Skip to main content
Rebordering Britain & Britons after Brexit

Migration decisions in the face of upheaval: An experimental approach

Abstract

The analysis of migration under conditions of potential economic and political upheaval is challenging because these undermine the institutional framework that underpins existing migration trajectories. Therefore, this paper demonstrates how an innovative experimental approach can be used to analyse migration decision making under disruptive scenarios of a deep economic crisis and the introduction of work permits. Such disruptions have particular resonance in Europe, which has experienced deep economic crises, as well as discussions of potential regulatory shifts in the European migration framework following the United Kingdom's Brexit referendum. Data were collected from a sample of 540 experimental participants, drawn from young adults (students and young working people) in nine European Union member states, and used to analyse their propensity to migrate under principles of uncertainty, incomplete information, and information overload. The findings indicate that a sharp rise in unemployment rates is more disruptive than the introduction of work permits.

You might also be interested in :

(Un)settling home during the Brexit process
Building upon extensive literature on the concept of home, this article uses narrative interviews to argue that home can be (un)settled. The process of (un)settling home can occur in relation to various circumstances such as widowhood, ill health, or geopolitical changes. This article presents (un)…
Belonging in Brexit Britain: Central and Eastern European 1.5 generation young people's experiences
In this paper, we examine the experiences of young people born in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) who are part of the 1.5 migrant generation living in “Brexit Britain.” We focus on two key themes: (a) young people's feelings of belonging to Britain, their countries of birth and Europe…
Brexit, acculturative stress and mental health among EU citizens in Scotland
The `Brexit' referendum represents a hostile shift in the United Kingdom's acculturative context. With its remain majority and pro-migration political discourse, Scotland appears less hostile than the rest of the United Kingdom.
Rescaling belonging in “Brexit Britain”: Spatial identities and practices of Polish nationals in Scotland after the UK Referendum on European Union membership
This paper discusses how the 2016 U.K. Referendum on European Union membership has shaped the spatial identities and practices of Polish nationals living in Scotland. On the basis of original qualitative data collected in Edinburgh after the referendum, we make two key arguments. First…

Journal

Population Space and Place

Authors

Allan M. Williams (United Kingdom)

Article meta

Country / region covered

Year of Publication

Source type

Keywords