Upon completion of their master studies in Germany, numerous international graduates show a high level of interest in entering the German labour market, but only around half of them actually do so. This research project aims to investigate this discrepancy and to study how different factors influence the decision-making process of Latin American graduates to stay on in Germany, remigrate or migrate onward.
In this context, one of the main objectives of this dissertation project is to examine which role the experiences with the German labour market play regarding their migratory decisions. Therefore, I explored the individual transnational social spaces in order to point out to which extent their social networks and prior working experiences in their home country influence this decision. In addition to these rather career-related factors, I also analysed other personal reasons like the bond to their home country or (multiple) feelings of belonging, home and place attachment to get a deeper understanding of the complex migratory decision-making processes.
By using qualitative, problem-oriented guideline interviews, mostly held in Spanish, I explored the individual contexts and conditions of the Latin American graduates during this important transition phase from studies to the (German) labour market. The interviews were conducted both in person with graduates who stayed on in various German cities and with remigrants via video calls who returned to their home countries or migrated onward. In my presentation, I will point out to which extent these labour experiences and the bond to the German culture influence the individual migratory decisions. Therefore, I will shed a light on the role of social embeddedness, language barriers, cultural challenges and discriminatory experiences while job searching and on the job.
Mots clés : migratory decisions|transition phase|German labour market|transnational social spaces|dilemma of staying or returning
A103778CL