LIVES PASSING BORDERSA FIELD STUDY IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WINTER SCHOOL
‘MIGRATION IN THE MARGINS OF EUROPE’
NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE ATHENS, JANUARY 2013
By Esra, Meltem and Swantje
Research Topics
� Life Trajectories of asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants
� Routes
� Motives (the evolution of such motives?)� Motives (the evolution of such motives?)
� Perceptions of security and legality
� Future expectations
Research Questions
� How is the act of mobility experienced by asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants in the city of Athens in the process of migration?
� Which routes do they take? � Which routes do they take?
� What are the motives to leave their country?
� What are the motives to stay or not to stay in Greece?
� How do they perceive the changes in their legal status in the process of migration? What is the link between legal/illegal status and perception of ”security”?
� What are their future expectations?
Research Methodology
� Participant Observation
� Unstructured and semi-structured interviews
� (30 minutes to 3 hours)
� No audio record� No audio record
� Field & Interview Notes
� Subsequent discussion meetings
Research Sites
� Exarhia (NGO & cafes)
� Omonia (bus station, market, NGO‘s, Hellenic Ministry)
� Victoria Square (surrounding shops)� Victoria Square (surrounding shops)
� Attiki Square
Research Sample
� 9 Interviews with asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants
� Between 15 and 35 years old
� Predominately male� Predominately male
� Countries of origin: Turkey, Syria, Ghana, Bangladesh, Afghanistan
� 2 Interviews with NGO representatives
Methodological Issues
� Time limitation
� Language barrier
� Unequal representation of gender
� Awareness of our position
� Pros and cons of group work
Main Findings
Which routes do they take?
� Depends on the country of origin, financial situation,� Depends on the country of origin, financial situation,
luck, smuggler
� Turkey is the transit country to Greece
Main Findings
What role does Greece play in this planned or unplanned choice of route?
� Greece as a: Transit country� Greece as a: Transit country
Final destination
Temporary destination
Main Findings
What are the motives to leave their country?� Search for a “better life”
� Money, work, education, living standards
� “The European Dream”
� Protection� Threat of life and liberty� Threat of life and liberty
What are the motives to stay or not to stay in Greece?� Fulfilment of their previous motives
� Role of the recent crisis
� The initial perception of Greece
� Changes in the country of origin
Main Findings
How do they perceive the changes in their legal status in the process of migration? What is the link between legal/illegal status and perception of ”security”?
� Lack of information/ misinformation/ ignorance towards their (il)legal status
� Linkage between the possession of “document” and feeling of security
Main Findings
What are their future plans and expectations?
� Returning to their home country
� Going to their desired European country� Going to their desired European country
� Staying in Greece
� Issue of family formation
� Dependence on their perception of security.
Conclusions
� Overlapping categories
� Different interpretation/usage of these categories from legal and migrant perspectives
� Structure vs. social agency � Structure vs. social agency
� Securitization of migration from state perspective vs. migrant perspective
� Continuous calculation of costs and benefits, risks and securities by the migrants � ongoing process
Future Research
� Mobility Topic� Linkages between physical mobility and social mobility
� Coping strategies with various uncertainty issues
� Comparative researchComparative research
� Criteria: by ethnicity, country of origin, age, gender, social class
� Conceptualization of stigmatization and self-perception of those stigmatized
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