1. LIVES PASSING BORDERS
A FIELD STUDY IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WINTER SCHOOL
‘MIGRATION IN THE MARGINS OF EUROPE’
NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE ATHENS, JANUARY 2013
By Esra, Meltem and Swantje

2. Research Topics
Life Trajectories of asylum seekers, refugees and
undocumented migrants
Routes
Motives (the evolution of such motives?)
Perceptions of security and legality
Future expectations

3. Research Questions
How is the act of mobility experienced by asylum
seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants in the
city of Athens in the process of migration?
Which routes do they take?
What are the motives to leave their country?
What are the motives to stay or not to stay in Greece?
How do they perceive the changes in their legal status in the
process of migration? What is the link between legal/illegal
status and perception of ”security”?
What are their future expectations?

4. Research Methodology
Participant Observation
Unstructured and semi-structured interviews
(30 minutes to 3 hours)
No audio record
Field & Interview Notes
Subsequent discussion meetings

5. Research Sites
Exarhia (NGO & cafes)
Omonia (bus station, market, NGO‘s, Hellenic
Ministry)
Victoria Square (surrounding shops)
Attiki Square

6. Research Sample
9 Interviews with asylum seekers, refugees and
undocumented migrants
Between 15 and 35 years old
Predominately male
Countries of origin: Turkey, Syria, Ghana, Bangladesh,
Afghanistan
2 Interviews with NGO representatives

7. Methodological Issues
Time limitation
Language barrier
Unequal representation of gender
Awareness of our position
Pros and cons of group work

8. Main Findings
Which routes do they take?
Depends on the country of origin, financial situation,
luck, smuggler
Turkey is the transit country to Greece

9. The Routes

10. The Routes

11. Main Findings
What role does Greece play in this planned or
unplanned choice of route?
Greece as a: Transit country
Final destination
Temporary destination

12. Main Findings
What are the motives to leave their country?
Search for a “better life”
Money, work, education, living standards
“The European Dream”
Protection
Threat of life and liberty
What are the motives to stay or not to stay in Greece?
Fulfilment of their previous motives
Role of the recent crisis
The initial perception of Greece
Changes in the country of origin

13. Main Findings
How do they perceive the changes in their legal status
in the process of migration? What is the link between
legal/illegal status and perception of ”security”?
Lack of information/ misinformation/ ignorance
towards their (il)legal status
Linkage between the possession of “document” and
feeling of security

14. Main Findings
What are their future plans and expectations?
Returning to their home country
Going to their desired European country
Staying in Greece
Issue of family formation
Dependence on their perception of security.

15. Conclusions
Overlapping categories
Different interpretation/usage of these categories from
legal and migrant perspectives
Structure vs. social agency
Securitization of migration from state perspective
vs. migrant perspective
Continuous calculation of costs and benefits, risks
and securities by the migrants ongoing process

16. Future Research
Mobility Topic
Linkages between physical mobility and social mobility
Coping strategies with various uncertainty issues
Comparative research
Criteria: by ethnicity, country of origin, age, gender,
social class
Conceptualization of stigmatization and self-
perception of those stigmatized

17. Thank you for your attention!