International Migration最新文献

Return migration is a complex process increasingly discussed in academic and policy circles. This study calls on complementary concepts and theories of migration, such as transnationalism, integration and family ties, to explore the return migration aspirations of first-generation immigrants in the Netherlands. It aims to examine to what extent an immigrant's contacts with their origin country, proximity to the host country and family location influence their return migration aspirations. We use the Survey of Integration of Migrants and the Survey of Integration of New Groups collected by Statistics Netherlands, which count amongst the rare surveys that capture these concepts. Our results show that, whilst return aspirations vary by country of origin, probably reflecting the conditions of the initial migration, having a family in origin and being active in transnational activities are positively related to return aspirations. Additionally, those more integrated into the host country are less likely to report aspirations to return. These results confirm the expectations that the ties to the origin and host countries matter in return aspirations.

This research intends to shed light on the household migration decision-making process of Ethiopian irregular migrants heading to the Republic of South Africa. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional household survey (n = 659) and in-depth interviews (n = 24) conducted in 2022. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regressions and thematic analysis were employed to analyse the data. Our findings reveal that being a young male, having a large household size, the presence of family members and smugglers positively influence households' decisions for irregular migration. Possession of farmland, being employed and married have a negative influence on household decisions for migration. The study findings further show that prior information about the migration destination is important in the household's migration decision-making process. We suggest that government actions and policy interventions should be based on such empirical evidence to promote safe and regular migrations while addressing potential migrants' aspirations and needs in their pursuit of a better life.

This study examines the determinants of the overeducation phenomenon among migrants in Lombardy, Italy, and how it has evolved over the last 14 years. The target population consists of legal and undocumented individuals with original citizenship from countries defined as ‘high migratory pressure countries’, who declared themselves as ‘employed’. Italy has one of the highest rates of overeducation among non-EU citizens in the European Union, and there is also a significant gap between the overeducation rates of Italian nationals and non-EU citizens in the country. The study explores various factors contributing to overeducation and how the individual and migratory characteristics affecting it evolved. The chosen period encompasses years affected by the consequences of the economic crisis and the pandemic emergency. A significant time effect, different according to gender, is detected: more specifically, a decrease in the probability of being overeducated in the post-crisis years in comparison with the preceding ones for men. More years since migration and having attended primary or secondary education in Italy appear to significantly lessen the likelihood of overeducation. Predicted probabilities demonstrate that being a woman and originating from certain countries, such as some eastern European non-EU countries (Ukraine and Moldova) and the Philippines, disadvantage foreign workers in terms of overeducation.

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.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on xenophobia in South Africa is little understood. The Behavioural Immune System (BIS) theory would predict that hostility towards immigrants increases during periods of heightened pathogen stress. This BIS-hypothesis is tested against the relative strength of three other possible drivers of anti-immigrant sentiment. These included anger at the national lockdown system, intertemporal relative deprivation, and racial transformation ideology. For these tests nationally representative data (N = 2996), gathered during the height of the ‘Omicron’ wave, were used. Multivariate analysis showed that COVID-19 exposure was not associated with more negative sentiments towards immigrants. Fear-based reactions to the Coronavirus were, in fact, correlated with pro-immigrant attitudes. Intertemporal relative deprivation and transformation orientations were much better predictors of anti-immigrant sentiment than pathogen stress. These findings raised questions about the applicability of the BIS-hypothesis in the context of the Coronavirus and suggest new avenues of academic inquiry.

A sound understanding of immigrants' settlement intentions and the factors that influence them is crucial for developing successful integration policies and predicting the economic performance of the host country. It can also help us better comprehend migration patterns and individual decisions. Drawing upon a structural approach, we examined selected phenomena such as a skills mismatch and perceived discrimination and explored how they influence migrants' choices between staying and integrating into Poland or returning to their home countries. Additionally, we considered the mediating role of the concept of social (dis)integration in shaping these behaviours. Through empirical analysis conducted on two groups of Ukrainians—economic migrants and war refugees—using data collected in the Greater Poland region, our findings revealed a stronger negative impact of perceived discrimination on settlement intentions for the sample of Ukrainian citizens who arrived before the war, compared with the sample of war refugees. This relationship is fully mediated by disintegration. However, we did not confirm the mediating role of disintegration in the relationship between intentions to settle in Poland and migrants' skills mismatch. Furthermore, we identified some differences in the loadings of factors between these two groups, particularly in relation to settlement intentions and discrimination.

Diaspora governance strategies are part of an increasingly vibrant academic and policy debate. International organisations play a significant role in promoting diaspora institutions, collaborating with home states, diaspora communities, and other stakeholders. In post-conflict states, the involvement, and evolving roles of international organisations, among a variety of actors in diaspora institution building, is implicit but has been underresearched. This article analyses a diaspora mapping exercise led by the IOM to demonstrate how an institutional logics perspective can help to better understand how such processes unfold. Taking an organisational perspective, it sheds light on the interplay among international organisations, state agencies, local government, and individual actors in diaspora and development. By focusing on Bosnia and Herzegovina, the study offers insights into the challenges and opportunities in diaspora engagement in post-conflict countries. It underscores the need for further research and the long-term implications of international organisations' efforts in diaspora development programs and diaspora governance.