Regular versus Irregular Migration: Does the Humanitarian Pathway Differ?

A comparative study between two Arab asylum seekers in Belgium and Italy

Abstract

In the refugee and migration context, researchers are keen to approach variables that regularly link irregular, political to economic, and original citizenship to asylum seekers. These variables affect people’s attitudes towards refugees at individual and governmental levels. This study investigates the humanitarian pathway as an essential track to differentiate migration trajectories in Europe by examining two separate cases: a Syrian man who lived in Lebanon and regularly resettled from Lebanon to Italy supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and a homosexual young Lebanese man who left Lebanon for Belgium through irregular routes, more specifically, the death boat way which refers to the maritime dangerous and tragic route taken by migrants, refugees, or travelers who attempt to cross risky seas in unsafe or overcrowded boats, often leading to fatal consequences, noting that Central Mediterranean is the deadliest known migration route in the world, with more than 17,300 deaths and disappearances recorded since 2014 (Black, 2021). Based on the researchers’ practice work, both agreed to conduct interviews. The Syrian refugee was recruited through his involvement in an integration project of an NGO that provides educational support for Syrian refugee children and facilitates their integration into the host community in Lebanon. The second participant, a Lebanese man, was recruited through one researcher’s work in the field of prostitution. The research aims to reveal the differences between the two cases' regular and irregular human rights-based treatment. The qualitative narrative analysis method was employed to collect data on the official governmental attitudes of Italy and Belgium, as well as the detailed processes and procedures individuals undergo before obtaining citizenship in a European country. Four essential themes emerged from the research: intrapersonal, cultural/social, financial, and political factors. The four key themes of the participants’ stories differ regarding regular and irregular immigration. Despite the differences in their first reception phase process in which the irregular refugee man suffered and needed to overcome the initial reception complications, both refugees were found to have received equal opportunities for citizenship and protection, regardless of their migration path after arriving in the destination countries.