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

The Routes

The Routes

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

Thank you for your attention!