Dr Gabriella Lazaridis, in the department of geography has received funding to explore how migrants and ethnic minorities cope with the barriers they face in host societies and how their well being and opportunity structure in the post-migration phase is affected by policy measures.
Migrants are increasingly acknowledged as socially fragile groups with limited upward mobility. Following social exclusion, the research will focus on events and status in employment, education, social welfare and political participation. It is assumed that migrants choose certain strategies to improve their personal well-being depending on specific life course events as well as particular socio-economic and political contexts.
To study these relationships, six migrant groups and seven European countries were selected for cross-national comparison. The selection was determined by a consideration of the history of ‘guest worker’ groups, post-colonial migration, return migration and increasing islamophobia and xenophobia in Europe.
The project is funded by the EU’s fifth framework involving 6 EU member states, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Portugal. The project brings over £110,000 to the university.