This Policy Brief provides an analysis of the narratives of (potential) migrants of Gambian and Afghan origin. This brief focuses on how locally held narratives relate to the messages of EU-funded information campaigns, which usually aim at deterring irregular migration.
Why information campaigns struggle to dissuade migrants from coming to Europe
This op-ed summarises the research carried out in The Gambia as part of BRIDGES Work Package 6 on the role of narratives in migratory decision-making, thus reflecting on how young Gambians perceive and react to the messages put forward in EU-funded information campaigns.
A comparative study on the role of narratives in migratory decision-making
This Working Paper compares the role of narratives in the decisions of potential migrants in the Gambia as well as Afghan transit migrants and refugees in Turkey, analysing how the messages promoted by EU-funded information campaigns compete with locally dominant narratives on migration.
The role of narratives in migratory decision-making: the case of Afghans in Turkey
This Working Paper explores how personal experiences of Afghan migrants and refugees residing in Turkey, as well as their access to networked information sources, create their dominant narrative on onward migration, building on 46 qualitative interviews interviews with Afghans in Istanbul.
The role of narratives in migratory decision-making: the case of the Gambia
This Working Paper investigates how locally dominant and EU-promoted narratives on migration interact and influence the decisions of potential migrants in the Gambia, building on focus groups and in-depth interviews with 60 Gambian youngsters who think about migrating abroad.
Convinced to Stay? The Impact of EU-Funded Information Campaigns in West Africa
The EU is trying to discourage Africans from travelling irregularly to Europe, but can they be persuaded to stay in African countries? This op-ed shows how an EU-funded narrative is perceived by West African youth in The Gambia.
EU-funded information campaigns targeting potential migrants
Though a systematic review of the literature on information campaigns targeting migrants, this Working Paper shows the different forms of information campaigns that exist, their set-up and frameworks, the actors involved, and the different types of narratives they propose.
Conceptualising migration narratives
BRIDGES defines narratives as those attempts by actors to develop and convey plausible accounts and interpretations of a phenomenon, event or series of events, person or a group of persons. Narratives are not only simple descriptions. By definition, narratives are characterised by a certain degree of stability and consistency over time and/or across space.
The emergence, uses and impacts of narratives on migration
This Working Paper provides an overview of social science literature on narratives, with a particular focus on narratives on migration (MiNa), tracing the emergence of the concept in a range of social sciences, including sociology, political science, psychology and media studies.
