Eumagine: Imagining Europe from the Outside.

The Cases of Ukraine, Turkey, Senegal and Morocco

Synopsis

This project will investigate the impact of perceptions of human rights and democracy on international migration aspirations and decisions.

Background

Attempts to migrate to Europe are preceded by the formation of aspirations to migrate  which are shaped by the development of perceptions on human rights and democracy in Europe and in the home country. These aspirations may take the form of  broad desires to r go to Europe or elsewhere, or more specific preferences in terms of destinations and modes of migration (e.g. through family reunification, family formation, temporary work programmes, asylum, or irregular entry). Migration-related perceptions and aspirations develop within a specific cultural, political-juridical and economic setting, referred to as the emigration environment. Ethnographic studies have demonstrated how migration aspirations are linked with socially and culturally constructed perceptions. These include ideas and meanings attached to the migration project, subjective images of one’s current environment, and thoughts about potential destinations. While the European Union is the principal focus of this project it will also explore how in the mind of residents of various emigration countries Europe compares with other major destination countries, notably the US, Russia, Australia and Canada.

Aims and Objectives

By means of a non-Eurocentric, cross-country and cross-region research design, the project will systematically analyse the impact of perceptions of human rights and democracy on international migration aspirations and decisions, using a multidisciplinary, mixed-method approach in four major ‘source’ and ‘transit’ countries (Ukraine, Turkey, Senegal and Morocco). Special attention will be paid to human rights and democracy perceptions of Europe, specific European countries, and how these compare and compete with the popularity of the US, Russia, Canada and Australia. The core idea of the project is that macro and meso level discourses on human rights and democracy influence micro level perceptions on these themes in countries of origin and transit, which in turn influence migratory aspirations and decisions The project strives to incorporate meso and macro level context-influencing and micro level individual factors on the processes under study. By adopting a case study approach and comparing and contrasting diverse and  important international emigration countries, various types of regions within these countries, modes of migration, types of influential discourses and different profiles of potential migrants,  the project will investigate how perceptions, aspirations and decisions are formed.

Main objectives

1. Enhance understanding of human rights and democracy related imaginations in migrant sending countries, with a specific focus on gender

1.1. to grasp migration as a gendered, socially and culturally constructed project (‘migratory imaginations’);

1.2. reveal the social and cultural construction of countries of destination as they relate to perceptions of human rights and democracy (‘geographical imaginations’) – more specifically: EU member states;

1.3. gain insight into the relative popularity of Europe, and of specific European destination countries, in comparison and in competition with the US, Russia, Canada and Australia as other main immigration countries, and the importance of perceptions on human rights and democracy;

1.4. understand how perceptions on human rights and democracy are related to migration aspirations and decisions.

2. To understand how perceptions about human rights, democracy, migration and possible destination countries are affected by various macro and meso level (contextual) and individual factors.

2.1. Macro level: human rights, democracy and emigration policy in source countries, political-juridical and socio-economic situation, EU policy, and media;

2.2. Meso level: households, popular discourses, local and transnational networks, local culture;

2.3. Micro level: gender, educational level, migration history and political-juridical and socioeconomic status.

3. Understand how perceptions on human rights and democracy and ‘geographical imaginations’ relate to migration aspirations and migration.

3.1. Demonstrate how perceptions inform specific aspirations to migrate, to aspire for specific modes of migration and to aspire for moving to certain destinations;

3.2. Demonstrate how perceptions and imaginations relate to migration decisions.

4. Development of a better informed migration policy, taking into account human rights and democracy as important migration determinants:

4.1. Analyse how European human rights and migration policies affect perceptions outside Europe on human rights and democracy in Europe as well as in sending countries, and subsequently influences migration aspirations and decision-making;

4.2. Analyse whether and how non-state actors’ activities affect perceptions on Europe migration decision making;

4.3. Provide policy recommendations to foster a more balanced and feasible EU human rights and migration policy in relation and in cooperation with sending countries.

5. Contribute to local capacity building in third countries, in order to prepare the ground for locally based research initiatives in the future;

5.1. Closely collaborate with research institutes and policy think tanks in various sending countries;

5.2. Involve students of relevant disciplines in the project.

Methodology and Analysis

The first part of the project is devoted to three descriptive components: a review of the academic literature, a thorough outline of the local research contexts, and analysis of statistical data. The second part is devoted to conducting quantitative and qualitative data: a mixed-method research design will be applied. Four sending/transit countries are chosen and in each country four locations – two high emigration, a low emigration and a transit migration region - will be studied. In each region surveys will be conducted (500 face-to-face interviews in each of the 16 localities, 8000 in total) followed by qualitative, in-depth data collection, ideally with a sub-sample of the survey (20 in-depth interviews per region, 320 in total).

The findings will be analysed on three levels. The macro level includes national policies on emigration and immigration, the overall economic and political situation in the country, the mass media, and the human rights and democracy level. The meso level encompasses the factors in between the individual and the society at large, e.g. the local and transnational networks through which people collect information and exchange ideas. Finally, the micro level concerns characteristics of individuals, such as gender, age, educational attainment, labour market situation, political-juridical status etc. The findings will then be analysed within and compared across population group, regions, and countries.

Partner institutions


COMPAS context

Researcher: Dr. Franck Düvell, Dr. Bastian Vollmer

Funding: EU (FP7-SSH-2009-A, proposal No 244703)

Duration: 36 months commencing in 2010

Project website: http://www.eumagine.org/