A migration industry for skilled migrants: the case of relocation services

Authors

  • Florian Tissot Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies (SFM), Université de Neuchâtel

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59670/ml.v15i4.4

Keywords:

Migration Industry, Highly-Skilled Migration, International Work, Meso-level

Abstract

The aim of this article is to clarify the role of the organisations that support skilled migrants after a relocation, using the analytical concept of migration industry. The concept is used as a tool to explore the gap between the macro and the micro levels and by that stresses the crucial meso-level when it comes to conceptualizing (skilled) migration. I use 30 semi-directive interviews with skilled migrants and six interviews with key informants in the migration industry as a basis for the analysis, leading me to distinguish three main services at the heart of this industry. Each service is covered by distinct private actors: the basic needs of the family by relocation offices, the education of the children by international schools, and the careers of the partner by outplacement agencies.

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Author Biography

Florian Tissot, Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies (SFM), Université de Neuchâtel

Florian Tissot is a Ph.D.-student at the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies, working on a dissertation on highly-skilled migration and family. He currently holds a scholarship from the Swiss National Science Foundation to complete his studies in Germany

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Published

2018-09-30

How to Cite

Tissot, F. (2018). A migration industry for skilled migrants: the case of relocation services. Migration Letters, 15(4), 545–559. https://doi.org/10.59670/ml.v15i4.4