Relocation of Syrian refugees entailing informal secondary mobility in Europe

Relocation of Syrian refugees entailing informal secondary mobility in Europe Today’s cross-national mobility of refugees is bounded to EU’s hospitality, protection and border control policies. In particular, the programme of relocation, which has come to an end in 2017, has supported refugees’ movement and resettlement between Member States, but it has also failed in avoiding people’s risky journeys across borders. Syrian refugees, who are relocated mostly from Greece, imagine their life and their social and educational development in the countries of Northern and Central Europe, where they have solid social networks and multiple possibilities to be successfully included into the labour market. Southern and Eastern European countries are considered “undesirable countries of relocation”. Yet, findings show that refugees’ needs, expectations and skills are not elements of discussion between sending and receiving States of relocation, nor a real commitment towards their social and labour market integration is taken. Insecurities created by those lacunae trigger insecurity towards the future, which bring about informal movements and secondary migration within a framework of insecurity. This study is the result of a qualitative research conducted in 2017 through semi-structured interviews with Syrian refugees, social workers and experts. It lies on the assumption that when security of protection is high, refugees’ mobility is bounded, when insecurity towards the future overcomes security of protection people undertake informal movements and secondary migration within a framework of insecurity.