SETMOBIL 2015

In social demography the migrants’ point of view regarding their migratory intentions is commonly studied using stated preferences, since it is viewed as one of the most reliable predictors of future behaviour. Recently scholars have begun to examine differences between various pre-move thoughts instead of considering just one simple act in the migration decision-making process. Examples include desires and expectations to move or considerations and plans to move. However, few of the studies so far have addressed the central question of the factors intervening in the migration decision-making process of staying, returning or moving to another country altogether. Despite much excellent work on residential and international migration intentions, the subject of return or onward migration intentions has attracted little attention. Furthermore, the process of migration decision-making as such is understudied. Finally, existing studies generally considered the migrant population as a whole or focused on one specific type of migrant and did not compare different types of migrants. Yet, without an understanding of those dimensions we are left with an inadequate analysis of the current migration patterns and its drivers. This study will contribute to the literature by examining the case of recent German immigrants living in Switzerland. It adopts a comparative approach by focusing on the decision-making process regarding different types of migrants as well as varying migratory projects, i.e. the intention to stay in Switzerland, to return to Germany or to move to another country. New survey data will be collected to allow a close and in-depth analysis of the factors that determine their mobility intentions and plans. Moreover, we will gain new empirical insights into the process of decision-making and the existence of different types of migrants in today’s legal context of free movement of persons; this being new evidence that will finally allow us to theoretically refine the conceptual framework of the migration decision-making process of different migratory projects and subgroups and to better understand current migration patterns within EU/EFTA-countries