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Policy Brief 5 - Tracing migration aspirations over time: insights from Asia–Europe video diaries

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Based on 284 video diaries from migrants across eleven Asian and European countries, our new AspirE Policy Brief offers fresh, evidence-based insights into how migration and (re)migration decisions unfold over time. The findings reveal how migrants’ aspirations shift in response to life events, family responsibilities, labour market conditions, and administrative hurdles. The brief highlights several structural challenges shaping migrants’ journeys: long bureaucratic delays that create extended periods of “structural waiting,” fragmented procedures that limit access to rights and services, and the powerful influence of intermediaries (formal and informal) that often fuel misinformation and post-arrival frustration. It also shows how sudden policy changes can disrupt mobility plans, and how language barriers continue to hinder integration and well-being. To address these issues, the policy brief outlines practical recommendations for more transparent information systems, predictable policy implementation, stronger language and integration support, and better-coordinated administrative processes.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19296525

Authors: Sumpsi Langreo, Amaya, Wang, Xuheng, Cojocaru, Olga, Gaspar, Sofia

Institution: Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa

Language: English

Topic: Migration, Refugees, and Integration

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: European Commission