Migrants and Borders - Synthesis

Overview & Synopsis

This text is based on the researches on the migrants' representations of Europe and how their representations evolve during migrants' itineraries realised for the program Eurobroadmap. These researches have followed three major migratory 'routes' to the European Union: the Southern route that crosses the Mediterranean Sea (Mali, Senegal, Morocco, and Malta), the Eastern route through the former Soviet countries (Romania) and Central Asia (India), and finally Latin America (Argentina). Focusing on the evolution of the representations from candidates for migration prior to their departure, to migrants in transit and then to immigrants already settled in Europe, this text shows the ambivalence of these visions of Europe, between an image of the European Union as a pole of attraction and the European Union as a proving ground. In relation with this first issue is also studied the way the migrants develop some strategies to enter and settle in Europe linked with these visions (how migrants represent the constraints and opportunities offered by migration). Three specific issues concerning these visions are discussed: the articulation between memory and history, and especially the vision of Europe as a continent of democracy, freedom and rule of law, and the notion of debt; the vision of Europe as a space of welfare and opportunity but also of discriminations and racism; the representations and knowledge the migrants have of the European migratory policies, through their individual experience and social relations, and the strategies they use to get round these constraints.