Factors Underlying Return Migration Decisions among Nigerian Victims of 2019 Xenophobic Violence in South Africa

Studies on xenophobic violence have mainly focused on their causes and effects, but have yet to probe how victimisation experiences of xenophobia trigger migration intentions and actual practices. In a balance of tales, I examine how families contributed to staying put/return decisions by Nigerian migrants in South Africa following the September 2019 xenophobic violence. The study asks: to what extent do family facilitate and/or contribute to the decision to return? And how do return strategies unveil the centrality of family in taking migration decisions? Data emerged through online interviews with Nigerian immigrants in South Africa who stayed put, and six family members in Nigeria were reached through snowball sampling. This was supplemented with secondary interviews conducted with Nigerian returnees in three National newspapers (The Punch, Vanguard, Nigerian Tribune and The Nation newspapers). Findings show the centrality of family in both migration intentions, staying-put, and the actual practices of Nigerian victims of xenophobia in South Africa.

Understanding the Socioeconomics of International Migration Decisions and Outcomes Through the Capability-Based Migration Framework

This dissertation critically reviews neoclassical migration theories and conceptualises the capability-based framework as a prospect in migration theory. I show that most of the neoclassical migration theories were formed in the twentieth century. They therefore require an update to accommodate contemporary migration dynamics. I argue that a multifaceted and multidimensional capability-based approach that centralises human agency and capabilities can address the earlier theories’ shortcomings. Hence, I adopt the capability-based migration framework as the main framework in my dissertation. The dissertation differs from previous empirical studies in its unique methodology and exceptional attention to the grey areas in the migration discourse. Using data from prospective Nigerian migrants living in Nigeria, actual migrants living in Italy and a collection of secondary data sources, the dissertation addresses three research questions: how do capabilities influence migration decisions in the home country; what are the capability-depriving constraints faced by migrants in the host country; and how do migrants contribute to capability improvement in the home country?

Migration Decision-Making and Its Key Dimensions

Migration decisions are made in the context of personal needs and desires, and the individuals making these decisions face uncertain outcomes. Information about future opportunities is incomplete, and whether migration turns out to be a personal success or failure depends mostly on circumstances that are ex ante unknown and ex post not fully under the control of the individuals who migrate. This article elaborates on four dimensions of the complex process of migration decision-making: the formation of migration aspirations, the cognitive rules for searching and evaluating information about migratory options, the timing and planning horizons for preparing and realizing migratory decisions, and the locus of control and degree of agency in making migration decisions. We review the current state of evidence and identify opportunities for future empirical research that can help us to better understand these key dimensions of migration decision-making.

BEATING BROKE BY GETTING OUT? EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONAL DEBT AND COMMUNITY-OUTMIGRATION

Scholarship on young people’s geographical mobilities tells us that young adults move away from their childhood communities for a complex mix of economic “push-pull” reasons, including relationships, aspirations, attachments to place, identity, and belonging. In this abundant research, particularly that which focuses on youth outmigration from rural and peripheral communities, there is surprisingly little attention paid to an issue that is top-of-mind for many young adults today: personal debt. In this paper, we draw insights from extant literature on youth mobilities to make the case for a greater examination of the role of personal debt in young people’s migration decisions. We hypothesize that youth and debt increase a person’s likelihood of moving away from peripheral regions. We test this hypothesis using data from a 2019 survey of Atlantic Canadians and find some support for it, and some interesting nuance, suggesting that there is good reason to examine debt’s role in youth mobilities in greater detail.

The Influence of Discourses of Vulnerability and Resiliency on Climate Change Migrants' Agency: 'Migration With Dignity' in Kiribati

This research paper presents a critical review of scholarly and policy literature discussing the relationship between climate change and migration. Focusing specifically on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the climate change discourses of vulnerability and resiliency as they commonly operate are explored. A case study of Kiribati – a low-lying SIDS in the Pacific – is used to illustrate the complexities of climate change and the migration decisions of populations presently experiencing climate change. A discourse analysis focusing on how different stakeholders’ understandings of Kiribati as vulnerable and resilient influence the agency and migration decisions of the people of Kiribati is conducted. This research utilizes concepts from climate justice theoretical literature as a framework for understanding vulnerability, resiliency, and responses to climate change.

The Influence of Discourses of Vulnerability and Resiliency on Climate Change Migrants' Agency: 'Migration With Dignity' in Kiribati

This research paper presents a critical review of scholarly and policy literature discussing the relationship between climate change and migration. Focusing specifically on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the climate change discourses of vulnerability and resiliency as they commonly operate are explored. A case study of Kiribati – a low-lying SIDS in the Pacific – is used to illustrate the complexities of climate change and the migration decisions of populations presently experiencing climate change. A discourse analysis focusing on how different stakeholders’ understandings of Kiribati as vulnerable and resilient influence the agency and migration decisions of the people of Kiribati is conducted. This research utilizes concepts from climate justice theoretical literature as a framework for understanding vulnerability, resiliency, and responses to climate change.

In harm’s way: Non-migration decisions of people at risk of slow-onset coastal hazards in Bangladesh

Non-migration is an adaptive strategy that has received little attention in environmental migration studies. We explore the leveraging factors of non-migration decisions of communities at risk in coastal Bangladesh, where exposure to both rapid- and slow-onset natural disasters is high. We apply the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to empirical data and assess how threat perception and coping appraisal influences migration decisions in farming communities suffering from salinization of cropland. This study consists of data collected through quantitative household surveys (n = 200) and semi-structured interviews from four villages in southwest coastal Bangladesh. Results indicate that most respondents are unwilling to migrate, despite better economic conditions and reduced environmental risk in other locations. Land ownership, social connectedness, and household economic strength are the strongest predictors of non-migration decisions. This study is the first to use the PMT to understand migration-related behaviour and the findings are relevant for policy planning in vulnerable regions where exposure to climate-related risks is high but populations are choosing to remain in place.