'It's easy for us to move': The imaginaries behind Somalis' transnational journeys

Somalis have been engaging in national and transnational migration for centuries. In the past, their relocation has often been fuelled by pastoralism and trade and later, more forcefully, by civil war. In more recent times, imaginaries about destination countries seem to be shaping the mobilities of Somalis in the diaspora. In the context of the massive onward migration of Somalis from the Netherlands to England around the year 2000, this thesis attempted to gain insight into Somalis’ imaginaries about future destinations through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Special attention was paid to content and sources of imaginaries, and to differences along the lines of gender and generations. The data was analysed through coding and through an anthropological and psychological lens. Results indicate that imaginaries mostly revolve around England and Somalia, although actual plans for migration only exist towards Somalia. While in the past imaginaries were mostly...Show moreSomalis have been engaging in national and transnational migration for centuries. In the past, their relocation has often been fuelled by pastoralism and trade and later, more forcefully, by civil war. In more recent times, imaginaries about destination countries seem to be shaping the mobilities of Somalis in the diaspora. In the context of the massive onward migration of Somalis from the Netherlands to England around the year 2000, this thesis attempted to gain insight into Somalis’ imaginaries about future destinations through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Special attention was paid to content and sources of imaginaries, and to differences along the lines of gender and generations. The data was analysed through coding and through an anthropological and psychological lens. Results indicate that imaginaries mostly revolve around England and Somalia, although actual plans for migration only exist towards Somalia. While in the past imaginaries were mostly formed based on oral information, today social media and personal country visits are creating more nuanced imaginaries. Furthermore, compared to the first generation, younger Somalis are more cautious in forming positive imaginaries about destination countries. Future research should include educational background and observe how transnational migration trends among the Somali community in the Netherlands take shape across generations and in the future.Show less

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'It's easy for us to move': The imaginaries behind Somalis' transnational journeys