Reviews
Datta breaks from the traditional narrative of migration studies, which often focuses on economic factors and policy frameworks. Instead, she centres the human stories at the heart of the discussion. Through the experiences of students, Information technology (IT) professionals, activists, and women escaping gendered violence, the book explores the diverse reasons pushing individuals to leave India and choose Germany as a new home. An interesting array of stories depicts multifaceted sides of emigration in the current times.
Datta breaks from the traditional narrative of migration studies, which often focuses on economic factors and policy frameworks. Instead, she centres the human stories at the heart of the discussion. Through the experiences of students, Information technology (IT) professionals, activists, and women escaping gendered violence, the book explores the diverse reasons pushing individuals to leave India and choose Germany as a new home. An interesting array of stories depicts multifaceted sides of emigration in the current times.
Datta believes this “exit trend since 2015 is distinct, with immigration across status groups, gender and religion”. She points out that despite India being a democracy, more than 7,000 Indians applied for “protection” in Germany in recent years. Since getting political refuge is almost impossible, they apply as skilled workers or students. Datta calls this “shadow migration” to escape “political targeting” which masks the true motivation behind why these people are leaving.
Datta believes this “exit trend since 2015 is distinct, with immigration across status groups, gender and religion”. She points out that despite India being a democracy, more than 7,000 Indians applied for “protection” in Germany in recent years. Since getting political refuge is almost impossible, they apply as skilled workers or students. Datta calls this “shadow migration” to escape “political targeting” which masks the true motivation behind why these people are leaving.
This monograph investigates the migratory pathways and motivations of Indian immigrants in Germany, focusing on students and European Union (EU) Blue Card holders (‘highly skilled’ migrants), in the context of increasing white-collar migration from India to Germany. Datta’s latest work builds on her decade-long engagement with this field. It offers a nuanced multi-perspectival approach to what migration scholarship has variously identified as ‘motivations’, ‘drivers’, ‘push-pull factors’, and ‘aspirations’ – the complex questions of why, and where, people move. It does so by highlighting ‘shadow pathways’ of migration which are often invisibilized by state categories like ‘education’ and ‘employment’, and by unraveling the multiplicities of migratory motivations through personal narratives.
This monograph investigates the migratory pathways and motivations of Indian immigrants in Germany, focusing on students and European Union (EU) Blue Card holders (‘highly skilled’ migrants), in the context of increasing white-collar migration from India to Germany. Datta’s latest work builds on her decade-long engagement with this field. It offers a nuanced multi-perspectival approach to what migration scholarship has variously identified as ‘motivations’, ‘drivers’, ‘push-pull factors’, and ‘aspirations’ – the complex questions of why, and where, people move. It does so by highlighting ‘shadow pathways’ of migration which are often invisibilized by state categories like ‘education’ and ‘employment’, and by unraveling the multiplicities of migratory motivations through personal narratives.