How are migration and digitalisation linked?

Digitalisation is influencing the entire migration process, from the decision to migrate right through to integration.

People decide to migrate because they hope for a better life than they have had so far (prosperity, freedom, security, etc.). They are convinced that life is better in certain places, and this conviction does not come out of the blue. For a long time, it was mainly family members, acquaintances and friends who provided information about other countries, followed by the radio, television, books, etc. Today, people can gain a much more detailed and direct insight into other societies via digital media. This also influences their decisions.

Digital content is often consumed by people in the destination country who share a similar cultural background. This is partly down to the language. In other words, the perceptions of those who have already migrated strongly influence the migration decisions of the next wave of migrants. So-called migrant “diasporas” are playing an increasingly important role in migration decisions through social media. 

At the same time, the information shared via social media also shapes the individual ideas about integration and the integration pathways of new arrivals – with both positive and problematic consequences. This information can help with integration, as new arrivals can draw on the experiences of others. However, it can also lead to prejudices being reinforced and perpetuated, which make integration more difficult (such as the idea that all Swiss people are racists, or something like that).

In short, digitalisation is shaping migration just as it is shaping all other areas of society, and here too the consequences are complex and ambivalent, full of both opportunities and risks. 

There’s a lot more that could be said on this, but now I have to get back to my “actual” work at uni …

I hope this has been helpful.

Best regards, Kijan