Unraveling the threads of refugee movement: navigating resettlement in Spain, Italy, and Germany
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Abstract
In the last decade, the European Union (EU) has become a critical destination for millions seeking refuge, evidenced by an unprecedented 2.5 million initial asylum applications filed between 2015 and 2016. The EU’s Common European Asylum System (CEAS) requires asylum seekers to submit their asylum applications in the EU country in which they first arrived. If granted refugee status, they are mandated to remain in that country to undergo the integration and resettlement process. Despite this stipulation, thousands of refugees annually decide to move to another EU country to pursue better integration outcomes. My doctoral research asks, what explains why refugees stay in the country of disembarkment or migrate further?I argue that refugee access to social networks is the most salient factor influencing refugees' decisions on whether they choose to remain in or leave their host country.
Social networks shape migratory decisions in two primary ways: by mitigating the limitations of states' integrative services through the circulation of resources within these networks or by prompting refugees to seek access to networks that can facilitate positive integration outcomes through secondary migration movements. The current literature fails to incorporate refugees' experiences and viewpoints when assessing the integration process results. This dissertation employs ethnographic field research and qualitative survey methods to analyze the factors influencing refugees’ integration outcomes and decision-making. Specifically, I utilize photovoice, in-depth interviews, and survey questionnaires and engage in participant observation methods throughout my ethnographic fieldwork to center refugee voices and capture their lived experiences.
My doctoral project examines refugees' integration experiences in Spain, Italy, and Germany. These three countries each represent varying degrees of state capacity and delivery of state integrative services. These cases help address the research question by contrasting situations where refugees possess access to networks in resource-scarce environments and those where they do not. Using grounded theory, I pursue a cross-cultural examination of the visual representations and candid testimonies of refugees' lived experiences. This doctoral research aims to contribute to academic literature on refugee resettlement and the role of social networks in refugee integration outcomes and migratory paths.
Description
2024