Des frontières de la migration aux représentations de l’Europe

Time, Migration and Forced Immobility

“…The majority described their decision to leave as motivated primarily by a mixture of economic and political factors in which a desire for 'adventure' was just a part of other, complex reasons. Similar to Pian (2009), I found that the refugees and asylum seekers I encountered were adamant in distinguishing themselves from 'adventurers', because they did not choose to leave primarily in order to improve their social status but because they feared for their lives. However, even refugees generally acknowledge that they are 'in the adventure' when they refer to their travels through Africa.…”

“…However, as the next chapter will explain in more detail, this is just the starting point of a long period of forced immobility in which they are effectively stuck in a country against their will. Notes 1 This has equally been noted by Escoffier (2006), Pian (2009) and Schapendonk (2011). 2 According to the work of Bredeloup (1994), Pian (2009) and Alpes (2011) similar terms for migration exist in a variety of African countries.…”

“…This, however, is something that the transit terminology is not able to explain adequately. My own research and that of other authors increasingly demonstrates that many migrants' trajectories are far more complicated than the abovementioned definition of transit migration suggests (Icduygu 2005, Cassarino & Fargues 2006, Escoffier 2006, Pian 2009, Schapendonk 2011. It is increasingly clear that migrants' trajectories differ between countries according to the policy framework, economic situation, social and cultural ties and the role and nature of migrant networks.…”

“…In the following sections, I will attempt to describe how migrants move in a context of chasing high aspirations with limited capacity to do so. Other researchers have documented these migratory strategies of travel with few resources in Africa (Van Hear 2004, Escoffier 2006, Collyer 2007, Bazonzi 2008, Khachani 2008, Pian 2009. My point, however, is to show how plans for further migration were refined, changed or dismissed while migrants were living and travelling through different places.…”

“…His example illustrates that existential reasons to migrate are not always dependent on economic conditions in the country of departure, but rather are based on a person's own perception of their social location with respect to possibilities and choices open to them in life. Both women and men referred to migration as aller en aventure (Escoffier 2006, Pian 2009, Alpes 2011), but clearly with gendered undertones. Lise, a woman in her late twenties from Congo, is a good example of this.…”