THEMIS: Egypt: Migration, revolution, and social change

Philip Marfleet presents his paper 'Egypt: Migration, revolution, and social change' in Parallel session VI(D) of the conference Examining Migration Dynamics: Networks and Beyond, 24-26 Sept 2013 For decades Egypt was a source country for migration to states of the Gulf. Now some of its poorest people leave villages of the Nile Delta for the cities of Europe. Despite formal efforts by European authorities to inhibit these networks, greatly increasing the risks for those involved, the pace of migration has intensified and cross-Mediterranean networks have become integral to the life of some communities. This paper examines the rapid emergence and consolidation of the new networks. It considers the development of new social practices associated with migration and the complex outcomes for migrants and for those who do not migrate. The paper also considers the impact of Egypt's revolution upon migration - the effect of societal upheaval and of a huge rise in expectations of social and economic advance among millions of people. It argues that processes associated with the "Arab Spring" continue to stimulate cross-Mediterranean movements and to reshape regional patterns of migration.