New Publication: Enduring Aspirations and Continuous Mobility
We are delighted to share that Shapoor Hamid, researcher at Bilim Organization for Research and Social Studies, has published a new article in International Migration titled “Enduring Aspirations and Continuous Mobility: Formation, Realisation, and Repression of Migration Aspirations of Afghan Returnees.” The study was conducted as part of the European Commission–funded GAPs Project (“De-centering the Study of Migrant Returns and Readmission Policies in Europe and Beyond”).
Drawing on 32 life history interviews with Afghan returnees in Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, and Balkh, the article explores how migration aspirations persist despite repression, forced return, and restricted legal pathways. It argues that migration in Afghanistan has evolved into an enduring state of mind - a deeply rooted and adaptive strategy shaped by instability, exclusion, and authoritarian governance.
Key findings reveal that:
· Return does not equal reintegration - deportation often reignites migration aspirations rather than resolving them.
· Repression does not deter mobility - it reshapes strategies through education, humanitarian pathways, or irregular routes.
· Migration has become a gendered survival imperative - under Taliban restrictions, mobility has become essential for women and their families.
· Aspirations endure - mobility persists as a rational, resilient response to systemic constraints.
The paper challenges dominant migration policy assumptions that equate return with stability, calling instead for rights-based, gender-sensitive, and legal pathways that align with migrants’ lived realities.