The unwritten ‘laws of migration’: reflections on inequalities, aspirations and cultures of migration

Fratsea, Loukia‐Maria

doi:10.7163/eu21.2019.37.2

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(76 reference statements)

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“…For migrants and refugees alike, initial aspirations play an important role in the decision to migrate: they plan their life in a place other than their current residence based on the imaginaries of potential and/or real destinations. For most Romanian migrants, imagining a “good life” somewhere else was part of their social imaginaries even before the collapse of the socialist regime ( Fratsea, 2019 ; Fratsea and Papadopoulos, 2020 ). Migration seemed like a potential means of starting anew after a watershed event in their life, and/or like a strategy to improve their well-being.…”

Section: Intertwined Stories Of Mobility and Well-being In Western Grmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migrant and Refugee Impact on Well-Being in Rural Areas: Reframing Rural Development Challenges in Greece

Παπαδόπουλος

Fratsea

2021

Front. Sociol.

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The paper aims to exemplify and discuss the changing conditions and challenges posed by the newly arriving populations of migrants and refugees in rural Greece, along with local people’s views on the impact of the new arrivals in their rural places. Its main objective is to understand whether migrants and refugees create threats or opportunities for the local population, and whether movers and non-movers have a shared understanding of well-being in their rural areas. The analysis unveils the connections that are emerging between migrants and refugees and the economy, society and culture in rural receiving areas. Thus, the paper aims at showing the complexity of rural migrant flows and how the interactions between migrants, refugees and locals in the light of the well-being of rural areas may inform rural development in Greece. The paper is structured into five main sections following the introduction. The first section contains a discussion of the main concepts used as building blocks for creating a theoretical framing of well-being in rural areas. The second section develops a brief discussion of international and internal migration to rural areas in Greece, as well as providing some contextual information on the impact of the economic crisis and new developments in response to the recession. The third section includes a short presentation of the methodological approach and a description of the case study area. The fourth section is dedicated to an analysis of the narratives of international migrants, refugees, internal migrants, locals and stakeholders. Finally, the concluding section critically discusses the conceptualisations of rurality and well-being between the various population groups and articulates the challenges connected to well-being and mobilities in contemporary rural Greece.

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Section: Intertwined Stories Of Mobility and Well-being In Western Grmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migrant and Refugee Impact on Well-Being in Rural Areas: Reframing Rural Development Challenges in Greece

Παπαδόπουλος

Fratsea

2021

Front. Sociol.

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“…Such a result might suggest the occupation of immigrant population in providing services such as care of the elderly, or simply confirm that regions with a relatively young population structure will have tighter labour market conditions which may not have an appeal to the immigrant population. Contrary to the Spanish or Italian cases, this observed pattern of concentration can be helpful in alleviating the ageing issues and depopulation of rural/peripheral territories in France, but diminishes the chances of success of any strategy in search for spatial justice (Fratsea, 2019).…”

Section: Results By Nuts2 and Lau Regionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Immigrants' spatial concentration: Region or locality attractiveness?

Viñuela

2021

Population Space and Place

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The spatial concentration of immigrants across and within European countries is highly heterogeneous, tending to reinforce the internal spatial disparities within EU Member States and regions. Although European regional data show that the highest levels of foreign‐born population concentration correspond to those NUTS2 regions that contain a large city or metropolitan area, there are other place‐based determinants that might explain their attractiveness to immigrants. Using a comprehensive database at NUTS2 (regional) and LAU2 (local) levels for three large European countries in terms of immigrant population (Italy, Spain, and France), comparable results show how the relevance of these determinants depends on the country under analysis and the spatial unit chosen. This provides challenges for the design of a common future European policy addressing the unresolved demographic issues. Understanding the main regional and local factors of attraction to foreign‐born population within countries is crucial to explain the present spatial concentration patterns and anticipate future migration flows, especially in a context where immigrants are the fastest‐growing population group in those European countries. Nevertheless, there might be a trade‐off between the foreign‐born population alleviating the territorial ageing and depopulation issues and the search for spatial justice.

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“…Going back to our discussion on the migration process, the latter may be seen as the complex result of an interplay between individual aspirations and contextual opportunities. Based on the evidence, aspirations may be a prerequisite for migration or a consequence of it (Czaika & Vothknecht, 2014; Migali & Scipioni, 2019); similar observations are made in the literature on Romanian migration (Fratsea, 2019; Sandu et al, 2018). In such context, education and capabilities build up aspirations for personal advancement, and mobility or immobility becomes the vehicle for improving migrant well‐being (Czaika, 2013; de Haas et al, 2019).…”

Section: Framing Migrants' Well‐being On Aspirations Agency and Belon...mentioning

confidence: 59%

Aspirations, agency and well‐being of Romanian migrants in Greece

Παπαδόπουλος

Fratsea

2022

Population Space and Place

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Migration is considered a meaningful strategy whereby both migrants and nonmigrants can improve their well-being and their livelihoods. The paper emphasizes the migrants' own perspective and sheds light on movers' noneconomic drivers. The concept of aspirations is treated as a 'missing link' that allows research into migration at its intersection with social inequalities, hierarchies and diversity. The paper's main aim is therefore to elucidate Romanian migrants' aspirations and to illustrate how these aspirations are informed by their agency and reflect their well-being both during and after the economic recession in Greece. Romanian migration provides sufficient grounds to invoke a more nuanced approach to migrants' well-being, which takes their 'dreams of fantasy' into account, along with their subjective experiences of inequalities and multiple belonging. This paper frames migrants' well-being theoretically as a relational process, but also in terms of the socio-spatial arrangements of migrant mobility/immobility acts. Romanians' narratives are analysed in relation to their social trajectories, spatial movement(s) and settlement patterns during their international and internal journey(s).

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The unwritten ‘laws of migration’: reflections on inequalities, aspirations and cultures of migration

Cited by 4 publications

References 56 publications

Migrant and Refugee Impact on Well-Being in Rural Areas: Reframing Rural Development Challenges in Greece

Migrant and Refugee Impact on Well-Being in Rural Areas: Reframing Rural Development Challenges in Greece

Immigrants' spatial concentration: Region or locality attractiveness?

Aspirations, agency and well‐being of Romanian migrants in Greece

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