Marriage Migration and the Labour Market. The Case of Migrants of Turkish Descent in Belgium

Abstract

The persistently high popularity of migration marriages within large immigrant populations in Western Europe is an interesting phenomenon. The Turkish diaspora has steadily grown, even though legal provisions in the host countries are limited. Turkish men and women in Western European countries are looking for brides and grooms in the home country of their parents or grandparents and young people in Turkey are still deciding to leave their country of birth and to move to Western European countries. This article focuses on the question why so many young people born and raised in other countries like Turkey opt for an unknown partner living in a far away country. Turkish marriage migration to Belgium is used as a case study to develop the arguments. The case of Turks in Belgium can offer us several interesting insights which are helpful in understanding the dynamics of marriage migration in general.status: publishe