DPhil thesis funded by ESRC Supervisor: Dr. Richard Black

This research aims to improve the theoretical and practical understanding of the causes of migration

Existing theory

• (i) describes social, economic and political causes of migration but does so in a relatively static manner. It is inadequate to respond to the recent rapidly changing migration flows experienced in Europe. therefore: aim 1: Develop a theoretical understanding more capable of responding to (ie predicting) rapid migration change.
• (ii) has tended to set up rigid, unrealistic and sometimes unjust distinctions between different categories of migrants used in immigration policy. therefore: aim 2: explore ways of integrating a more dynamic understanding of the migration process into immigration policy.

These aims will have three specific contexts:

• (i) Algerian emigration since this offers an example of a recent rapidly changing migration stream which has often been treated unjustly due to outdated policy measures and is understudied.
• (ii) A consideration of France and Britain since they present an interesting contrast on the basis of both migration streams and policy.
• (iii) A focus on institutions due to the increasing evidence of their importance and the fact that work on migration has more often studied individuals

This research is of relevance to both migration theory and policy. Since the state of emergency was declared in Algeria in 1992 the numbers of Algerians seeking asylum in Europe have grown steadily. Traditionally Algerians have migrated almost exclusively to France and the Algerian community in France is the largest single minority group. More recently however Algerians have been arriving in Britain in larger and larger numbers. This type of change poses a challenge to current theories of migration which do not conceptualise migration streams as dynamic. Across Europe asylum policy is characterised by continually increasing restrictions.
Olivier Bracht believes that this is only possible due to a parallel asylum regime which emcompasses everything from temporary protection measures to tolerated illegal residence. I will use Bracht’s characterisation of clandestine asylum to examine how French and British asylum systems are marginalising many of those they should be assisting. Finally I will assess the relevance of these theoretical and practical points to policy questions and to the practice of two major NGOs.

I will carry out fieldwork in both Marseilles and London. I plan to work part time for an NGO working with refugees in each city. My methodology will focus on oral histories conducted over the course of a number of unstructured interviews with asylum seekers, interviews with key informants in NGOs and academia and participant observation through the more informal contact I will have in the work environment. I will retain a degree of detatchment from the NGOs by following up contacts elsewhere with other organisations or individuals who have had no contact with them. A final stage of fieldwork will ideally be carried out in Algeria though due to the danger of such a visit at the moment this can only be provisional.