Migration Studies Commons^™

Contexts Of Exit In The Migration Of Russian Speakers From The Baltic Countries To Ireland, Sofya Aptekar

Publications and Research

Recently, Ireland has become a major destination for migrants from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Many of these migrants are members of Russian-speaking minorities leaving a context of restrictive citizenship and language laws and varying degrees of ethnic tension. This paper draws on interviews collected in Ireland to examine the role played by the contexts of exit in decisions to migrate among Russian-speaking minorities from the Baltics. The results suggest that Russian speakers from Estonia migrate because of their experiences as minorities, while those from Latvia and Lithuania migrate to escape low wages and irregular employment. This is so despite equally …

Divided At The Margins: A Study Of Young Southern Sudanese Refugee Men In Cairo, Egypt, Natalie I. Forcier

Faculty Journal Articles

This report details a selection of findings on the situation of Southern Sudanese refugee youth at-risk for engaging in violence. Acknowledging that youth violence is not the problem but rather the symptom of underlying social and economic problems, the primary aim of this work was to explore the root causes for young Sudanese men to engage in violence.

Ethnographic data was collected through participant observation from 4 June 2008 to 17 December 2008. Using a series of community entry points, participant observation took place in public or semi-public settings with young men, adult men, young women, and the sisters, mothers …

Organizational Life And Political Incorporation Of Two Asian Immigrant Groups: A Case Study, Sofya Aptekar

Publications and Research

Civil society is the foundation of a healthy democracy but its immigrant element has received little attention. This paper is a case study of immigrant organizations of highly skilled Asian Indians and Chinese immigrants in a suburban town of Edison, New Jersey. I find that civic participation of Asian Indian immigrants spills over into political incorporation while Chinese immigrant organizations remain margin- alized. I argue that local processes of racialization are central in explaining differences in political incorporation of immigrants. In the local context, the Chinese are seen as successful but conformist model minorities and Asian Indians as invaders and …

Xenophobia, International Migration And Human Development, Jonathan Crush, Sujata Ramachandran

Southern African Migration Programme

In the continuing discussion on migration and development, the vulnerability of all migrant groups to exploitation and mistreatment in host countries has been highlighted along with an emphasis on protecting their rights. However, xenophobia has not yet received explicit attention although anti-migrant sentiments and practices are clearly on the rise even in receiving countries in developing regions. Despite gaps in existing empirical work, research and anecdotal evidence exposes pervasive forms of discrimination, hostility, and violence experienced by migrant communities, with the latter becoming easy scapegoats for various social problems in host countries. This study attempts to insert xenophobia in this …

Latino Migration Within New York State: Motivations And Settlement Experience, Katherine W. Platt, Lina P. Rincón

Policy Documents

This study focuses on understanding why and how Latinos decide to migrate within New York State, specifically in Albany. The authors examine the reasons that push Latinos to migrate internally hoping to find alternative explanations from those provided by neoclassical economics approaches which argue that migration decision-making processes are based on rational cost-benefit calculations (Massey et al. 1997). The authors hope these explanations contribute to grounded policy and program recommendations seeking to improve Latino life in the Albany area and in New York State. While economic opportunity (job opportunities/professional development) is still the leading reason that pulls Latinos from different …

Religion And Immigration, Old And New, Mark A. Granquist

Faculty Publications

Two great waves of immigration since the middle of the nineteenth century have had great impact on United States culture and religion. While there have been tensions and conflicts, the benefits to both the civil and religious communities continue to be striking.

The Impact Of English Language Proficiency And Workplace Readiness On The Employment Outcomes Of Tertiary International Students (Executive Summary), Sophie Arkoudis, Lesleyanne Hawthorne, Chi Baik, Graeme Hawthorne, Kieran O’Loughlin, Dan Leach, Emmaline Bexley

International Migration Research Centre

This project examines the influence of English language proficiency (ELP) on workplace readiness and employment outcomes for international students and graduates who seek to work in Australia. The study adopts a mixed method approach involving a detailed review of relevant literature, semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups, and quantitative analyses of three statistical data sets — Australian 2006 Census data, Australian Education International (AEI) data from January 2002 to June 2008, and the former Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (October 2005 and October 2006).

The qualitative data from the interviews …

The Impact Of English Language Proficiency And Workplace Readiness On The Employment Outcomes Of Tertiary International Students (Full Report), Sophie Arkoudis, Lesleyanne Hawthorne, Chi Baik, Graeme Hawthorne, Kieran O’Loughlin, Dan Leach, Emmaline Bexley

International Migration Research Centre

This project examines the influence of English language proficiency (ELP) on workplace readiness and employment outcomes for international students and graduates who seek to work in Australia. The study adopts a mixed method approach involving a detailed review of relevant literature, semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups, and quantitative analyses of three statistical data sets — Australian 2006 Census data, Australian Education International (AEI) data from January 2002 to June 2008, and the former Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (October 2005 and October 2006).

The qualitative data from the interviews …

Diasporas And Development: An Assessment Of The Irish Experience For The Caribbean, Indianna D. Minto

International Migration Research Centre

Dialogue on diasporas and their role in the development of the home country has grown in the last twenty years and Caribbean states have begun to identify ways they can engage their nationals residing abroad in this process. Those in the region looking to harness the power of the diaspora have turned their attention to the example of Ireland, a country with a large diaspora that has contributed significantly to its national advancement. By highlighting the lessons of the Irish experience, this paper argues that while the Caribbean’s diaspora has the desire to contribute and does help through remittances, there …

India-Canada Trade And Immigration Linkages: A Case Of Regional (Dis)Advantage?, Margaret Walton-Roberts

International Migration Research Centre

This paper reports of the first part of a comparative international study on the relationship between trade and immigration in the case of Canada-India relations. Subsequent papers will report on the Australia-India case. The research examines the perceptions of traders and government and trade officials with regard to how they interpret the links between immigration and trade. The research highlights how specific immigration networks between India and Canada, and various Canadian policy contexts have been seen to restrain the successful development of India-Canadian relations.

From Fighting To Freedom: Stories From Serbian Balkan War Refugees, Svetlana Michelle King, Larry Owens, Neil Welch

Shannon Research Press

The 1990s saw the dissolution of former Yugoslavia following the decline of Communism. Ethnic cleansing campaigns resulted in the displacement of many of the region’s citizens. There is limited published research which specifically examines Serbian experiences of trauma and transformation as a result of the civil unrest. The lack of research attention that this population has received was likely influenced by the international mass media reporting of the events during this time, which portrayed the Serbs as the sole transgressors of the ethnically-driven conflicts. This qualitative study involved ten Serbian participants who migrated to Australia as a result of the …

Adaptation Of Arab Immigrants To Australia, Nina Maadad

Shannon Research Press

This book examines the psychological problems that Arab immigrants experienced in their efforts to adapt socially and culturally when they settled in Australia. The research was based on a group of 40 participants, 16 of whom migrated to Australia between 1973 and 2004. The other 24 were all of Arab descent and born in Australia. The participants’ ages ranged between 14 to 66 years of age. The methodology for undertaking the research utilised humanistic sociology principles, particularly when collecting and analysing qualitative data. This investigation is divided into three sections. The first part focuses on the psychological issues resulting from …

No. 51: Migrant Remittances And Household Survival In Zimbabwe, Daniel Tevara, Abel Chikanda

Southern African Migration Programme

Migrant remittances are now recognised as an important source of global development finance and there is increasing evidence that international remittances have considerable developmental impacts. The contribution of remittances to GDP in many developing countries is significant and has shown a steady increase over the past decade. However, while there is a consensus that remittance flows to Africa are increasing, little attention has been paid to the impact of these transfers on poverty alleviation, primarily because of data deficiencies at the household level. Despite their obvious magnitude, accurate data on remittance flows to Zimbabwe is unavailable or inaccessible. In an …

Migrant Rights Are Human Rights, Jenna Hennebry

International Migration Research Centre

Although it is the case that a rights discourse has become part of everyday language, the discourse remains relatively weak when it comes to migrant workers in Canada and around the world. Most certainly, the rights discourse has not been translated into everyday practices that protect the rights of migrant workers and their families worldwide. In fact, although we have the language of rights clearly articulated in the 1990 UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICMW) which offers significant protections for migrant workers, Canada and most other receiving …

Human Rights Abuses Along The Dominican-Haitian Border, Calla Cloud

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A 122 mile-long border separates the Dominican Republic and Haiti on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Of the two countries, Haiti’s human rights abuses are much more somber than the emerging developments of the Dominican Republic. Haiti’s stagnant economic situation has contributed to perennial political instability and lack of infrastructure, having a particularly confounding affect on the rights and labor conditions of Haitian citizens. There are a myriad of reasons why Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Two of the most prominent include its violent political history and the gradual deterioration of its economy. In the context …

Needs Assessment Of Marginalised, Socially Excluded Immigrant Populations In Johannesburg, South Africa, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The birth of democracy in South Africa and the subsequent economic boom have made the country a prospective haven for many Africans willing or forced to leave their countries. Johannesburg has maintained its reputation as a city where everything is possible and accessible. Berea, Hillbrow, and Yeoville have become destinations for both internal and international (cross-border) migrants as a consequence of their proximity to the city center. However, migrant populations face obstacles that limit access to basic services such as health care, housing, transportation, employment, credit, and security. Asylum-seekers, refugees, and the undocumented are particularly vulnerable and at risk of …

The Gendering Of Vulnerability And Protection Needs: Iraqi Male Refugees, Karin Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Refugees pass through various stages from preflight, flight to post flight. It is argued that refugees as a whole - regardless of gender, race or ethnicity - should be considered vulnerable due to their actual or fear of persecution, but this is not always the case. This thesis looks at the ways in which the interpretation of “vulnerability” in the principles and practice of humanitarian aid in the refugee regime is affecting male Iraqi refugees seeking protection, resettlement and rehabilitation. As part of the evidence for this argument, the thesis examines gender differentials in the death rates and levels of …

Assisting And Protecting Refugee Women: A Policy Analysis, Barbara J. Kampa, Raphael Nawrotzki

Faculty Publications

The number of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) has risen sharply over the last decade. This trend is the result of several causes such as the impact of climatic change, conflicts over diminishing resources, and religious and ethical disagreements. The largest and most vulnerable subgroup among refugees is women and their dependent children, and they are frequently subject to abuse and neglect. To address protection issues, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released the Policy on Refugee Women in 1990. The authors provide a comprehensive policy analysis, building on an exploration of the historical background and a …