Travel of ideas in the context of high-skilled migration

Abstract

This paper explores how the journey of migration unfolds for highly skilled migrants, focusing on the travel of ideas and how they are formed, materialised and translated in the context of high-skilled migration. The study is based on 19 qualitative interviews with highly skilled migrants who work in various occupations, primarily in multinational companies in the Gothenburg area. In addition, several interviews have been conducted with company managers, institutions, relocation companies, and labour unions in order to provide a complete picture from all different aspects within the process of migration of highly skilled labour migrants to Sweden. The findings from the study have been analysed through the lens of translation concept and partly through the push-pull theory. This work shows that migration is a long-term process that requires a deep analysis not only from a specific social group perspective but rather from a context of broader global challenges.