1 / 21

Anu Kõu Population Research Centre, University of Groningen

22-07-2011. A l ife course approach to high-skilled migration: migrant biographies of Indians in the Netherlands and United Kingdom. Anu Kõu Population Research Centre, University of Groningen PhD s upervisors: Prof Dr Leo van Wissen, Prof Dr Jouke van Dijk, Dr Ajay Bailey

sereno
Download Presentation

Anu Kõu Population Research Centre, University of Groningen

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. 22-07-2011 A life course approach to high-skilled migration:migrant biographies of Indians in theNetherlands and United Kingdom Anu Kõu Population Research Centre, University of Groningen PhD supervisors:Prof Dr Leo van Wissen, Prof Dr Jouke van Dijk, Dr Ajay Bailey CPC seminar, University of Southampton, 22 July 2011

  2. 22-07-2011 Background • Need for highly skilled workers • High-skilled migration (HSM) programs and policies • Human capital • Gap in economic theories?

  3. 22-07-2011 Highly skilled migrants(1) • Canberra Manual: Human Resources in Science and Technology (HRST): • ‘Successfully completed education at the third level in am Science and Technology (S&T) field of study • Not formally qualified as above but employed in a S&T occupation where the above qualifications are normally required.’ (OECD, 1995)

  4. 22-07-2011 Highly skilled migrants(2) • Higher-educated • Above average wage • Nationally or internationally scarce expertise • Economically or socially important sectors (ACVZ, Dutch Advisory Committee on Migration Affairs, 2004: 144)

  5. 22-07-2011 HSM visa in the Netherlands • 2004: knowledge migrant visa • Points-based minimum prospective salary • 2011: Modern Migration Policy • ‘Inviting for migrants in economic demand, restrictive for others’ • June 2011: European Blue Card

  6. 22-07-2011 HSM visa in the United Kingdom • 2002: Highly Skilled Migrant Programme • 2008: Tier 1 (General) • 2011: • Tier 1: UK Investor; Prospective Entrepreneur; Exceptional Talent; Post Study Work • Tier 2: Work Permit, Change of Employment; Intra Company Transfers

  7. Labour migration to the Netherlands, 2005-2008* * (Until 1 July 2008) x 2 Source: INDIAC (2008) 22-07-2011 7 14% 24% 48% 56%

  8. Highly skilled migrants in NL 2008: Indian 30% American 13% Chinese 7% 75% males, 25% females 50% 18-29 years, 33% 30-39 years Source: (INDIAC, Immigration and Naturalisation Service, 2009) 22-07-2011 8

  9. 22-07-2011 Knowledge migrants by labour market sector, NL

  10. 22-07-2011 Assumptions HSM • Macro level: • Economic gain • HSM policies • Micro level: merely returns for investment in human capital?

  11. Life course framework Labour migration not only a response to economic triggers Parallel careers of education, employment, household, migration Qualitative approach 22-07-2011 11

  12. 22-07-2011 Methods • Semi-structured biographical interviews • Micro perspective • Social embeddedness Biographies ‘… relate trajectories to transitions and the spaces and times they flow through.’ (Bailey, 2009: 708) • Visualisation of career interdependencies

  13. Research participants Indian origin Working in a professional sector job Preferably a HSMP/Tier 1/Tier 2 or knowledge migrant visa Age 25-40 Residential duration in UK/NL min 1 year 22-07-2011 13

  14. 22-07-2011 Results

  15. 22-07-2011 Education/employment  migration (1) • The choice of study field • Opportunities • International exposure • Financial reasons ‘I knew IT would give a good opportunity to go to Western countries.’ (male, age 30-34, UK) ‘If I would have stayed in India, I would be richer but I would not have the mental satisfaction.’ (male, age 35-40, UK)

  16. 22-07-2011 Education/employment  migration (2) • Migration networks • Migration culture • ‘Fashion’, ‘craze’ ‘Long before me, my supervisor’s supervisor came. Then my supervisor’s colleague came here. So there’s a tradition of people coming in, going back, it’s like... this kind of... pilgrimage kind of thing.’ (male, age 35-40, NL)

  17. 22-07-2011 Education/employment marriage • Arranged marriage • Household + employment/education paths • Household + migration paths ‘My aim is to first… finish my PhD because it’s very hard for me to… focus on another person right now. (---) I just don’t want to, you know, ruin both things. Just want to finish my PhD. And then, you know, marriage, relationship can wait.’ (female, age 25-29, NL) ‘Well, Indian moms, they have this attitude of… pushing their… boy-child as soon as he’s settled, his firmed with his job, get married! So that translated to me as well.’ (male, age 25-29, NL)

  18. 22-07-2011 Employment marriage children • ‘Getting to know each other’ • Household + employment/education paths • Household + return migration paths • Parents’ expectations ‘We want to have some good life… first together. So because we haven’t spent good time, at least back home so… Nowwe will be starting a different phase of life. At least like… three to four years we haven’t planned [children] and… that’s how it matches with almost the time that I plan to return back to India.’ (male, age 25-29, NL) ‘Until I got a job or little after that there wasn’t any pressure [from parents]. For marriage. Once they know “Okay, one thing is over!”, they get paranoid about the other thing. Once I got a job and start up settling, then they thought “What next? What next? Marriage!” So there was an immense pressure to get married soon. But with children, nothing yet. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes up tomorrow. I’ve seen that pattern for everything in my family.’ (female, age 25-29, NL)

  19. 22-07-2011 Migration policies • Selection of destination country • Future opportunities • Legal status of spouse ‘If I would have been a bursary[PhD student without knowledge migrant visa]… then I think my wife is not allowed to work. I would have postponed marriage for a couple of years till I complete [PhD] and then I will get a post-doc, till then I would have postponed.’ (male, age 25-29, NL) ‘[After obtaining permanent residency] it will be easier for my daughter to come back to UK university without paying huge fees.’ (female, age 30-34, UK) ‘The UK had the quickest visa procedure. Otherwise there was no specific intention to come to the UK.’ (male, age 30-34, UK)

  20. Social and cultural context 22-07-2011 ConclusionsLife course alters the purely economically determined migration path: • Timing • Parallel careers (?) • Postponement of events • Linked lives • Parents • Spouse • Social and professional network • Gender • Direction of causality

  21. 22-07-2011 Thank you for your attention! Questions / comments? Contact: a.kou@rug.nl

More Related