SMC is part of a transnational research project entitled, “Decision making of aspiring (re)migrants to and within the EU: the case of labor market-leading migrations from Asia” or AspirE for short.  The project examines the decision-making process of aspiring (re)migrants from selected Southeast and East Asian countries (China (Hong Kong), Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) to and within selected EU member countries (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy and Portugal). The three-year project was awarded a grant under the EU Horizon call. It commenced in January 2023 and had a formal launch online on February 16. AspirE is spearheaded by Dr Asuncion Fresnoza-Flot of the Université libre de Bruxelles.

Employing qualitative and participatory research methodologies, the study will map the extent to which spatial mobility policies at the EU and national levels consider aspiring (re)migrants’ behavior, identify the micro- and meso-level drivers of (re)migration aspiration and/or intention, and determine the temporality of aspiring (re)migrants’ decision-making. The results of this project are expected to provide insights on how individuals’ migration decisions are formed and change over time and on the specific stage at which mobility policies are more likely to play a role in shaping migration outcomes. The identification of these critical junctures will hopefully enhance EU migration policies.

For SMC, AspirE provides an opportunity to build on earlier research that examines the Asia-Europe migration corridor. Updates will be provided as the project moves into the data collection phase.