constant search for stability that is marked by precarity and mediated by economic resources, gendered expectations and generational attachments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper leverages the repressive turn in U.S. migration policy to understand how a cross‐border perspective can illuminate the experiences of two different, but contemporaneous second‐generation populations: Those whose lives have unfurled in the United States, all the while growing up in internationalized families with ongoing homeland ties; and those whose childhoods began in the United States, but were disrupted as part of the 'Great Expulsion', and thus migrated to Mexico, albeit often with U.S. citizenship and almost always with cross‐border ties to family members still living in the United States. As the paper demonstrates, looking across borders highlights the importance of the territorial frontier and the continuing power of the national to undermine the forces that produce cross‐border connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses whether Texas Germans can be viewed through the lens of transnationalism. As a group, Texas Germans exhibit a rich linguistic and cultural heritage, both of which have significantly contributed to the formation of a strong sense of "Texas‐Germanness." My goal is to investigate this particular instance of "Germanness beyond Germany" (Maxwell and Davis, German Studies Review, 39, 1–15, 2016) and to determine if Texas Germans represent a previously unidentified form of linguistic transmigrant. The study utilizes a mixed‐methods approach, consulting both quantitative (surveys) and qualitative data (open‐ended interviews; semi‐structured phone interviews). The results indicate the presence of various transnational elements and confirm that both linguistic and cultural heritage are defining elements in the construction and maintenance of Texas German identity. Language, moreover, appears as an important connector and mediator between these concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the existing literature on the unintended effects of migration management programmes beyond migration. By combining a structured literature review with fifteen in‐depth interviews with diplomats, consultants, and researchers – all involved with the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the largest migration management programme since 2015 – this study examines why policymakers do not always learn from unintended effects. The paper identifies four unintended effects: increased border guard violence; increased organized crime of smugglers and undermined livelihoods; exacerbation of poor governance in recipient countries; and legitimation of governments with limited legitimacy. While officials involved in the EUTF recognize the occurrence of these unintended effects, the EUTF insufficiently addresses these effects. This study analyses the technical, institutional, and ideological limits to learning that prevent migration management instruments such as the EUTF from effectively mitigating unintended effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015–16, Europe witnessed the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Over a million people moved via different migration routes. The key route was the Balkan corridor running from Turkey, via Greece, to Central, Western and Northern Europe. The aim of this paper is to describe the development and changes in the route and provide an analysis of transit via Balkan countries, looking at factors that influenced the shape of the corridor. This refugee crisis was challenging for European countries and the whole European Union (EU). This corridor was unique, being de facto formalized semi‐legal territory, which the EU had never faced before. An official reaction to the crisis was necessary due to the substantial number of people who were on the move, seeking to cross the Balkan countries in the fastest manner possible. Therefore, the response was focused on arranging transport and providing only short‐term accommodation. This paper uses the PESTLE framework to examine the key political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental aspects that influenced the Balkan corridor, as well as changes in the route over time and responses to them. The role of the media in shaping the corridor is also acknowledged, thus resulting in a PESTLE‐M framework. Findings from the research are important, as it is likely that the EU will face a similar crisis in the near future. Therefore, there is a need to prepare and develop a plan in case such a situation arises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present an in‐depth comparative analysis of how three states in Central and Eastern Europe—Hungary, Poland and Lithuania—ensure the political inclusion of their diaspora members by providing citizenship and electoral rights. The authors promote a broad understanding of diaspora that includes both emigrants and descendants as well as kin minorities. The analysis is based on a three‐dimensional analytical model (Lesińska & Popyk, CMR Spotlight 2, 2021) of diaspora policy. The paper examines the ‘thickness’ of political inclusion based on the relationship between citizenship and electoral rights at two stages: de jure and de facto. It reveals that the democratic rights of citizenship and voting are grounded not only in formal inclusion but, more importantly, in the accurate procedures involving those rights and access to them. The analysis demonstrates that extensive citizenship and voting rights are not necessarily associated with the factual political inclusion of all diaspora groups equally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐Soviet authoritarianisms have seen many faces where mobilities skyrocked (tens of millions of migrants in Russia from Central Asia) and economies collapsed. Mobilities and freedom of mobility became number one topic of political agendas of many post‐Soviet countries. Mobilities have been administered, organized, restricted and criminalized to address increased outmigration from Central Asia. Such counties as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (also Belorussia) introduced exit restrictions for their nationals to have a better control of their citizens and their migration plans. By now only Uzbekistan and Tajikistan abolished this system more or less only recently, whereas Turkmenistan follows a strict version of controlling mobility of its citizens both in the country and abroad. The paper is based on a decade anthropological research in the region since 2005. The paper includes a case study of Turkmen students studying outside of Turkmenistan and experiences of Uzbek nationals living abroad (before 2021). Besides ethnographic material detailing the experiences of migrants exiting Central Asia and living abroad, the paper offers an overview of the legal and political background on exit regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration‐information campaigns informing potential migrants about the risks of the journey and the harsh life conditions in the destination countries have emerged as prominent tools of migration management in the last decades. Despite their growing importance, little is known about their local implementation in countries of transit and origin as well as their influence on potential migrants' perceptions and experiences. The central objective of this paper is to understand how migration‐information campaigns are implemented on a local scale and how they shape the perception and discourses of migration in the region. We pursue a multi‐scalar analysis of international migration management policies and their outcomes in a specific place and link them with local migration aspirations. The paper is based on qualitative empirical research carried out in Harar, a medium‐sized city in the Harari regional state of Ethiopia. Drawing on interviews with government officials, NGOs, city dwellers, and return migrants, as well as the analysis of policy documents and scientific literature, we show how the local implementation of migration‐information campaigns shapes the local perceptions and discourses on migration within which migration aspirations are embedded. We found that information campaigns did not take into account the complexity and multifaceted nature of local socioeconomic and political conditions which reflects the discrepancy between policy discourses at large and people's perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines recent data collection tools and methodologies that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been using in order to gather information on human mobility as influenced by environmental factors and their impacts. It looks at alternative ways for collecting and analysing data in the face of methodological challenges related to the multicausality of movements, the voluntary/involuntary continuum in human (im)mobility decisions in the context of environmental and climate change, and the policy and epistemological imperative from viewing migration as an adaptation strategy. The paper finds that certain data collection approaches can be quickly deployed in rapid‐onset disasters as well as applied in contexts of gradual, slow‐onset environmental change to provide information useful for operational responses to immediate crises and/or for developing policies in response. Some of the tools can be useful in both contexts and may support both immediate and long‐term operational, policy and research objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of big data in understanding population movements in the context of environmental change, with particular attention to publicly available information from social media and newspapers. After discussing causal factors, the paper discusses the benefits and challenges of using big data, and mathematical models that may help capture the complexity of human mobility in the context of environmental change. We conclude that big data can be an important part of a toolkit in discerning drivers of migration and displacement. It is no panacea, however; the paper discusses potential problems in its use, particularly if big data are analysed to prevent people from moving out of harm's way. Therefore, partnerships between computer scientists and subject matter experts and practitioners are essential to ensuring that what is gathered from big data is usable, credible, and protects the privacy and rights of those who may be displaced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks whether welfare chauvinism applies to co‐ethnic migrants. Existing research on welfare chauvinism, the view that welfare provision should be restricted to native‐born citizens and that migrants should be excluded from provision, has largely focused on ethnic difference as a main motivation, but little attention is given to whether native‐born citizens discriminate among co‐ethnics. Using a choice‐based conjoint experiment and various framing interventions, this paper considers whether South Koreans discriminate against co‐ethnic migrants in providing social housing. It also considers whether public cost and recipient contribution requirements affect discrimination. We find that co‐ethnics are subject to welfare chauvinism, with applicants from more developed and culturally similar origins more preferred, but we do not find that the cost structure motivates discrimination based on origins. Accordingly, this paper expands the literature on migration and welfare states to better consider non‐Western societies with high levels of co‐ethnic migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legal and policy discourse on refugees has been mainly focusing on the labelling of particularly vulnerable persons or groups, while it has neglected to offer reflections on the effects of definitions and assessment practices over the creation of stereotypes and of biases in the identification of beneficiaries of protection. The aim of this paper was to offer some reflections on the how categories of vulnerability defined by international and supranational law are operationalised and implemented in the practice of the vulnerability assessment inside the humanitarian organisations. Our analysis shows that the vagueness of the legal definitions affects the way in which humanitarian organisations operationalise it. It also shows that the complexity of the relationships among the various vulnerability dimensions has generally been underrated in both scholarly writings and humanitarian practices. Thus, we outline the basis for alternative responses by the agencies engaged in vulnerability assessment practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the labour incorporation of skilled Latin American immigrant workers into Spain. It is based on in‐depth interviews with 24 Latin American immigrants and it explores reasons for migration into Spain, showing that the interviewees migrated for a great variety of reasons, not necessarily for work. Subsequently, the paper analyses the interviewees' labour incorporation in Spain and defines three paths into skilled work in Spain. In two of the three paths, on first arrival in Spain, a mismatch was observed between education and labour market outcomes. For some, migration even represented a break in their career, implying occasionally a temporary de‐skilling process. For this reason, an extended university–work transition was sometimes observed, in order to secure skilled jobs in Spain. Theoretically, human capital hardly explains this migration since it is not associated with upward career movement, although wages might be higher than in the countries of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What explains natives' attitudes towards immigrants in host countries? This paper argues that not only economic and cultural but also political threat perceptions influence attitude formation. Natives consider the political balance of power and calculate the potential political benefits of admitting immigrants. This is because expected in‐party members will affect the balance of power in their favour. Leveraging a conjoint experiment in the United States, this study explores whether an immigrant's expected party affiliation shapes native attitudes. The findings indicate that immigrants with defined party affiliations are favoured compared to non‐affiliated ones. Moreover, respondents favoured immigrants perceived as political allies and penalized those seen as rivals. Expected party affiliation is even a strong predictor of attitudes for natives with existing anti‐immigrant attitudes as they curbed their negativities and favoured certain party identities. Overall, results suggest the pivotal role of political considerations as well as the importance of studying unexplored factors in attitude formation on immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper expands and enriches existing knowledge on the work–life balance of migrant workers by exploring the experiences of Polish nurses in Norway. Previous studies predominantly highlight the obstacles faced by migrant workers, such as discrimination, low status and poor working conditions, in achieving work–life balance. Based on ethnographic interviews with 15 Polish nurses working in Norwegian hospitals and nursing homes, our main finding is that these nurses achieved work–life balance through migration. This finding should be viewed in light of their previous experiences in Poland, a precarious state where work–life balance is largely absent, and the apparent insignificance of discrimination in the host country for this group of migrants. The study highlights work–life balance as a cultural process of normalization, constantly negotiated and symbolizing "the West". Furthermore, it brings attention to the role of class, ethnicity and national contexts in the work–life balance of migrant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing political turmoil gripping Sudan is fraught with violence between two opposing factions within its military government. This unsettling state of affairs has led to devastating consequences, including large‐scale displacement of people and severe human rights violations, causing dire humanitarian consequences. Against this tumultuous backdrop, we explore how existing refugee law, one facet of international law governing refugees, can help bring relief amidst a volatile conflict zone. Examining complex legal questions ranging from determining who qualifies for asylum status through various geographic considerations to what role states play in securing basic protections for refugees fleeing persecution or war at home will be analysed herein. Further difficulties involving how these complex provisions protect refugees face hurdles due to practical factors like lack of resources or security concerns will be considered thoroughly. While recognizing that instituting legal reforms alone is not enough to address these complex crises due to various challenges of reasons ranging from political to practical, this paper concludes by putting forth strategic recommendations for improvement aimed towards bolstering resources and support mechanisms required for refugees across the region to ensure they can seize‐hold of eventual solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates how the social construction of gender shapes women's migration choices and post‐migration experience using the example of Ugandan women migrants in Istanbul, Türkiye. Building on an ethnographic case study, we reveal how Ugandan women negotiate and find agency within oppressive structures that force them into debt, into "illegality", and limit their opportunities for safe and dignified work. Our discussion critiques international regulations – the Palermo Protocol – and local structures including the Istanbul Police and Turkish policy on migration and prostitution. We show the complexity of relationships that impact women's lives and show how institutions fail to protect women leaving them vulnerable to harassment and sexual violence. We reflect on the experience of women of colour in Istanbul, simultaneously visible on the street yet invisible in voice and agency. Our work highlights the importance of an intersectional lens in the study of migration, il/legality, workplace abuse and trafficking into prostitution. It has broad implications for understanding how gender, class and racialization define migrants' options for mobility and self‐determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, when the so‐called migrant crisis exploded in Italy, Rome has become a transit crossroads for a huge number of people who arrived in Europe through the Mediterranean route (Lendaro et al. 2019). This phenomenon determined the development of a heterogeneous network of solidarity supporting migrants in transit (Giliberti & Potot 2021). Over the years, following the transformations of Italian and European policies for the management of migration processes, the solidarity networks have begun to meet other subjects in addition to migrants in transit: 'orbiters' around the city, awaiting access to international protection or recently expelled from the Italian reception system, forced to live in a state of stasis that allows them to be defined as 'lifelong in‐betweener' subjects and representing the concept of 'turbulence migration' (Papastergiadis 2000). This article focuses on the transformation of the solidarity practices and on the new mobility strategies acted by migrants, both linked with the social/juridical features of those we defined 'orbiters'. From a methodological point of view, this paper is based on different moments of ethnographic observation in some key sites for solidarity to migrants in Rome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neighbourhood of Abasto has been home to many Peruvian immigrants since the 1990s. Now, this population is suffering the effects of a notable increase in real estate value intensely. This work analyses the specific mechanisms that provoke a differentiated exposure of Peruvian neighbours to gentrification, as well as the differentiated responses of migrants to the housing crisis. This paper is an ethnographic account about the strategies developed by Peruvian families in the context of gentrification. For this purpose, an abundance of material collected through observation, in‐depth interviews and a rigorous review of bibliographic and documentary material is provided. The results demonstrate how the condition of migrant as in‐betweeners represents an overexposure to the effects of the housing crisis for this population. In this context, there is also an unequivocal tendency for migrants to develop autonomous strategies against gentrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines how relational positivity and negativity within personal networks shape the return experiences of Hungarian migrants. Previous studies have hinted at the potential ‘dark side’ to personal networks for returnees, but no research has explored how different types of positive and negative ties impact return experiences. To address this gap, the study collected personal network data from 69 returning migrants in Hungary and analysed the effects of social support, relational negativity, and ambivalence on their self‐evaluated return experience score. The findings reveal that migrants' return experiences are significantly influenced by both relational positivity and negativity, affected by factors such as relational context, emotional closeness, geographical location, and social status. Particularly, relationships with family members and romantic partners are susceptible to relational negativity, which can adversely affect return experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration inherently embodies uncertainty and dynamism, eluding precise conceptualization, definition and measurement. Embedded within intricate migration driver environments and shaped by the diverse agency of actors involved—prospective migrants, intermediaries and policymakers—migration defies easy prediction and effective policy response. This inherent complexity within international migration flows poses immediate and long‐term governance challenges. This paper delves into the impact of migration‐related uncertainty on European migration governance. We scrutinize how uncertainty shapes migration policy responses and investigate the roles of key actors in assessing and communicating various facets of migration‐related uncertainty. Employing illustrative cases—the Syrian refugee situation and environmentally induced migration—we uncover how uncertainty influences European migration governance and policymaking. Our study sheds light on the interplay between migration uncertainty and governance processes. The findings emphasize the need for nuanced policy approaches to navigate the complexities inherent in international migration processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article questions digital agency as a subjective experience of refugees when crossing Europe's external and internal borders. More concretely, the article asks how refugees experience digital agency, and how this concrete experience is constituted in specific border practices. In doing so, it examines the contradictions that arise between European laws and human rights in the context of border practices. The analysis of the data of this paper reflects two important components of digital agency: the sense of ownership and control of one's body and actions, and the capacity to think independently and thus make considered choices. This study is based on a qualitative research approach based on narrative interviews. The data was imported to MAXQDA, a software package that allows data to be efficiently collected, organised, analysed and visualised electronically. The article shows how refugees and asylum seekers, when crossing the border to Europe, do not simply enter another country, but a (powerful) institutional system. In having their biometric and digital data collected, they are confronted with several practices of border and risk management that have become routinised and thus ‘normalised’ on an institutional level. Thus, their digital agency must be understood as precarious, underscored by an installed coercive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degree to which asylum or refugee integration policy influences a forcibly displaced individual's decision to settle in one European country versus another remains understudied, yet highly visible in policy and public debate. This work asks what explains this decision‐making via Spanish case study. The authors analyse 30 in‐depth interviews with persons seeking international protection from Spain combined with surveys among Spanish NGOs conducted in 2021. Main results firstly demonstrate that few individuals were previously aware of their intended destination's integration policies. Second, decision‐making affected by policies differs between individuals, related to socio‐demographic characteristics (origin country, age, gender). Third, EU policies serve as an auxiliary consideration. Finally, individual personal networks serve as the recurrent, principal pull factor. This paper contributes by highlighting that Spanish integration policies do not serve as a primary influence on decision‐making; instead, they serve as secondary or mediating factors, alongside the main factor of personal networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]