Migration and Development

This course seeks to make links between migration – forced and voluntary – and a variety of development topics. The course takes on an interdisciplinary approach that gives students a broad perspective on how migration and development intersect

1. Introduction and Course Overview and Theorising migration

Migration trends and theories; What are the different categories of migrants?; Which countries have the highest inflows and outflows of migrants?; What are the most influential theories of migration?; What rights and laws are designed to protect migrants?; Is there a conflict between international, regional, and domestic migration policies/laws?

Reading:

Long, K. (2013) When refugees stopped being migrants: Movement, labor and humanitarian protection Migration Studies 1/1, p. 4-26.

Piché, V. (2013) Contemporary Migration Theories as Reflected in their Founding Texts.” Population 68/1, p. 141-164.

2. Economics and migration

The basic questions of this lecture concern what economic considerations lead people to migrate. What are the economic effects of migration? Also, in which way, do remittances impact migrants’ mobility, global interrelationships, and countries’ development?

Reading:

Clemens, M., A. (2011) Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk? Journal of Economic Perspectives 25/3, p. 83-106.

Ratha, D. (2013) Impact Remittances on Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction, MPI.

3. Migration and development, lifestyle, families

Impact of migration on families who remain in a country of origin: parents, spouses, children. How living across borders affects migrants’ lifestyle, their family life, and their identities.

Readings:

Kraler, A., Kofman, E., Kohli, M., and Schmoll, K. (2011) Introduction: Issues and debates on family-related migration and the migrant family: A European perspective [in] Gender, Generations and the Family in International Migration, Kraler, A., Kofman, E., Kohli, M., and Schmoll, K. (eds.). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. p. 243-264.

4. Migration in Europe after 1989 (I) - the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the war in Chechnya

Migration after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the war in Chechnya; its consequences for the CIS, Europe, and the Middle East.

Reading:

Šipoš, M. (2020). “We are all brothers here”: The making of life by Chechen refugees in Poland. Population Space and Place. 26. p. 1-11.

Hauer, N., Russia’s Chechnya model for Syria will only deepen the conflict, Apr 24/2019, https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/opinion/russias-chechnya-model-for-syria-will-only-deepen-the-conflict.

http://www.chechensinsyria.com/ - block by Joanna Paraszczuk documenting the involvement of Russian-speaking foreign fighters in the war in Syria, and recently in Iraq

5. Migration in Europe after 1989 (II) – Migration from Central Asia and the Caucasus in the Russian Federation and Europe

Mass migration from Central Asia and the Caucasus to other regions, particularly to the Russian Federation is a phenomenon for the last twenty years. However due to a crisis in Russia, but also connections of Central Asian regimes with the RF, more and more people decide to migrate to Europe and other regions. This lecture would contribute to a better understanding of the issue of migration from the given regions and its impact on changing socio-economic, cultural, and political landscape of the countries of migrants’ origin as well as host countries.

Reading:

Laruelle, M., Schenk, C., (2018), (eds.) Eurasia on the Move. Interdisciplinary Approaches to a Dynamic Migration Region. Washington, DC: The George Washington University, Central Asia Program.

6. The conflict in Syria and the migrant crisis.

Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Europe. In which way international law is used to limit territorial access and determine migrant’ status? Why does securitization lead to smuggling and the emergence of informal solidarity networks? Migration route, refugee camps, vitrification procedures.

Reading:

Parent, N. (2016) Refugees as Peons in Foreign Policy: Turkey, the EU, and Reflections of Lasker and Nimzowitsch Words Magazine and Press 15/3, p. 99-104.

https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts

7. Migration routes to Europe

Domestic political demands dictate the maneuverability of European leaders in discussions on migration matters. Consequently, domestic concerns and uncertainties resonate in debates on migration routes to Europe. On the other hand, the efforts of migrants reaching Europe resulted in shifting their strategies towards more dangerous and uncertain rounds. This lecture will present [on practical examples] various’ rounds of migrants in Europe, how migrants negotiate with smugglers' networks during their journey, what dangers they face, and how European countries react to uninvited newcomers.

Reading:

UNODC (2018) Global Study on Smuggling of Migrants.

Tubiana, J., Gramizzi, C., (2018) Lost in Trans-Nation: Tubu and Other Armed Groups and Smugglers along Libya's Southern Border. the Small Arms Survey’s Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA) and Human Security Baseline Assessment for Sudan and South Sudan (HSBA), with Conflict Armament Research.

8. Migration in public discourse in the context of ‘migration crisis

This lecture focuses on ‘social and cultural changes, and the general political and cultural climate aftermath of the so-called ‘migration crisis’ in 2015. It intends to present various discussions and controversies over migration including those related to negative attitudes towards migrants.

Reading:

Giorgi, A. Vitale, T. (2017) Migrants in the public discourse: Between media, policy and public opinion [in] Marino, S., Penninx, R., Roosblad, J., Trade Unions, and Migrant Workers. New Contexts and Challenges in Europe, Edward Elgar Publishing, p.66 – 89.

Heidenreich, T., Eberl, J.M., Lind., Boomgaarden, H. (2020) Political migration discourses on social media: a comparative perspective on visibility and sentiment across political Facebook accounts in Europe, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 46.7. p.1261-1280.

9. War in Ukraine and refugees to Europe.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced millions of people to leave their homes and seek refuge in the EU and neighboring countries. The main goal of this lecture is to explain the current situation of Ukrainian refugees and their economic and social status in host countries.

Situation Ukraine Refugee Situation (unhcr.org)

10. Migration and the COVID-19

Migrants – particularly in lower-paid jobs – may be both more affected by and vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19 in countries already impacted and those countries where the pandemic is spreading, but migrants also play an important role in the response to COVID-19 by working in critical sectors. This lecture seeks to answer how the COVID-19 pandemic affects migrants and migratory processes.

Migration data are relevant for the COVID-19 pandemic, https://migrationdataportal.org.

Basic literature:

Bastia, T., Skeldon, R., (2018) Routledge Handbook of Migration and Development, Routledge, Abingdon-New York.

Bejarano, C.A, López Juárez, L.Mijangos García, M.A,Goldstein, D.A. (2019) Decolonizing Ethnography: Undocumented Immigrants and New Directions in Social Science, Duke University Press.

Duarte, M., Lippert-Rasmussen, K., Parekh, S., Vitikainen, A., (2018) Refugee Crisis: The Borders of Human Mobility, Routledge, Abingdon-New York.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2018), International Migration Outlook 2018.

Triandafyllidou, A. (2016) Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies, Routledge, Abingdon-New York.

Films:

Ajka - Sergey Dvortsevoy

Sudan: Tigrayan Refugees Arrive from Ethiopia I ARTE Documentary

Greece: Moria Refugee Camp on Lesbos | ARTE Documentary

Al Jazeera series:

Welcome to Italy: Migrant Tales of Survival, Mohamed Kenai

When Time Stopped At Sea, Horia El Hadad

Syria: No Strings, Karim Shah

Libya: The Migrant Trap, Veronique Mauduy

Brides and Brothels: The Rohingya Trade

Other sources:

Key Migration Data Sources:

United Nations:

Global Migration Database (UN-DESA)

International Labour Organization (ILO): Labour Migration Data

IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM)

IOM Missing Migrants Project

UN Statistics Division: International Migration data

UNHCR - The Refugee Agency databases

World Bank Migration Data

Determinants of International Migration (DEMIG)

European Asylum Support Office (EASO)

Eurostat:

Migration and Citizenship Data

Asylum and Managed Migration Data

Population and Housing Census Data

Migrant Integration Data

Frontex: Migration Trends and Routes

Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX)

IPUMS-International Census Microdata

OECD: International Migration data,