Dynamic Migration Intentions and the Impact of Socio-Institutional Environments: A Transit Migration Hub in Turkey

M.J. Wissink*, F. Düvell, A. van Eerdewijk

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Transit migration is generally defined by migrants having the intention to move onwards to a third country. Based on an empirical investigation in Izmir, a transit migration hub in Turkey, this paper critically discusses intentionality as a valid dimension in conceptualisations of transit migration. The study found that migrants' intentions in this transit migration hub are highly fluctuating because of their embeddedness in socio-institutional environments, which continuously affect migrants' social capital, risk perceptions and coping strategies, causing new migration intentions to arise. The study argues that intention is a problematic criterion in conceptualising transit migration, due to a conceptual fallacy where transit migration flows are taken as the unit of analysis whereas intentions are individual attributes.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1087-1105
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Volume39
Issue number7
Early online date11 Jun 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2013

Keywords

  • Asylum
  • BEHAVIOR
  • Migration Intentions
  • Social Networks
  • Transit Migration
  • Turkey

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