Transnational practices of Iraqi people living in Rome and Helsinki

PhD Candidate Vanja La Vecchia-Mikkola

University of Helsinki

The IMISCOE-MiReKoc PhD Conference

6-7 June 2011

Outline

Methodological Clarification Transnational view The Longing of return: a transnational concept Iraq between wars and hope A tale of two cities: Helsinki and Rome Transnational practices Home & Belonging in Iraqis’ Accounts

Methodological Clarification

Pilot interviews Interview guideline

48 Semi-structured interviews combined with participant observation.

4 different sources for selecting my sample

Characteristics of the interviewed Iraqis:

a) Kurdish and Arab Iraqis settled in Finland and Italy for minimum period of 2 years at least up to 30 years. b) Iraqis networking with other Iraqis (from Iraq or /and other countries)c) Iraqis who could be at least 15 years old when they left Iraq.

Transnationalism

In today’s world immigrants are able to built and nourish socio-cultural,

economic, and political ties across countries and /or rooted localities

(Eade 1997; Wahlbeck 2004; Valtonen 2004; Smith 2005) operating in

transnational social field (Glick Schiller et al. 1992; Vertovec & Cohen

1999), transnational social spaces (Faists 2000), or in translocality

(Appadurai 1995).

However, social networks may appear strong or weak (Granovetter

1973) or broad and/or narrow (Itzigsohn et al. 1999) but, their survival is

dependent on the maintenance and reproduction of the transnational

correlations.

Migrants’ memories, personal stories and artistic creations are also relevant aspects in people live that although are subjective and not overtly expressed, are difficult to capture, but they may reveal significant data for explaining transnational affections and successive dynamics ( Levitt, DeWind & Vertovec 2003: 571).

11.3.2008Ulla Mansikkamäki 5

The challenging relation between Integration and transnationalism.

Over the last decade, some studies and mainly limited to the British

(see findings from COMPAS - Centre on Migration, Policy and Society

and the TransComm: Transnational Communities programme) and

American context (Levitt 2001; Morawska 2003; Itzigsohn & Giorguli-

Saucedo 2005) have addressed the relationship between integration,

(or assimilation in the American discourse), and transnationalism

(Kivisto 2001; 2003).

*Conflicting coexistence: (Snel et al, 2006: 287; Glick Schiller 1992;

1995)

*Potential coexistence: (Morawska 2004; Itzigsohn & Giorguli-Saucedo

2005; Kivisto 2003; Faist 2010; Vertovec 2007; Levitt 2001).

The longing of return as transnational concept

The “longing of return” is a concept that moderately refers to a strong

persistent yearning or mild desire of (temporary) return to the country

of origin that in certain kind of circumstances may be easily fulfilled.

The longing of return implicates a transnational analysis focusing on

the migrant on two set of space and time.

Longing of return Vs The Myth of return

The two words, myth (usually a fantasy) and return (maybe a reality),

connote a wishful fantasy, or belief, of immigrants that, in an

unspecified date in the future, they will return permanently to their

homeland (Cohen & Gold 1997:375).

Why the myth of return appear to be an outdated concept?

- People are not anymore out of space but they live in a space shaped

by physical and virtual elements

- Time and space compression

- Return is more understood as a temporary occurence, than a

permanent one.

- Perceptions of Home and belonging

Factors constituting the longing of return in my study:

- The city of origin/settlement

- Time

- Ethnicity

- Memories (collective, personal and virtual ones)

Iraq between wars and hope

Three decades of repression and occasional violent attacks and massacres by

Saddam Hussein’s ex-regime

- Iran-Iraq war 1980-1988

- Al-Anfal (1986, 1989,1988)

- The I gulf war (1991) /invasion of Kuwait

- Economic sanctions that lasted from 1991-2003

- American Invasion 2003

- Capture of Saddam Hussein 13 December 2003

- 2005 new constitution: the path of hope

- 1970s waves of refugees and emigrants from Iraq to Europe

- 2003-2008, 4.7 million people displaced people/ 2.7 millions are internally

displaced persons (IDPs), and the remaining 2 millions have fled the country in

search of refuge (UNHCR 2009).

Some numbers

Iraq: 31,234,000 people (International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 21.4.2011).

Arabs 75%–80% ; Kurds 15%–20% ; others (5%)

4.7 million Iraqis have been displaced (UNHCR 2009)

Italy: The current population of Iraqis in Italy stands at around 1,300; however one source

claims there to be 56,300. The majority are residents of Rome and Florence. (UNHCR

2007)

Finland: A recent influx of Iraqi refugees arrived in Finland numbering at around 1,600

(UNHCR 2007). The majority are residents of Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.

A tale of two cities: Helsinki and Rome

RomeMediterranean model of

migration

Coexistence between immigration and emigration

High level of illegal immigration Insufficient effectiveness of

politics and institutions Refugees protected by de jure but not de facto/conventional and humanitarian refugees.

Decentralized approach

Strong participation of the civil society (NGOs, voluntary associations, and churches)

Permanence vs Transit (Census 2003; Amnesty 1998; 2003; Observatory Committee PNA): The mediterranean dream lost

Different time of arrival between Kurdish Iraqis (1990s) and Iraqi Arabs (1970s) and 2000s

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HelsinkiNordic model of migration

Coexistence between immigration and emigration

Irrelevant illegal immigrationNew legislation/Quota refugees (750/year)Centralized approach

Weak partecipation of the civil societyWelfare provision. Focus on integration programmes (language and culture courses, interpretation service, general assistance, etc).

Transit >Permanence (Statistics Finland)

Iraqi Arabs and Kurdsh Iraqis since 1990s and 2000s

…and the cities are:

- Cities are not just a mere geographic place, but an extension of the people’s

experience; the extension of their own intimacy - subjective dimensions

- The city acquires a new profound significant meaning, not only as a physical

and visible space, but also as invisible collection of people’s stories, memories,

symbols, etc. – symbolic dimension

- Cities are theaters of social activities (Mumford, 1937); - social dimension

- Cities are also spaces where migrants invest in activities through which

symbolic and material expressions of local and translocal connections are

created and maintained (Ehrkamp 2005: 349). – material dimension

Transnational practices

Economic transnationalism - more stable but less visible over time

- It is restrained to the private refugees’ sphere: remittances

- The “dark side of transnationalism” reverse remittances/Rome

- Islamic Relief’s (IR)/ Helsinki

Political transnationalism- Less stable but more visible

- voting, supporting parties, attending meeting and debates,

demonstration, etc.

- 1980s-2000s the league of democratic Iraqi artists, journalists and

writers in Rome new actors (Un ponte per, UIKI-ONLUS, PKK

(Kurdistan worker Party),PUK- the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, etc.)

- In Helsinki transnational political action is more prevalent amongst Kurdish people

(PKK, PUK, KPD etc) than Arab Iraqis

Socio-Cultural transnationalism:

- Constant network/social remittances

- Travelling to the town of origin (easier than before)

- Maintaining regular ties with some key actors and institution in Iraq, but also

among other expatriates abroad

- Art exhibitions, conference, other events (Newroz, Halabja, etc.)

The Ararat association and UIKI in Rome.

The Iraqi-Irani women association/The Finnish-Kurdish friendship society/ Chak

(Centre of Halabja against Genocide and Anfalization of the Kurds)/ “European

Union Migrant Artists' Network in Helsinki.

Cyber-transnationalism

Increasingly complex and inclusive. (Howard and Jan Rensel 2004; Howard 1999; Franklin 2003)

.

Internet with its multifaceted technology provides a transnational virtual and emotional

platform where people are able to express ideas and desires, both individually and collectively

(MySpace, Facebook ,Twitter, Blogs, Skype, video-sharing sites etc.)

Implications:

- The availability of technology has an effect on stimulating desires. In this case,

internet allows people to desire things which formerly they did not desire, or even had

no idea of desiring (Graham 1999:42) .

- Answer to the deterritorialization process (?)

- meaning and implications of ‘identity’

Perceptions of home

The longing of return may provide, as a transnational concept, valuable

information on people’s perception of home.

1)How home is described? Cognitive, social & physical place

2)How is Home remembered? Through a process of construction and deconstruction

3)Where home is located?

Previous life in the country of origin, ethnicity, time (Joly 1992; Al-Rashid 1994; Zetter 1999)

4 ideal-types:

- The alienated people- The people with dual loyalty- The home sicker people- The Diaspora dwellers

Conclusion

- The longing of return as a transnational concept may explain transnational affections and successive

integration dynamics.

- Cities, more than nation states are recognized nowadays, as key sites of the transnational ties that

increasingly connect, people, places and projects across the globe (Smith & Eade 2008:3)

- Transnational connections can be stronger or weaker and specifically orientated; stable, visible,

less visible, constant; driven by a spontaneous feeling and/or sense of guilt and shame or forced

by precariousness (cf. Al Ali 2002 on forced transnationalism) .

- Transnationalism affects the way through which people feel and experience their places either in

the geographic or in the cyberspace territories (Korac 2009) engaging in multiple homes and

challenging their identities and belonging.

Thanks for your attention

vanlav@utu.fi

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