Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of Morocco
Abstract Earlier approaches to migration have largely focused on structural causes to explain why migrants move while overlooking the significance of their ability to enact agency. Yet, notions of (im)mobility, circularity and urbanity as fluid, dynamic processes of individual and collective experie...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Comparative Migration Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-025-00452-0 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850105549699416064 |
|---|---|
| author | Vince Yalçin |
| author_facet | Vince Yalçin |
| author_sort | Vince Yalçin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Earlier approaches to migration have largely focused on structural causes to explain why migrants move while overlooking the significance of their ability to enact agency. Yet, notions of (im)mobility, circularity and urbanity as fluid, dynamic processes of individual and collective experience, prompt an analysis of migration decision-making which emphasises migrants’ ability to actively negotiate their experienced inequalities and constraints. This paper explores how urban context impacts migrants’ decision-making processes through an analysis of their aspirations and capabilities while integrating perspectives on their ability to choose from a range of possibly (un)acceptable and/or (un)attainable alternatives, offering a more meaningful understanding of the agentic roles of migrants. Drawing from fieldwork with Sub-Saharan African migrants in urban centres in Morocco – Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, and Nador – the findings suggest an inherent interlinkage between the aspirations-capabilities framework and the presence of alternatives within specific socio-urban contexts. The evidence shows the multiple alternatives at stake. Their examination suggests that (un)attainable and/or (un)acceptable alternatives deriving from one’s context may impact migrants’ aspirations and capabilities through various mediums, thus affecting their migration decision-making and (im)mobility patterns. When the urban context offered sufficient conditions to meet aspirations, the effects of alternatives were reduced, while precariousness accentuated the alternatives, making them integral to one’s decisions. Herein, the tangible aspirations-capabilities and alternatives nexus offers a window into the mediums of agency that impact migration decision-making processes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49fc417b36da49f39e2c8e9e4f5fc57d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2214-594X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comparative Migration Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-49fc417b36da49f39e2c8e9e4f5fc57d2025-08-20T02:39:03ZengSpringerOpenComparative Migration Studies2214-594X2025-05-0113111810.1186/s40878-025-00452-0Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of MoroccoVince Yalçin0Global Youth AI Advisory Body, Delhi School of Artificial IntelligenceAbstract Earlier approaches to migration have largely focused on structural causes to explain why migrants move while overlooking the significance of their ability to enact agency. Yet, notions of (im)mobility, circularity and urbanity as fluid, dynamic processes of individual and collective experience, prompt an analysis of migration decision-making which emphasises migrants’ ability to actively negotiate their experienced inequalities and constraints. This paper explores how urban context impacts migrants’ decision-making processes through an analysis of their aspirations and capabilities while integrating perspectives on their ability to choose from a range of possibly (un)acceptable and/or (un)attainable alternatives, offering a more meaningful understanding of the agentic roles of migrants. Drawing from fieldwork with Sub-Saharan African migrants in urban centres in Morocco – Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, and Nador – the findings suggest an inherent interlinkage between the aspirations-capabilities framework and the presence of alternatives within specific socio-urban contexts. The evidence shows the multiple alternatives at stake. Their examination suggests that (un)attainable and/or (un)acceptable alternatives deriving from one’s context may impact migrants’ aspirations and capabilities through various mediums, thus affecting their migration decision-making and (im)mobility patterns. When the urban context offered sufficient conditions to meet aspirations, the effects of alternatives were reduced, while precariousness accentuated the alternatives, making them integral to one’s decisions. Herein, the tangible aspirations-capabilities and alternatives nexus offers a window into the mediums of agency that impact migration decision-making processes.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-025-00452-0Decision-makingUrban contextAspirations-capabilities frameworkAlternativesSub-Saharan African migrationMorocco |
| spellingShingle | Vince Yalçin Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of Morocco Comparative Migration Studies Decision-making Urban context Aspirations-capabilities framework Alternatives Sub-Saharan African migration Morocco |
| title | Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of Morocco |
| title_full | Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of Morocco |
| title_fullStr | Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of Morocco |
| title_full_unstemmed | Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of Morocco |
| title_short | Renegotiating hope when stuck in Limboland: aspirations of Sub-Saharan African migrants in the urban context of Morocco |
| title_sort | renegotiating hope when stuck in limboland aspirations of sub saharan african migrants in the urban context of morocco |
| topic | Decision-making Urban context Aspirations-capabilities framework Alternatives Sub-Saharan African migration Morocco |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-025-00452-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vinceyalcin renegotiatinghopewhenstuckinlimbolandaspirationsofsubsaharanafricanmigrantsintheurbancontextofmorocco |