Conceptualizing Motives for Migration: a Typology of Italian Migrants in the Athens Area

Abstract

Migration flows from a southern European country to another one have received scarce attention so far. This is especially true for Italians migrating to Greece or, more specifically, the Athens area. Thus, there are limited insights as to the reasons why Italians are leaving and why they have been choosing Greece as their destination. This paper looks at their motives for migrating and their destination choice in order to understand the diversity of migratory trajectories through a typology. In order to do this, we carried out in-depth interviews to Italians living, both permanently and temporarily, in the Athens area, employing snowball sampling. As a result, we have identified 5 types of Italian immigrants in Athens: Mediterranean, nomadic, work, entrepreneurial, and marriage migrants. Mediterranean migrants are driven by the typically Mediterranean character of climate, landscape, food, and culture in their deliberate choice of Athens. Nomadic migrants have casually chosen Athens to satisfy their need of continuous physical mobility and multiple moorings as a defining aspect of their identity. Work migrants are motivated by the search of a job regardless of the place and work content. Entrepreneurial migrants are motivated by a vocation for a professional career in Athens. Finally, for marriage migrants, the choice of Athens is a consequence of a couple choice and shared life projects.