Unravelling the Migration Decision-Making Processes Underpinning Brazilian Migrants’ Decisions to Move to Ireland

(Desvendando os processos de tomada de decisão migratória que sustentam as decisões dos migrantes brasileiros de se mudar para a Irlanda)

Abstract

This article explores the complex decision-making processes that guide Brazilian migrants in their choice to move to Ireland, focusing on four key aspects: the actors involved in migration decision-making, family consent, types of migration, and migration interests. The study is based on a four-year research project by de Farias (2022), which examines the migration patterns from Anápolis in Goiás, Brazil, to Gort, Ireland. The research employs a multi-method qualitative approach, incorporating questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and participant observations with 85 Brazilian migrants—48 men and 37 women. The findings underscore the central role of households, rather than individuals, in making migration decisions. This collective decision-making process often involved seeking and obtaining family consent, consistent with the New Economics of Labour Migration (NELM) theory. The study reveals that the decision to migrate was not just an individual choice but was heavily influenced by family and community contexts. This influence was particularly strong concerning the care of family members left behind, suggesting that migration decisions are deeply embedded in the social and familial structures of the migrants, thus supporting the New Economics of Labour Migration theory. These findings offer valuable insights into the collective nature of migration decisions and the importance of familial consent and support in the migration process.