Why Do Italy? A Comparative Analysis of Bangladeshi Migrants into Five European Countries

Abstract

The growing occurrence and significance of labour migration from Bangladesh has become an important area of interest in policy research. However, little attention has been given to understand and study the inadequacies in policy that support cross border movements within irregular migration. This study has attempted to understand the gaps and challenges of existing policies and practices that influence regular and irregular labour migration processes from the source country perspective of Bangladesh. The primary survey of the study comprised of Bangladeshi migrant workers who were in the process of arranging the necessary travel documents for labour migration and those who have returned home from several destination countries. The study found that the most productive years of a labour migrant’s life is spent in the destination countries as relatively younger people, and also tend to migrate for jobs abroad. Moreover, the decision-making process to migrate is multidimensional and complex. The respondents were migrating due to a combination of structural and situational realities including economic and non-economic factors. However, an overwhelming majority in cited economic gains as the most important factor. Italy is the most favored destination for both aspirant and returnee migrants, with more than 61 percent of them planning to go to that country, followed by the UK, Germany, France and Spain. The study probably will help better understand the trends and practices of labour migration, and that the recommendations will provide a reference for government and non-government stakeholders at regional and national levels to strengthen accountability systems for informed and empowered labour migration.

Keywords: migration, decision-making, structural, Bangladesh, Europe

JEL Classification: J15, J21, J24, J31, J61, J64, M54,