Concepedia

Developing dynamic categorisations of transit migration

Population Space and Place · 2010 · 208 citations · 26 references

TL;DR

Transit migration is a dynamic phenomenon whose categorisation is essential for understanding but cannot be rigidly defined. This study aims to develop flexible categories that capture the dynamic nature of transit migration without artificially constraining it. The authors first review conventional migrant categorisations, then examine North African immigration research and activism, and finally apply these frameworks to available data to refine transit migration categories. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper considers the ways in which the dynamic nature of transit migration may be captured in categories that provide a basis for developing our understanding of the phenomenon but do not attempt to artificially pin it down. The first section re‐examines common ways of categorising migrants and the second turns to existing research and activism around subjects of immigration in North Africa. The final section applies the common categorisations of the first section with the developing research considered in the second to examine the data that is available to enhance our understanding and possibilities of developing categorisations of transit migration. The conclusion sets out ways of advancing the research agenda on transit migration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.