Panel on "Trans-regional dimensions of forced migration: secondary movements, alternative routes and decision-making on the move within the Global South", organised together with Antje Missbach (University of Bielefeld), Conference of the German Anthropological Association (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie, DGSKA, 27. 09. 2021 - 01. 10. 2021, online)
1) Understanding Syrian Refugees' Motivations and Mobility into Jordan (Are Knudsen, Fawwaz Momani, Sarah Tobin & Tamara Al-Yakoub)
2) Unpacking Secondary Movements: Secondary migration and non-repatriation practices among Pakistanis refused the right to stay in Germany (Tauqeer Hussain Shah, Usman Mahar)
3) Beyond Dublin. Secondary Movements to Niger and the Negotiation of Protection and Assistance (Laura Lambert)
This panel focusses on transregional movements within the so-called Global South by exploring migratory decision making in cases of forced migration. These take place at a time when pathways to desired countries are increasingly blocked and people in need of international protection are unable to reach destinations which are safe and offer a longer-term perspective. Many countries, in the so-called Global North and beyond, have established restrictive migration regimes in order to keep (forced) migrants at bay, while the neighbouring countries of first asylum are often overwhelmed with the long-term stays, at times also resulting in repressive policies against refugees. Those in need for safety and protection are thus forced to consider alternative routes and destinations, often located in the Global South. Secondary movements to more promising host countries outside the Global North and the exploration of new pathways (pioneer migration) are options for those who are willing to take a risk and able to afford it. Global actors facilitating mobility, which includes both licit and illicit providers, are swiftly adjusting to the new demands. This panel offers ethnographic insights on migratory decision-making strategies by people under duress in regions outside the Global North. In particular, we are interested in contributions that discuss:
• Structural factors and individual choices influencing the decision for specific routes and destinations,
• financial strategies and resource pooling to facilitate trans- regional/cross-continental pathways,
• the role of global migratory networks, diasporas and the migration industry
• changing responses towards incoming migrants and asylum seekers in the Global South (hospitality/hostility)