Syrian Migrants' Experiences of “Irregular” Migration to Austria Interlaced by Virtual Networks: A Qualitative Study

Nadide Schwarzenberger; Yelda Özen

doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1449441

EN TR

Syrian Migrants' Experiences of “Irregular” Migration to Austria Interlaced by Virtual Networks: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The beginning of the war in Syria in 2011 led to a massive immigration wave from Syria to Europe; however, this move made European immigration policies more rigid in securing borders. The growing crisis has compelled Syrians to explore various ways to move. On September 14–15, 2015, thousands of people organized through Facebook gathered in Edirne and demanded to be allowed to enter Europe by crossing the Balkans on foot. This incident underlined the significant impact of social media on the process of irregular immigration. This study aims to understand the role of virtual networks in the migration experiences of Syrians before, during, and after migration. In this context, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 Syrian migrants who arrived at or were captured in and currently reside in Linz, Austria. Syrian migrants meticulously planned nearly every step through virtual networks and smartphone tools, creating a holographic impression in their minds before embarking. These networks significantly enhanced the familiarity and safety of the irregular migration route and allowed them to proceed with “the migration network ladders” one by one. The Syrian migration experience highlights the pivotal role of virtual networks in motivating, guiding, and connecting individuals throughout the process.

Keywords

Syrian Migrants , Irregular Migration Route , Austria , Social Media , Virtual Networks

Suriyeli Göçmenlerin Avusturya’ya Sanal Ağlarla Örülen “Düzensiz” Göç Deneyimleri: Nitel Bir Araştırma

Öz

Suriye'de 2011 yılında savaşın başlaması, Suriye'den Avrupa'ya büyük bir göç dalgası oluşturdu, ancak bu hareketlilik, Avrupa'nın, sınırlarını korumak adına göç politikalarını daha katı hale getirmesine neden oldu. Büyüyen krizle birlikte, Suriyeliler göç etmeleri için çok çeşitli yollar aradılar. 14-15 Eylül 2015 tarihlerinde Facebook üzerinden örgütlenen binlerce kişi Edirne'de toplanmış ve Balkanları yürüyerek geçip, Avrupa'ya girmelerine izin verilmesini talep etmişlerdir. Bu olay, sosyal medyanın düzensiz göç süreci üzerindeki önemli etkisini göstermiştir. Bu çalışma, Suriyelilerin göç öncesi, göç esnasında ve göç sonrasındaki göç deneyimlerinde sanal ağların rolünü anlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda, Avusturya'nın Linz kentine gelen veya burada yakalanan ve hali hazırda bu kentte ikamet eden 26 Suriyeli göçmenle yüz yüze derinlemesine görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Suriyeli göçmenler, yola çıkmadan önce zihinlerinde holografik bir izlenim yaratarak sanal ağlar ve akıllı telefonların sunduğu araçlarla neredeyse her adımı titizlikle planlamışlardır. Bu ağlar, göçmenlerin düzensiz göç rotasına aşina olmalarını sağlamış, rotanın güvenliğini önemli ölçüde artırmış ve “göç ağı merdivenlerini” birer birer geçmelerini sağlamıştır. Suriye göç deneyimi, sanal ağların göç süreci boyunca bireyleri motive etme, yönlendirme ve göç eyleminde bulunan bireyleri birbirine bağlamadaki önemli rolünü vurgulamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

: Suriyeli Göçmenler , Düzensiz Göç Rotası , Avusturya , Sosyal Media , Sanal Ağlar

Kaynakça

Akhtar, N & Nageen, H. (2019). The Syrian conflict: An inside-out and outside-in approach. International Journal on World Peace, 36(3), 7-34.
Bauman, Z. (1998). Globalization: The human consequences. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Baumgartner, T., Bilger, V., Landesmann, M., Leitner, S. M. & Palinkas, M. (2021). Evidence from Austria: A setback for the labor market integration of refugees? International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Expert Voice. https://www.icmpd.org/news-/evidence-from-austria-a-setback-for-the-labour-market-integration-of-refugees. Accessed 20 Oct 2023.
Bērziņš, J. (2013). Civil war in Syria: Origins, dynamics, and possible solutions. National Defence Academy of Latvia Center for Security and Strategic Research. https://www.naa.mil.lv/-sites/naa/files/document/7_SA-07p_0.pdf. Accessed 16 Oct 2023.
Buber-Ennser, I., Rengs, B., Kohlenberger, J., & Zeman, K. (2020). Demographic profile of Syrians in Austria. In E. Carlson & N. E. Williams (Eds.), Comparative demography of the Syrian diaspora: European and Middle Eastern destinations (pp. 139-163). Cham: Springer.
Castells, M. (2004). Informationalism, networks, and the network society: A theoretical blueprint. In M. Castells (Ed.), The network society: A cross-cultural perspective (pp. 3-45). Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Castles, S. (2003). Towards a sociology of forced migration and social transformation. Sociology, 37(1), 13–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038503037001
Castles, S., de Haas, H., & Miller, M. J. (2014). The age of migration: The population movements in the modern world. London: Palgrave, Macmillan.
Dekker, R. & Engbersen, G. (2014). How social media transform migrant networks and facilitate migration. Global Networks, 14(4), 401-418. https://doi.org/10.1111/glob.12040
Dekker, R., Engbersen, G., Klaver, J. & Vonk, H. (2018). Smart refugees: How Syrian asylum migrants use social media information in migration decision-making. Social Media+Society, 4(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/205630511876

Düvell, F. (2008). Clandestine migration in Europe. Social Science Information, 47(4), 479-497. https://doi.org/10.1177/0539018408096
Ferris, E. & Kirişçi, K. (2016). The consequences of chaos: Syria’s humanitarian crisis and the failure to protect. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.
Gillespie, M., Osserian, S. & Cheesman, M. (2018). Syrian refugees and the digital passage to Europe: Smartphone infrastructures and affordances. Social Media+Society, 4(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118764
Gough, H.A. & Gough, K. V. (2019). Disrupted becomings: The role of smartphones in Syrian refugees’ physical and existential journeys. Geoforum, 105, 89-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2019.05.012
Hacsek, Z. & Visnansky, B. (2017). The impact of social media on the smuggling of migrants. Regional Academy of the United Nations. http://www.ra-un.org/uploads/4/7/5/4/47544571/2_unodc_2_final_paper.pdf. Accessed 10 May 2018.
Kasparek, B. (2015, September, 20). Edirne: Refugees demand safe passage to Greece. Bordermonitoring. https://bordermonitoring.eu/tuerkei/2015/09/edirne-refugees-demand-safe-passage-to-greece/. Accessed 22 Feb 2019.
King, R. (2012). Theories and typologies of migration: An overview and a primer (Willy Brandt Series of Working Papers in International Migration and Ethnic Relations 3/12). Malmö: Malmö University.
Mandic, D. (2017). Trafficking and Syrian refugee smuggling: Evidence from the Balkan route. Social Inclusion, 5(2), 28-38. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v5i2.917
Mandic, D. (2023). The Syrian refugee crisis: How democracies and autocracies perpetrated mass displacement. New York: Routledge.
Massey, D. S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A., & Taylor, J. E. (1998). Worlds in motion. Understanding international migration at the end of the millennium. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Neuman W. L. (2014). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Essex: Pearson.
Sardelić, J. (2017). From temporary protection to transit migration: Responses to refugee crises along the Western Balkan route. Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper (35). https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3023937/1/Julija%20Sardelic%20RSCAS_2017_35.pdf. Accessed 11 Aug 2023.
Statista (2023). Ranking of the largest Syrian refugee-hosting countries in 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/740233/major-syrian-refugee-hosting-countries-worldwide/. Accessed 14 Nov 2023.
UNHCR (2023a). Syria refugee crisis. https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/syria/. Accessed 16 Oct 2023.
UNHCR (2023b, October 30). Syria regional refugee response. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria. Accessed 14 Nov 2023.
UNHCR (2019, September 20). Syria regional refugee response. Retrieved September 27, 2019, from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria. Accessed 27 Sep 2019.
UNHCR (2018). Desperate journeys: Refugees and migrants arriving in Europe and at Europe’s borders. https://www.unhcr.org/desperatejourneys/. Accessed 29 Jun 2023.
UNHCR (2016). Global appeal 2016-2017, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional summary. https://www.unhcr.org/media/unhcr-global-appeal-2016-2017-middle-east-and-north-africa-mena-regional-summary. Accessed 16 Oct 2023.
UNHCR (2015a, September 25). Seven factors behind movement of Syrian refugees to Europe. Retrieved August 30, 2022, from https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2015/9/560523f26/seven-factors-behind-movement-syrian-refugees-europe.html. Accessed 30 Aug 2022.
UNHCR (2015b). The sea route to Europe: The Mediterranean passage in the age of refugees. https://www.unhcr.org/media/sea-route-europe-mediterranean-passage-age-refugees. Accessed 30 Jun 2023. Yazgan, P., Eroğlu-Utku, D. & Sirkeci, İ. (2015). Editorial: Syrian crisis and migration. Migration Letters, 12(3), 181-182. https://doi.org/10.33182/ml.v12i3.273

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Göç Sosyolojisi

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yazarlar

Nadide Schwarzenberger Bu kişi benim
0009-0000-6385-0342
Austria

Yelda Özen ^*
0000-0003-0382-5094
Türkiye

Erken Görünüm Tarihi

27 Mayıs 2024

Yayımlanma Tarihi

30 Mayıs 2024

Gönderilme Tarihi

9 Mart 2024

Kabul Tarihi

21 Mayıs 2024

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2024 Cilt: 21 Sayı: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1449441

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA32DR73ME

APA

Schwarzenberger, N., & Özen, Y. (2024). Syrian Migrants’ Experiences of “Irregular” Migration to Austria Interlaced by Virtual Networks: A Qualitative Study. OPUS Journal of Society Research, 21(3), 140-158. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1449441

Syrian Migrants' Experiences of “Irregular” Migration to Austria Interlaced by Virtual Networks: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Keywords

Suriyeli Göçmenlerin Avusturya’ya Sanal Ağlarla Örülen “Düzensiz” Göç Deneyimleri: Nitel Bir Araştırma

Öz

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kaynakça

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

Konular

Bölüm

Yazarlar

Erken Görünüm Tarihi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

Gönderilme Tarihi

Kabul Tarihi

Yayımlandığı Sayı

DOI

IZ

Kaynak Göster