Not really at home: Adaptation strategies of Asian migrants in Ukraine

Abstract

The paper problematizes the concept of transit migration and analyzes individual adaptation strategies used by migrants from the former Soviet Union and South Asian countries. These migrants transited through Ukraine and ended up in the country when their plans for further migration to European Union countries or the United States of America did not materialize. It examines how migration outcomes are affected by the migrants’ social capital and sheds light on their alternative resources to cope with life in Ukraine given limited state support. The results show significant differences in the adaptation and possibilities for legal ways to migrate to other countries for migrants coming from Central Asia, Afghanistan and other Asian countries.