From Bridgeheads to Gate Closers: How Migrant Networks Contribute to Declining Migration from Morocco to the Netherlands

Snel, Erik; Engbersen, Godfríed; Faber, Marije

doi:10.1057/9781137539212_7

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…While the latter cannot be influenced by aspiring migrants, they can try to improve the former by obtaining information about obstacles at the route or conditions at the destination. Information about opportunities structures, immigration legislation, border controls, etc., can reduce risks and uncertainties with regards to migratory movements and are often transmitted through migrant networks that hereby impact migration decisions (Haug, 2008;Snel, Engbersen, & Faber, 2016). However, the information may also be selective and one-sided.…”

Section: Hope Uncertainty and Coincidence In Migration: An Analyticamentioning

confidence: 99%

Hope, Disillusion and Coincidence in Migratory Decisions by Senegalese Migrants in Brazil

Jung

2021

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Uncertainty is an essential characteristic of our lives. However, by moving from one country to another, from a familiar context to an unfamiliar one, uncertainty becomes a key element of migrants’ decisions. In times of restricted mobility regimes, migrants often do not know if they will be able to reach the desired destination. Even if they manage to do so, it is still uncertain if they will be able to fulfil their aspirations. However, uncertainty also leaves room for hope. Departing from the conceptualisation of hope as the simultaneity of both potentiality and uncertainty and from the concept of circumstantial migration, this article analyses (1) retrospectively the decision of Senegalese migrants to move to Brazil and (2) the intentions of onward migration. Based on empirical data collected through ethnographic fieldwork in four Brazilian cities, this article shows how migration as a form of social hope is redirected to new destinations and that this redirection is a consequence of circumstances and coincidences, which enable or prevent movement. Potential positive outcomes of migration outweighed negative ones, which play a minor role and hardly affect decisions to leave Senegal. However, decisions to emigrate are often based on incomplete information and ill-informed expectations regarding the circumstances at the destination and can lead to feelings of disillusion. The impact of uncertainties shows a more differentiated picture in the context of onward migration intentions. While some migrants are willing to take big risks in onward migration, others try to minimize uncertainties.

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Section: Hope Uncertainty and Coincidence In Migration: An Analyticamentioning

confidence: 99%

Hope, Disillusion and Coincidence in Migratory Decisions by Senegalese Migrants in Brazil

Jung

2021

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“…Some young members of the community visit their home country and find partners themselves while for some others, parents make arrangements for their children and find potential partners from their hometowns or villages. I argue, this kind of ethnic endogamy aims to ensure a continued reproduction of identity and tradition (see Böcker, 1994).…”

Section: The Myth Of Return Among Turkish-speaking Communitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“Take Me Back to My Homeland Dead or Alive!”: The Myth of Return Among London’s Turkish-Speaking Community

Çakmak

2021

Front. Sociol.

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In classical diaspora literature, the “myth of return” has major significance. It is believed that the “myth of return” is embedded in the minds of immigrants from their arrival. This paper examines post-migration mobilities of the Turkish-speaking community in North London as well as the shift in narratives of homeland among diaspora communities; from the “myth of return” to ritual-like visits or mundane pilgrimages. My ethnographic study analyses the post-migration homeland visiting patterns of the Turkish-speaking community into four categories. I discuss how narratives of episodic homeland visits and the desire to be buried in the homeland have replaced the myth of return.

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“…However, recent research shows that social networks not only facilitate but sometimes also impede or undermine migration aspirations or actual migration. For instance, migrants with negative experiences in the destination countries may give 'negative travel advice' to potential newcomers from the sending communities or may refuse to support them because of the high risks and costs for themselves (De Haas 2010; Engbersen, Snel, and Esteves 2016;Snel, Engbersen, and Faber 2016;Van Mol et al 2018).…”

Section: Transnational Social Support In Migrant Trajectoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration trajectories and transnational support within and beyond Europe

Snel

Bilgili²,

Staring

2020

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

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The special issue: Migration Trajectories and Transnational Support Within and Beyond Europe brings together a set of papers with fresh empirical analysis from diverse settings documenting the experiences of migrants residing within and beyond the boundaries of Europe. This introductory article has the objective of laying the groundwork for a better understanding of how migration trajectories are shaped and continued in the contexts of transnational (social) networks and migration control. Firstly, we argue that migration journeys are not necessarily linear and unidirectional movements from origin to destination countries, nor are they clearly demarcated events in time and space. On the contrary, we highlight the dynamic and changing nature of migration trajectories. Secondly, we examine different types of relevant actors who provide support for migrants during their journeys. We focus on transnational social networks and transnationally operating institutions and human smugglers, which influence and facilitate or disrupt migration trajectories. Subsequently, based on the premise that migrants' social networks, expectations, motivations and needs change throughout the migration process, we discuss the ways in which transnational support in a context of migration control relates to the lives of migrants on the move.

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From Bridgeheads to Gate Closers: How Migrant Networks Contribute to Declining Migration from Morocco to the Netherlands

Cited by 10 publications

References 13 publications

Hope, Disillusion and Coincidence in Migratory Decisions by Senegalese Migrants in Brazil

Hope, Disillusion and Coincidence in Migratory Decisions by Senegalese Migrants in Brazil

“Take Me Back to My Homeland Dead or Alive!”: The Myth of Return Among London’s Turkish-Speaking Community

Migration trajectories and transnational support within and beyond Europe

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