NWO-funded audiovisual research into the experience of migrants during major life events has culminated in new insights that deepen our understanding of complex migration dynamics. The completion of this five-year project was marked with a roundtable event including international guests.
On 20 September 2024, the Academy Building at Leiden University was a hub of academic exchange as 18 junior and senior researchers from Lebanese, Dutch, and Belgian universities convened for a roundtable discussion entitled Dialogues on Migration and Major Life Events in the Global South. This interdisciplinary event provided a platform for sharing cutting-edge insights on empirical migration studies and exploring the role of audiovisual research in understanding the experiences of migrants in the Global South.
The roundtable marked the culmination of the research project Living on the Other Side: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of Migration and Family Law in Morocco, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Now nearing its conclusion after five years of in-depth research, the project, led by Nadia Sonneveld, Nada Heddane and Judith van Uden, has investigated how migrants navigate formal and informal aspects of major life events - such as birth, marriage, and death - in Morocco. For the audio-visual part of the research, they were joined by visual anthropologist Shirley van der Maarel.
Varied experiences
The roundtable explored migration in the Global South from socio-legal and sociological perspectives, focusing on migrants residing in Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco. The researchers looked at many varied experiences from different cultures, including Syrian refugees' burial practices in Lebanon, marriage among stateless Palestinians in Jordan, humanitarian needs of LGBTIQ+ displaced persons in South Lebanon, protection perceptions among Congolese migrants in Morocco, and how Afghans adapt to Iran's arbitrary migration governance.
The value of audiovisual research
During the morning session, presentations sparked debates on the relevance and ethics of audiovisual research. This approach not only makes knowledge more accessible, but also humanises migrants who are often reduced to numbers in politicised migration discourse. The presenters showcased various ways of capturing human experiences through writing, audio, and video. One presenter shared a website featuring fictional stories based on interviews with Syrian refugees about early marriage, while another sampled audio recordings of migrants' reflections near European borders.
Sharing insights into the migrant experience
Aside from the roundtable event, the project has also launched a website to present the main findings. This website serves as an audiovisual archive of the research. While the website is still being added to, it already displays key insights and offers a rich visual and auditory reflection on the research process. Through this digital platform, the research team illustrates how audiovisual tools can deepen our understanding of complex migration dynamics.
Relevant and urgent research - now more than ever
The experiences of migrants have never been more topical, as increasing military tensions and natural disasters worldwide are expected to displace many more groups of people. Members of this research group witnessed this first-hand during the roundtable discussion on 20 September, as news broke that Beirut had been hit just as the Lebanese researcher was giving their presentation. As the group was discussing forced migration, a new wave of internally displaced persons was being created in real time. This incident starkly illustrated the ongoing complexities of the Middle East and the immediate relevance of migration studies. It was a powerful reminder that migration is deeply connected to life's core events - marriage, birth, and death. Even in a crisis situation, life for migrants continues, highlighting the importance of understanding their lived experiences through empirical research.
Photos: Nadia Sonneveld and Hoko Horii
