Service queue at the Finnish Immigration Service Migri’s Malmi office in Helsinki. LEHTIKUVA
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New research conducted by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) highlights the unexpected effects of public information campaigns aimed at deterring migration. Analyzing responses from approximately 13,000 young adults across ten countries in Africa and Asia, the study finds that such campaigns have little to no impact on curbing migration desires. Intriguingly, in many instances, these campaigns appear to bolster the determination to migrate.
Despite the European Commission allocating over 40 million Euros since 2015 for anti-migration campaigns, PRIO’s research suggests these efforts might be misdirected. Nicolás Caso, a co-author of the study, points out the significant investments in these campaigns without a clear understanding of their effectiveness or impact on migration aspirations.
Surveyed individuals came from a variety of backgrounds, residing in countries facing significant migration pressures, including Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Tunisia. The study’s extensive reach across 25 communities revealed that a majority of young adults had encountered migration-related warnings through various media outlets. Yet, contrary to the campaigns’ intentions, a higher desire to migrate was noted in more than two-thirds of the surveyed communities after exposure to such warnings.
The study proposes two potential explanations for this counterintuitive outcome. Firstly, the sheer frequency of migration-related information could heighten awareness of migration as a viable option. Secondly, those already considering migration might be more inclined to pay attention to such campaigns, although this does not necessarily influence their decision to migrate.
Additionally, the research indicates that personal knowledge of someone’s failed migration attempt—be it through detention, deportation, or even death—did not deter migration aspirations. On the contrary, such knowledge was associated with an increased willingness to embark on the migration journey, possibly reflecting a general tendency towards risk-taking or a belief in one’s ability to succeed where others have failed.
Jørgen Carling, another co-author of the study, emphasizes the growing skepticism within the scientific community regarding the efficacy of migration information campaigns. This skepticism is bolstered by PRIO’s findings, which are based on extensive data funded by the European Commission itself.
This research forms part of the ‘Aligning Migration Management and the Migration-Development Nexus’ (MIGNEX) project. Spanning six years, MIGNEX aims to foster new insights into the nexus between migration, development, and policy, supported by the European Commission and involving collaboration among nine institutions across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
