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Social Inclusion of Liberian Refugees and Migrants in Europe and the role of Social Media
Gehnyei, Anna Maria
Gehnyei, Anna Maria
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Abstract
There has been different scholars who have investigated on the role of social media in the migration route and the communication between migrants and smugglers.
The refugee and migrant crisis is an issue that has been affecting Europe for many years. In 2016, the number of refugees and migrants who risked their lives was estimated at 362,000, with 181,400 people arriving in Italy. The ongoing crisis has highlighted the importance of electronic tools, systems and devices that improve displaced people lives in different ways. A number of studies have identified that social media as one of the major channels that facilitate migration networks and mobile devices constitute a framework for socio - technical spaces in which refugees, governments, and companies relate to each other. Moreover, migration to Italy is highly connected with digital media, creating social consequences. In the last decades, a huge amount of Liberians, who were previously directed to the United States of America, are changing their migration route to Italy. The objectives of my study are to determine in which ways Liberian contemporary refugees are using social media and what are the drivers of Liberian migration to Italy. My main questions in this thesis are the role of social media in the Liberian migration process to Italy and the social inclusion on arrival at their destination. Furthermore, in this thesis I will examine how refugees are capable to depend on digital technologies to communicate with their family back home and to find the primary needs. Furthermore, this thesis is designed to build up my hypothesis about the role of social media in three different distinct phases of the migration process, such as the way in which previous migrants are influencing new migrants’ making decision, the way in which digital platforms are used by migrants on the journey for logistical movement, an digital identity narratives that are spread back to families once migrants arrive to destination. My research is guided by several scholars who have defined and explain these stages. The first chapter is divided in three sections, which examine theories of globalization and the rise of social media in Africa, the role of social media during the migratory route, and the use of social media on arrival in the new social environments. In order to explain the dynamics of the Liberian migration process, in the second chapter I examine the history of Liberia, taking a long term perspective, that also explores the changes in the migration route to Italy. In addition, I focus on how Liberian migrants engage with migration information en- route to Italy. The research instruments that were used in the study are observations and interviews methods. Semi- structured in depth interviews were conducted with 40 Liberian refugees in Italy, specifically Rome, Milan and Naples. In Conclusion, nowadays Liberians are changing the route from the United States to Italy. Indeed, Liberian migrants are using social media and digital platforms during their journey and on arrival to Italy.
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Thesis (B.A. in Political Science, Minor in Art and Design/ Entrepreneurship)--John Cabot University, Fall 2020.
Date
2020
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Keywords
Refugees, Emigration and immigration, Mass media and world politics
Citation
Gehnyei, Anna Maria. "Social Inclusion of Liberian Refugees and Migrants in Europe and the role of Social Media". BA Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2020.