The varied faces of migration

Increasing numbers of people are migrating, uprooting themselves for a myriad of reasons, sometimes they are forced to go, sometimes it is their free choice.

War forces huge numbers of people to relocate, either seeking safety, or moving for economic or ideological reasons. But what happens to people in their new home?

While some settle down and raise children in their new location, others get lost, either living tragic marginal lives or dying unremembered en route.

There are some people who do not want to be integrated into their new community, living in a state of constant anxiety and inner conflict, caught in between staying and returning.

Whether people uproot to flee war, find a job or study, migrants’ lives are always tinged with nostalgia, often not for the reality of their homeland but for a rose-tinted image of it. Needless to say, this image is shattered if they do return home as it falls short of their memories.

Despite individual successes and accomplishments abroad, this sense of sadness and nostalgia casts a shadow over most migrant stories, however different they may seem.