Experiences of Place among Older Migrants Living in Inner-City Neighbourhoods in Belgium and England

Abstract

This article aims to explore experiences of “place” among older migrants living in deprived urban neighbourhoods. The data for the present research are derived from two qualitative studies in inner-city neighbourhoods in England and Belgium. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with older Pakistani and Somali people in Manchester and Liverpool, and Turkish and Moroccan elders in Brussels, the paper reviews the variety of ways in which the idea of “home” is created, the constraints and environmental pressures which may prevent people from developing a sense of “home,” and the meaning of transnational ties for the experience of place. The final part of the paper discusses conceptual as well as policy issues raised by the research.