In Irregular Migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands, Masja van Meeteren studies the different ways in which irregular migrants live in Belgium and the Netherlands. The book offers an empirically grounded theoretical critique of the dominant research practice that focuses on 'survival strategies', relies on comparisons of migrant communities and overemphasizes structural explanations. Instead, Irregular Migrants takes irregular migrants´ aspirations as a starting point of analysis. Based on this innovative research approach, key questions are answered regarding the lives of irregular migrants. How can we understand their patterns of economic and social incorporation, the transnational activities they engage in, and the significance of different forms of capital? Drawing on intensive participant observation, as well as more than two hundred in-depth interviews with irregular migrants and representatives of organizations that are involved with them, Irregular Migrants develops much-needed contextualized insights. As such, it sheds new light on previous research findings and various deadlocked scholarly debates on irregular migrants in Western societies.

Masja van Meeteren works as an Assistant Professor in the department of Criminology at Leiden University.

AcknowledgementsCHAPTER 1: IRREGULAR MIGRATION AS A FACT OF LIFECHAPTER 2: BEYOND VICTIMS AND COMMUNITIES: BRINGING IN ASPIRATIONSCHAPTER 3: STUDYING ASPIRATIONSCHAPTER 4: IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDSCHAPTER 5: INVESTMENT, SETTLEMENT AND LEGALISATION ASPIRATIONSCHAPTER 6: LIVING DIFFERENT DREAMS (I): ASPIRATIONS AND FUNCTIONAL INCORPORATIONCHAPTER 7: LIVING DIFFERENT DREAMS (II): ASPIRATIONS AND SOCIAL INCORPORATIONCHAPTER 8: ASPIRATIONS AND TRANSNATIONAL ACTIVITIESCHAPTER 9: STRIVING FOR A BETTER POSITION: ASPIRATIONS AND THE ROLE OF ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL CAPITALCHAPTER 10: ASSESSING A NEW PERSPECTIVEReferencesAppendices