S4 - Episode 3 Lived experiences and expert insights on migration decisions across Europe

The third episode of AspirE’s fourth and final podcast series continues our journey through Work Package 4 (WP4) by shifting the focus to the European side of the research consortium.

After exploring the design of WP4 and hearing from AspirE’s local teams in Asia, this episode gives the floor to EU-based researchers, who reflect on how the data was analysed and what it reveals when viewed from a European perspective. Host Catherine Gonzalez is joined by members of the EU-based research team to discuss their role in the project and their engagement with the rich qualitative material generated through video diaries and focus group discussions. The conversation looks at how working with participatory, co-produced data influenced the analytical process, and how migrants’ self-representations and stakeholder perspectives can be brought into dialogue with broader European migration debates. The researchers also share key insights emerging from their comparative analysis, particularly in relation to policy frameworks, institutional practices, and dominant narratives on migration.

Beyond the findings, the episode also opens up a broader reflection on methodology, highlighting both the value and the challenges of integrating deeply qualitative, migrant-centred approaches into EU-level research on migration.

🎧 Listen to Episode 3 to discover how EU-based researchers interpret WP4 findings and connect lived migration experiences with European policy and academic debates.