Transnational social fields in forced immobility: relations of young Sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco with their families and friends

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between forced immobility and the transnational identity of young Sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco. The data presented in this article suggest that the extent to which people are able to make their transnational social fields work for them depends on the political, legal and social environment they find themselves in and the position they occupy within their host and home communities. The article demonstrates that such factors influence mobility options and the use of modern technologies among young Sub-Saharan African migrants in Morocco. They also lead to changes in the dynamics of their contact and relationships with family members in the home communities, which can become fractured over time. This means that life in transnational social fields can have a negative effect on the young migrants’ view of themselves and on their life course.

KEYWORDS:

• forced immobility
• transnational relations
• time
• identity
• young migrants
• African migration

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. In a similar census, undertaken by AMERM & CISP in 2007, the average length of stay in Morocco was 4–12 years for 24% of all informants and 1–3 years for 65, 5% of all informants.

2. According to the existing surveys, the average age of the Sub-Saharan African migrants who are ‘stuck’ in Morocco is about 27 years and 95% are estimated to be younger than 36 (Lahlou 2008). It is important to recognise that most of these migrants may have already spent around four to five years in Morocco when they were surveyed and that their travels took several months or years until they were able to reach Morocco (AMERM and CISP 2007). This leads to the supposition that many of them left their country in their very early twenties.

3. One of them was a refugee, recognised by the UNHCR. Nevertheless, he had no official work and residency permit issued by the Moroccan authorities. He can therefore also be considered to be an undocumented migrant.

4. In three cases, some migrants’ family members had died, either as a result of violent conflict in their home countries, illness or else. In the case of one migrant, the whole family had been killed after he left.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Inka Stock

INKA STOCK received her PhD in 2013 at Nottingham University, UK, and is now an independent researcher.