Migration is a continuous process in an increasingly globalized world and African migrants have for a long time migrated to Europe mostly for economic reasons. Due to biased reporting of life in Europe by both western and African media as well as half-truths by Africans living in Europe who seldom tell the whole story of their lives abroad; a lot of African migrants arrive in Europe with a very idealistic image. African migrants thereby risk a lot in pursuit of a better life in Europe. When they finally arrive, a lot of their idealistic expectations are not met, forcing them to be filled with regret and the wish that they had known the full truth before migrating. This study examines an online platform (Surprising Europe’s website), that connects African migrants by inviting them to share stories about their migration experiences in an effort to better inform those intending to migrate. The use of interviews of the producers to better understand the project as well as their intentions, and a narrative analysis of all the 30 articles on the website are analysed. The results indicate that the danger of telling one sided stories contribute to the existing narrative of a western idealistic image of “gold lying on the streets”; as well as an illustration of the authors exhibiting a transformation from people who were formerly Surprising Europe’s audience, now constructing narratives in a collaborative way with the producers. The website therefore demonstrates how an online platform for mediated communication can be used to offer fragmented identities as well as a sense of belonging, offering a voice to the previously voiceless despite their migration status.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / This thesis examines the distribution of African migrants across the different segments of the labour force in South Africa. The specific objective of this study is to demonstrate that there has been structural changes from 2001 to 2011 in the deployment of African immigrants in terms of occupation, employment sector, income groups just to name a few. Studies that have been recorded using the 2001 population census suggest that the South African labour market attracts majority of African migrants that are not highly qualified. The proposed study makes use of the 2011 population census to evaluate the extent to which the situation has changed or whether it remained the same between the two periods. The assumption underlying this study is that, over time the magnitude of qualified migrants has improved. As far as African migration is concerned, to capture the structural changes during the ten-year period (2001 to 2011) this study focuses on variables such as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. To profile changes in the participation of African migrants, this study makes use of the 2001 and 2011 national population census data. Furthermore, statistical packages are used to test the relationship between variables. Policy document about migration are also used to provide the legislated framework with regards to the involvement of foreign labour in the South African labour force. The geographical scope of the study is national meaning it covers all nine provinces of South Africa.

This study investigates how migration to Ghana affects the language use and language choice of East African migrant students and workers in specific domains. The study explores strategies employed by these migrants to negotiate challenges encountered during communication in selected linguistic spaces to meet their socioeconomic needs in Ghana. The paper also aims to explore the effect of migration on their language use both in Ghana and their home countries. Specific linguistic spaces considered include residential, work/campus, and market environments. The main findings of the study show that due to the completely different linguistic landscape in Ghana, migration compels East African migrant students and workers to use English or learn Ghanaian local languages, especially, in domains such as their places of residence, work/campus and the market place, rather than their preferred language choice, which would be Kiswahili. Particularly, to negotiate in communicative situations at the market places, they usually have to resort to strategies such as soliciting interpretation assistance from local people and/or using signs and body gestures.

“The main facts in human life are five: birth, food, sleep, love, and death.” – Forster, E.M., 1927, Aspects of the Novel.We might all have something to say about love, but we are certain about food.The thesis aims to develop a perspective on food, its role, and traditions as possible a tool of identification among first and second generation East-African migrants in Sweden, in the area of Falun. Particularly, I focused on the concept of gastronomic identity and the relation between food and nostalgia. The intention is to explore whether a gastronomic identity can be identified, and the importance of nostalgia by answering the following questions:1. How do the people interviewed refer to their gastronomic identity? How is it related to their country of origin, to Sweden, or a hybridization of the two?2. How do first and second generation of immigrants adapt their food traditions in the local context?3. What is the role of food, its tradition, and how is it related to the feeling of nostalgia for these people?In order to answer to these questions, I made use of an extensive academic literature research on food and gastronomic identity on both the historical and anthropological perspective and variety of multimedia materials (such as blogs, YouTube videos). I have also conducted semi-structured interviews with East African immigrants in Falun. Through the use of both literature and, above all, the interviews, I concluded that gastronomic identity takes on a much more personal and individual meaning than nationalistic or ethnic identity, and almost always emerges as a transculturalization of the two countries: Sweden and the country of origin. In the responses of the interviewed migrants from East Africa, it also emerges that food is an element to define our identity as individuals and it is linked to memory and influenced by the nostalgia of home. Therefore, according to the respondents, anywhere one may be, when feeling nostalgia, one will be looking for a taste of home, whatever and wherever it is.

Cette thèse examine la façon dont les migrants soudanais aux Pays-Bas et au Royaume-Uni organisent leur protection sociale, pour eux et leurs familles au Soudan, localement et au-delà des frontières. Dans notre monde globalisé, de plus en plus de personnes vivent au-delà des frontières nationales, développant des attaches et des responsabilités dans plus d’un État-nation. Toutefois, les systèmes de protection sociale formels traditionnels ont été conçus pour répondre aux besoins de populations sédentaires liées à un seul pays. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse examine les stratégies que les migrants développent pour couvrir leurs propres besoins de protection sociale et/ou ceux de leurs familles, englobant une série d'éléments formels et informels provenant de différentes institutions (États, marchés, organisations du tiers secteur ou réseaux sociaux informels). En prenant la famille élargie comme unité analytique principale, cette thèse montre que même si certaines ressources formelles sont disponibles pour des individus migrants, elles peuvent ne pas correspondre aux choix privilégiés pour la protection sociale de leur famille. En prenant en considération le contexte soudanais, cette thèse souligne l’importance des normes socio-culturelles du pays d’origine sur la manière dont le soutien intra-familial, en particulier les soins, doit être fourni. Cette thèse est basée sur les données collectées durant 14 mois d'ethnographie multi-située conduite avec des migrants aux Pays-Bas et au Royaume-Uni, et leurs familles au Soudan. / This dissertation investigates how Sudanese migrants in the Netherlands and the UK, and their families back home navigate their social protection, locally and across borders. In our current globalised world, more and more people choose or are pushed to live across national borders, developing attachments and responsibilities in more than one nation-state. Yet, the traditional formal social protection systems have been envisaged to cater for sedentary populations, tied to one single country. Against this backdrop, this dissertation investigates the strategies that migrants develop to cover for their own and/or their families’ social protection needs, encompassing a series of formal and informal elements from different institutions (e.g. states, markets, third-sector organisations or informal social networks). By taking the extended family as the main analytical unit, this dissertation shows that even though certain formal resources are available for individual migrants, they might not be the preferred option for the family’s social protection. By including the Sudanese context, this dissertation points to the importance of the sending country’s sociocultural rules on how intra-familial support—especially care—should be provided. This dissertation is based on the data collected over 14 months of multi-sited and partly matched-sample ethnography across the Netherlands, the UK and Sudan where the migrants and their families live.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / In the context of recent attacks that occurred against foreign nationals (migrants) in South Africa, this study sought to explore attitudes toward migrants and immigration among a sample of students at the University of the Western Cape. Previous studies in South Africa and elsewhere have suggested that in most countries, nationals tend to hold negative attitudes toward migrants and express protectionist attitudes toward migration policies. Research around students' attitudes toward migrants and immigration has shown similar trends. The present study employed a sample survey design to investigate: a) Students' attitudes toward African migrants, b) Students' attitudes toward migration into South Africa and c) Degree of contact that students have with African Migrants. A convenience sample of 183 undergraduate psychology students was used. Students‟ age ranged between 18 and 38 years of age (x = 20 years). Data was collected using a questionnaire comprising of 27 questions related to attitudes towards migrants and immigration as well as a section on contact with migrants. The results show that students showed exclusionary attitudes in terms of immigration, limited contact with migrants and negative attitudes toward African migrants. However, attitudes toward migrant‟s rights were positive. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Much of the public policy discourse about immigration in the UK has drawn on the experiences of post-war immigrants from the former British colonies. The volume and composition of immigration flows has changed significantly in recent years with substantial increases in the number of immigrants, particularly from countries without links to the UK, and as a result of the large scale immigration from the EU Accession countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Immigration remains a contested issue with public and political debates focusing on the nature and impact of immigration and its perceived negative effects on employment, public services and social cohesion. In spite of the growing number of studies examining the experiences of new immigrants in local neighbourhoods and labour markets there is a lack of comprehensive evidence about how these experiences differ across immigrant groups and the role of place in shaping the experiences and outcomes of new immigration. This research draws on a variety of data from the census, national surveys, administrative sources and qualitative interviews to explore the settlement patterns, labour market outcomes and neighbourhood experiences of new immigrants. The findings show that new immigrants are more likely to locate in ethnically diverse and socially deprived neighbourhoods upon arrival although there is variation in the factors determining immigrant settlement by world area of origin in line with differences in migration motives and entitlements in the UK. The findings from the qualitative interviews highlight the range of motivations and constraints that shape immigrant settlement patterns and how these change over time with secondary migration and family formation. Analysis of the labour market position of immigrants defined by country of origin and ethnicity shows the persistence of ethnic penalties in the labour market. Immigrants from ethnic minority groups both from established and new immigrant groups are found to be more disadvantaged in the labour market than white immigrants and the White British. The neighbourhood context, specifically neighbourhood deprivation and ethnic diversity, is associated with poorer employment outcomes, with the relationship between area deprivation and employment shown to depend on ethnicity. The qualitative evidence highlights the role of social networks and a range of other factors in facilitating and hindering the socio-economic integration of new immigrants. The findings, particularly in relation to immigrant social networks, access to welfare, settlement intentions and housing aspirations, challenge common perceptions about new immigrants living in deprived areas in the UK. The research evidence contributes to a better understanding of the settlement patterns and experiences of new immigration and has implications for national and local policies.

Magister Artium - MA / According to migrant research in South Africa, after the advent of democracy in South Africa, in 1994, the country has received an influx of foreign migrants, more especially from the African continent. However, much focus has been on the negative outcomes of the host community and its relationship with immigrants. Recent immigration research labelled South Africa as a xenophobic nation, and much emphasis on xenophobia was in Black South African townships. Although townships in South Africa are widely known for their hostile attitudes towards African nationals, in recent years, townships like Gugulethu have become homes for many African immigrants. This study investigates the integration of foreign migrants into the South African community: a case of Zimbabweans living in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Qualitative research methods' adopting an in-depth interpretation of the findings was used to answer the research question posed by this study. The research question posed by this study is, in the absence of a strategic plan to integrate African foreign nationals into South Africa society, how do African migrants living in Gugulethu use their social capital to integrate themselves into the local community, which is widely regarded as xenophobic? Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and observations and data was analysed according to the research questions by making codes and themes. In addition, the number of study participants was 30 people; 25 Zimbabwean immigrants and for comparative purposes 2 Ugandan immigrants and 3 local South Africans were also included. Both convenience and snowballing sampling techniques were used. The study found that despite the challenges faced by migrants in their host community, these migrants used their social capital in the form of social networks to integrate themselves into the host community.

Magister Artium - MA / According to migrant research in South Africa, after the advent of democracy in South Africa, in 1994, the country has received an influx of foreign migrants, more especially from the African continent. However, much focus has been on the negative outcomes of the host community and its relationship with immigrants. Recent immigration research labelled South Africa as a xenophobic nation, and much emphasis on xenophobia was in Black South African townships. Although townships in South Africa are widely known for their hostile attitudes towards African nationals, in recent years, townships like Gugulethu have become homes for many African immigrants. This study investigates the integration of foreign migrants into the South African community: a case of Zimbabweans living in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Qualitative research methods’ adopting an in-depth interpretation of the findings was used to answer the research question posed by this study. The research question posed by this study is, in the absence of a strategic plan to integrate African foreign nationals intoSouth Africa society, how do African migrants living in Gugulethu use their social capital to integrate themselves into the local community, which is widely regarded as xenophobic? Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and observations and data was analysed according to the research questions by making codes and themes. In addition, the number of study participants was 30 people; 25 Zimbabwean immigrants and for comparative purposes 2 Ugandan immigrants and 3 local South Africans were also included. Both convenience and snowballing sampling techniques were used. The study found that despite the challenges faced by migrants in their host community, these migrants used their social capital in the form of social networks to integrate themselves into the host community

This study explores black African migrants' experience of racism in Berlin, today. Its vantage point is that of a missiological discipline. Since racism is a very complex phenomenon, both in the church and society; the study therefore, adopted a multidisciplinary approach. This helps us to better understand the different theoretical nuances, which inform racism as an ideology and, as a social construct. Against this backdrop, the study engaged the “pastoral cycle” (cycle of missionary praxis) by Holland and Henriot and developed by Cochrane et al as its theological framework. The research methodology consisted of data collection, interpreting and analyzing (comparing and contrasting primary sources in light of data collected). Personal narratives of research participants' experience of racism in a semi-structured format, formed part of the methodology, in establishing ecclesiastical, political, social and structural climate on how they contribute to the way that black African migrants experience racism in Berlin, today. Two forms of data collection were employed: Qualitative interview and observation instruments. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Theology)