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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Mobilities and sediments: spatial dynamics in the context of contemporary Sub-Saharan African migration to Europe
Author:Schapendonk, JorisISNI
Year:2012
Periodical:African Diaspora: a Journal of Transnational Africa in a Global World (ISSN 1872-5457)
Volume:5
Issue:2
Pages:117-142
Language:English
Geographic term:Subsaharan Africa
Subjects:international migration
migrants
European Union
social environment
space
External link:https://hdl.handle.net/10.1163/18725457-12341234
Abstract:Contemporary African migration to the European Union is triggered by global interconnectedness, but at the same time it is opposed by the hard borders of the EU. As a consequence, Subsaharan African migrants often undertake fragmented and dangerous journeys to the North. This article approaches migrants' journeys as open and dynamic phenomena that evolve 'en route'. It takes different mobilities (of people, goods, information, etc.) as the starting point to investigate migration journeys. With this mobilities lens it analyzes in detail three trajectories of African migrants who are moving to the EU. Subsequently the author explores the role of the geographical concept of 'place' in the facilitation of these migration journeys, thereby taking into account places as geographical localities as well as migrants' places in their social networks. Finally, the author illustrates how mobilities, in turn, bring their 'sediments'. This means that they change and give meaning to places. This reciprocal way of relating mobilities to places helps us to go beyond both individualistic and structuralistic explanations of migration. Bibliogr., notes, sum. in English and French, tab. [Journal abstract, edited]
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