A crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in London

Since the 1990s young South Europeans have been attracted to London by the dynamic labour market and cultural radiance of the city, but also pushed by unfavourable conditions in the labour markets of their origin countries. Subsequently, the Eurozone crisis, austerity politics and their socio‐politi...

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Main Authors: Pratsinakis, M, King, R, Himmelstine, CL, Mazzilli, C
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020
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author Pratsinakis, M
King, R
Himmelstine, CL
Mazzilli, C
author_facet Pratsinakis, M
King, R
Himmelstine, CL
Mazzilli, C
author_sort Pratsinakis, M
collection OXFORD
description Since the 1990s young South Europeans have been attracted to London by the dynamic labour market and cultural radiance of the city, but also pushed by unfavourable conditions in the labour markets of their origin countries. Subsequently, the Eurozone crisis, austerity politics and their socio‐political consequences have markedly intensified migration rates. But did they also signify a rupture in terms of the motivations, experiences and aspirations of the migrants? Drawing on in‐depth interviews with Greek, Italian and Spanish migrants of different educational levels, we find that post‐materialist motivations and pro‐migration dispositions prevail among the “crisis‐migrants”. Migration is seen and experienced as a step forward, rather than a disruptive force, signalling a positive message in defence of intra‐EU free mobility. Yet at times of neoliberal deregulation and economic and political uncertainty, aspirations for socio‐economic stability and settlement are also of growing importance, questioning mobility as the normative way of contemporary life.
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spelling oxford-uuid:d67c5295-1710-4b3e-9938-bf783e1007a72022-03-27T08:33:57ZA crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in LondonJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:d67c5295-1710-4b3e-9938-bf783e1007a7EnglishSymplectic ElementsWiley2020Pratsinakis, MKing, RHimmelstine, CLMazzilli, CSince the 1990s young South Europeans have been attracted to London by the dynamic labour market and cultural radiance of the city, but also pushed by unfavourable conditions in the labour markets of their origin countries. Subsequently, the Eurozone crisis, austerity politics and their socio‐political consequences have markedly intensified migration rates. But did they also signify a rupture in terms of the motivations, experiences and aspirations of the migrants? Drawing on in‐depth interviews with Greek, Italian and Spanish migrants of different educational levels, we find that post‐materialist motivations and pro‐migration dispositions prevail among the “crisis‐migrants”. Migration is seen and experienced as a step forward, rather than a disruptive force, signalling a positive message in defence of intra‐EU free mobility. Yet at times of neoliberal deregulation and economic and political uncertainty, aspirations for socio‐economic stability and settlement are also of growing importance, questioning mobility as the normative way of contemporary life.
spellingShingle Pratsinakis, M
King, R
Himmelstine, CL
Mazzilli, C
A crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in London
title A crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in London
title_full A crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in London
title_fullStr A crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in London
title_full_unstemmed A crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in London
title_short A crisis‐driven migration? Aspirations and experiences of the post‐2008 south European migrants in London
title_sort crisis driven migration aspirations and experiences of the post 2008 south european migrants in london
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