Migration patterns of eu citizens to asean a case study of short term immigrants in vietnam

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY -*** - FILIP NOVAKOVIC MIGRATION PATTERN OF EU AND UK CITIZENS TO VIETNAM: THE CASE STUDY OF EU AND UK IMMIGRANTS IN HANOI MASTER’S THESIS i VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY -*** - FILIP NOVAKOVIC MIGRATION PATTERN OF EU AND UK CITIZENS TO VIETNAM: THE CASE STUDY OF EU AND UK IMMIGRANTS IN HANOI MAJOR: GLOBAL EADERSHIP CODE: 8310210.01QTD RESEARCH SUPERVISORS: Prof Dr YASUSHI KATSUMA Prof Dr PHAM QUANG MINH Hanoi, 2022 i STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT I have read and understood the plagiarism violations I pledge with personal honor that this research result is my own and does not violate the Regulation on prevention of plagiarism in academic and scientific research activities at Vietnam Japan University (Issued together with Decision No 700/QĐ-ĐHVN dated 30/9/2021 by the Rector of Vietnam Japan University) This dissertation is being submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the master’s degree in Global Leadership Other sources are acknowledged by giving explicit references Ha Noi, 2022 Author Filip Novakovic i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Master's thesis was finished owing to the substantial assistance of people who provided excellent direction and readiness to help with this research First, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to my brilliant supervisors, Prof Dr Pham Quang Minh and Prof Dr Yasushi Katsuma, for their support and several valuable recommendations for my Master's thesis I'd want to thank not just my program - Master of Global Leadership – and all of the people in it, but also to VJU University for providing me with a fantastic opportunity to study an insightful course alongside great professors and wonderful peers Last but not least, I want to thank for my family and friends for their ongoing support, despite them not being here with me in Vietnam Thank you again for all of your support Ha Noi, 2022 Author Filip Novakovic ii ABSTRACT This study examines the migration pattern of the EU and UK citizens in Hanoi, Vietnam EU states and Vietnam have many differences such as culture, religion, political systems, and level of development Therefore, migrating from one EU country to Vietnam represents a significant change on the individual level The analysis of the pattern is conducted through the exploration of personal aspirations, which are affected by different factors These factors are personal life in the country of residence, perception of the general standard of living in the country of residence, and perception of life in Vietnam The study aims to answer the question: How perceptions of life (personal and in general) in Vietnam and the EU/UK influence the aspirations of citizens from the EU/UK to immigrate to Vietnam? The data was collected by conducting fourteen structured interviews The analysis shows that personal life is the most influential factor Most participants emigrated due to dissatisfaction with their personal life The less significant factor was the standards of living in their country of residence Most participants agreed that standards of living are high Nevertheless, it did not influence them to stay The least influential factor was the perception of life in Vietnam Most participants had limited information about this country The study concludes that the most influential factor which affects aspirations is satisfaction with personal life Therefore, differences in culture, political system, religion, and the level of development contribute less to the formation of EU and UK citizens’ aspirations for migration iii TABLE OF CONTENT STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT I ACKNOWLEDGEMENT II ABSTRACT III TABLE OF CONTENT IV LIST OF TABLES V LIST OF FIGURES VI CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .7 2.1 Migrations and relevant migration theories 2.2 Aspiration and capabilities theoretical framework 2.3 EU/ UK- Vietnam migration pattern 12 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 16 3.1 Thesis objectives and research questions 16 3.2 Research methods 17 3.3 Adaptation of the methodology .18 3.4 Sampling 23 3.5 Expected findings 25 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS .26 4.1 Initial aspirations .27 4.2 Personal life in the country of residence 29 4.3 Perception of quality of life in the country of residence 32 4.4 Perception of quality of life in Vietnam 36 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS 40 REFERENCES 44 APPENDIX 45 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: Aspiration-capabilities -derived individual mobility types …………… 10 Table 2.2: Theoretical migration categories based on positive and negative liberty types …………………………………………………………………………………11 Table 3.1: Interview questions- section …… ………………… …… …… 18 Table 3.2: Interview questions- section …… …… ……………… …… 19 Table 3.3: Interview questions- section …… …… …… … 20 Table 3.4: Interview questions- section …… …… …… .… 21 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Migration as an intrinsic part of broader social change ………… …… Figure 2.2: Distribution of EU and UK residences in ASEAN in 2015 …………….12 Figure 2.3: ASEAN countries where residence from EU and UK lived in 2015 ……13 vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION People have always migrated Whether it was large-scale movements of tribes or modern-day relocations to developed countries in search of a better life, migrations are a constant part of the society Sometimes, migrations can create patterns People repeatedly chose to move from one place (country of residence) to another (destination country) Several factors contribute to the formation of these patterns One of them is motivation Understanding migrations on the individual level (through exploring motivation) is the first step to understanding a pattern Migrations are a phenomenon that causes many changes in society In the early stages of mankind, when most of the human race was organized in tribes, migrations were part of the settling process History records several major movements One of them is the Migration period in Europe that lasted from the fourth to the eighth century The outcome of the Migration period was the fall of the Western Roman Empire During this time, the tribes known as barbarians (Franks, Goths, Huns, Slavs, Avars, Magyars, and more) invaded and eventually settled in territories of the Western Roman Empire (Britannica, 2018) With the discovery of the New World, European settlers migrated to North and South America As people became aware of new territories, they went to search for a better life and new opportunities These are some of the large-scale migrations which changed the course of history However, it is important to note that small-scale movements have an equally significant effect With the Industrialization, in many countries, people moved from rural to urban areas (Lucas, 2004) This process is still very common today because of urbanization People gravitate toward big cities and urbanized areas for the same reason as the people in the 19th century were gravitating toward industrialized zones The prospects of employment are higher Concentrating a massive amount of people in one place affects demography, economy, and consequently, the development of a country Whether migrations are large or small-scale, it can be argued that they are an important part of mankind’s development In the modern world, they are still a common occurrence However, they became more complex First, people, today can move more easily, but the control and restrictions are more frequent For instance, four hundred years ago, the only option to reach North America was by boat, and it was very unsafe On the other hand, there was no complicated documentation required Today, people have different options to reach any destination, but they are not always allowed to so (for example, they were denied visas) Second, migrations can be voluntary and involuntary This is the main dichotomy, but it’s important to note that migrations can be further subcategorized, depending on the migration theory (de Haas, 2021) Voluntary migrations are the results of people's aspirations and capabilities to move Involuntary migrations are the consequence of factors that individuals cannot control This is the case with refugees Circumstances like wars and natural disasters can trigger migrations One of the more recent examples is a conflict between Russia and Ukraine that escalated in February 2022 It led to a significant refugee crisis in Europe (UNHCR, 2022) Third, in migration studies, this phenomenon is divided into two categories, emigration, and immigration Emigration refers to leaving the country and immigrations to settling in a new one Since it affects both states, this process should be tracked by country of residence and the destination country The issues can appear with the data If the tracking systems are not well constructed, it increases the chance of illegal migrations It is why Lavenex and Piper (2021) suggest researching and following migration on global and regional level together (not separately) “Firstly, rather than studying regional processes and institutions in isolation, they highlight the multi-actor, multidirectional and multi-level character of migration governance at the nexus of the interactions between governments (‘from above’), civil society (‘from below’) and external actors (‘from beyond’) What emerges is a story of a multidirectional relationship between the ‘global’ and the ‘regional’ embedded in specific institutional histories and migration contexts (e.g regional migration corridors)” (Lavenex & Piper, 2021, p 14) Fourth, migrations can be legal or illegal In order to migrate legally, a person needs to obtain proper documentation (such as a visa or work permit) Different countries have different requirements On the other hand, illegal migrations refer to movement that is When they were asked to compare their financial situation with other people their age in their country of residence, most of them stated that their financial situation was average compared to others Also, most of them claimed that they are in a better financial situation than their parents when they were young This suggests that the majority of people their age are facing the same problems However, not many of them see relocation as a possible solution This suggests that the financial situation is a significant but not most influential factor that affects aspirations When participants were asked to talk about the general standard of living in their country of residence, all of them stated that the standards are high (in both developed and developing countries) However, high standards not imply good life According to the data, high standards of living in EU countries and the UK are usually combined with high costs of living Several participants explained that these costs are constantly rising but the salaries are the same Most people have to “live within their means” and they cannot afford “luxuries” like traveling Although it is a reality for the majority of people, most of them not want to relocate Also, high standards of living are closely connected to the stressful work environment According to the participants, there is no healthy work-life balance This is the case with both developed and developing countries of the EU It can be argued that standards of living are an important factor that will influence aspirations However, it is more common for people from countries with low standards of living to want to migrate to countries with high standards It is expected that with high standards people will have more job opportunities and better salaries The collected data suggest that people from countries with high standards of living are willing to relocate to countries with lower standards because of lower costs One of the important factors that should be considered when exploring aspirations is personal health All of the participants stated that they are in “good health” or they have “average health” Although personal health affects aspirations, it can be argued that it more influences capabilities A person with health issues can develop a desire to migrate However, he or she will not be able to so It can be argued that the first narratives suggest that most participants had intrinsic aspirations Majority stated that they relocated because they wanted new experiences However, the second narrative suggests otherwise It seems that most of participants 31 were unsatisfied with their financial situation They did not have enough money to live comfortably This is a result of high costs of living in the EU states Although they thought their aspirations were intrinsic, this narrative suggests that they were instrumental 4.3 Perception of quality of life in the country of residence The third section of the interview aims to analyze the perception of quality of life in the country of residence It can be argued that quality of life depends on many factors This study will focus on the following: Gender equality Job opportunities Healthcare Education Work of the government Safety Possibility for migration The core narrative of this section also follows specific pattern The previous sections suggest that all participants stated that their country of residence had high standard of living This narrative supports that claim A participant sees their country of residence as developed This means that: Men and women have equal opportunities (gender equality) There are solid job opportunities Health care system is generally good They have quality educational system The government is not ideal, but its work does not affect a day-to-day life Their country is safe 32 It is easy to emigrate because there are no restrictions in place These are the general claims However, participants have some complains which will be discussed later They suggest that “there is a room for improvement.” Nevertheless, this narrative suggests that participants see their country of residence as a place with high standards of living and overall good quality of life Before discussing how this perception affects aspirations, it is important to present details and variations inside the main narrative Gender equality is among the most discussed issues in the modern world It is an important indicator of countries’ level of development The data collected through these interviews shows general agreement on this subject with the exception of one female participant Most participants, both male and female agree that women are generally treated equally to men This is the case with both developed and developing countries It is important to note that all of them compared the situation with other countries Therefore, participants agree that gender equality is on a higher level in the EU countries and UK but compared to other states Several female participants stated that there is still a “lot to be done” For instance, a female participant from the UK stated: “I would say that due to the uprising of feminism women have a lot more control over factors such as abortion and job opportunities However, there is still a long way to go as fair pay and treatment/respect in and out of the workplace is still male dominated Women still face large stigmas in motherhood, body image and the pressure to find a husband Age conversations happen frequently and the success associated with that age Socio-economically, women are at a disadvantage.” However, there is an overall agreement on a high level of gender equality in the EU states Although most of the male and female participants agreed on gender equality, it is important to note that several female participants stated that men have the “upper hand” For example, a female participant stated: “Men in my country have a lot more opportunities presented to them as opposed to women They tend to have the upper hand in most situations and their opinion will often be regarded as more professional or educated They are seen as more beneficial in the work place as women have to take 33 maternity leave.” It can be argued that, although they have the same opportunities, it is “easier” for men to achieve what they want Overall, the data suggest that men living in the EU and UK are still treated “better” The second indicator of the quality of life is job opportunities Male and female respondents from both developed and developing countries stated that there are “solid” job opportunities in their countries of residence However, everyone stated that there are also several obstacles People are generally able to find a job, but not a “highpaying” one According to them, most people their age have low salaries compared to high costs of living For obtaining a high-paying job a person needs “specific qualifications” This refers to a fact that certain jobs, such as teaching, are generally underpaid, while IT jobs are always well-paid Another way to obtain a job with a salary that can cover all costs of living is to have “enough experience” However, experience comes with time, so it is essentially “unrealistic” for young people to expect well-paid jobs at the beginning of their careers When they were asked whether hard work can get them ahead and whether there are opportunities for career development, most of them stated that “hard work is paid” However, the majority of them also agreed that “hard work” means working up to 10-12 hours a day While most people have a standard 40-hour week, if they want to be promoted, they are expected to “put in extra” work This disrupts work-life balance which leads to developing aspiration to migrate to a country that offers this balance The third indicator of countries’ level of development is the health care system All of the participants stated that they were unsatisfied with it This was unexpected since all of the participants also stated that their country of residence offers free health care Reasons for dissatisfaction are the same for developed and developing countries The most common reason was “poor organization” People with serious health issues have to wait for a very long time to be examined This is especially visible in developing countries Also, most of the institutions are understaffed or underfunded The alternative is private clinics However, they are very expensive and most people cannot afford treatments in these institutions It can be argued that, although healthcare is free, a poor system of organizations leads to dissatisfaction 34 The fourth indicator of countries’ level of development is its educational system Most of the participants stated that the quality of education in their country of residence is generally “good” This is the case with both developed and developing countries However, it is important to note that participants who are teachers by profession suggested that it is not “as good as people may think” One participant from the UK stated “Basic education is taught with little room for critical thinking The syllabus excludes a lot about British history and only teaches what they want you to know, this generally revolves around how ‘good’ the UK is.” The fifth indicator was the work of the government Participants were asked several different questions that cover governmental work All of the participants stated that governments not work “for the benefit of people” Again, this is the case for both developed and developing countries All of the participants are not satisfied and they perceive that politicians are working for personal gain and not to help people This was confirmed by the question about the treatment of people with limited means Although governments of developed and developing countries offer help, that help is not enough for “normal life” Housing options are usually described as “unhygienic” and “overcrowded” and financial help is not enough to cover the costs of living When participants were asked to discuss the treatment of different nationalities, all agreed that it “depends on nationality” This was unexpected since one of the core values of the EU is equal treatment of all nationalities Several participants stated that “refugees are not well well-treated”, although it is “advertised as they are” When asked about corruption, most participants from developed and developing countries agreed that “it was not an issue” They are aware that corruption exists, but it does not affect their day-to-day life The sixth indicator is safety All participants agreed that they felt safe in their country of residence and that it was not an issue It is important to note that there was no difference between the answers of male and female participants Several of them stated that it depends on the area However, in general, it appears that safety was not an issue that concerned them The last indicator is the possibility of migration Male and female participants from both developed and developing countries agreed that it is “easy to leave the country” 35 This is especially the case with migrations inside the EU zone On the other hand, most of them confirmed that it was not “as easy for immigrants from outside the EU zone” Due to a lack of knowledge, they couldn’t talk about migration restrictions It can be argued that perception of the quality of life in the country of residence does not affect aspirations as much as personal life According to the data, participants agree that their country of residence has high standards of living and most of people prefer to stay and build their life there However, participants were not satisfied with their personal life Most of them claimed that they wanted new experiences, which suggested intrinsic aspirations However, with further analyses of their narrative, new perspective emerged Most of the participants stated that they were not satisfied with their personal life because of financial situation or lack of work-life balance This suggests that they aspirations were more instrumental 4.4 Perception of quality of life in Vietnam The fourth section of the interview aims to analyze the perception of quality of life in Vietnam It is important to know that these answers refer to the perception of Vietnam before relocating Since they were asked to remember what they thought about this country before relocating, there is the possibility of their thoughts overlapping with their experience after the move As in the previous section, this study will focus on the following: Gender equality Job opportunities Healthcare Education Work of the government Safety Possibility for migration 36 First, it is important to note that participants either had limited information about Vietnam, “didn’t think about the quality of life” or had stereotypical thinking This study argues that the perception of the life in the destination country represents an important factor that determines whether a person will develop an aspiration to migrate However, collected data shows that perception of Vietnam before relocating was a less significant factor than personal life and quality of life in their country of residence The core narrative that can be extracted suggests general unawareness Before relocating, a participant thought that Vietnam was a traditional country They did not any prior research and most of them relied on good experiences of other people What was most significant for them is the fact that they knew western people are “privileged” in Vietnam They can obtain high paying jobs Also, costs of living are low They did not consider other factors (gender equality, health care system, education, work of the government, safety, migration policies) or had limited knowledge and perceptions about them However, there were some variations that are important to mention When asked about gender equality, most participants had no prior knowledge of this subject Both male and female participants stated that they expected Vietnam was a traditional society with traditional gender roles However, several participants stated that after they relocated they became aware of relative gender equality It was not as in their countries of residence, but it “was visible that both men and women were working” It is important to note that they did not know whether local men and women have the same opportunities However, this did not concern them, since they are foreigners and foreign men and women are treated equally According to data, the most influential factor was job opportunities Most of the participants were aware that they can obtain high-paying jobs They were also aware of lower costs of living These two factors were crucial in the formation of aspiration to migrate to Vietnam This is not unexpected, since the majority of participants stated that they could not live “comfortably” in their country of residence, “were in debt” or could not “save up” One participant stated that he was aware that “as a westerner” he would have great job opportunities This suggests that people from the EU and UK are 37 generally well treated in Vietnam All of the participants were satisfied with their lives and jobs after relocation As with gender equality, collected data shows that there was a lack of knowledge about the health care system in Vietnam The general assumption was that it was either “solid” or “not as good as in their country of residence” However, most of the participants decided to obtain private health insurance or it was provided by their employer After relocation, the majority of participants used private clinics and was generally satisfied Several of them used states’ institutions as well and confirmed their assumptions that the health care system is “solid, but not as good as in their country of residence” As with the health care system, participants were not aware of the quality of education This is not unexpected, since neither of the participants wanted to study in Vietnam Their primer interest was job opportunities However, most of the participants assumed that Vietnam has a good or even “excellent” educational system Several participants stated that after the relocation, they became aware that there is a quality educational system implemented in Vietnam, but it puts a lot of pressure on students Compared to the educational system in their country of residence, it is “more demanding” and students have to “work more” The work of the government is another factor participants did not take into account The general assumption was that it is a strict regime What is unexpected is that none of the participants stated that they did some prior research on this subject However, most of the participants stated that they felt “privileged” as westerners after they relocated The general impression was that locals are treated differently by the government Safety was another factor they did not consider prior to relocating Most of the participants assumed that it was a “safe country” This perception did not change after relocating Both male and female participants stated that they feel safe in Vietnam Migration policies were one of the significant factors Participants were aware of the “relatively easy” process for obtaining necessary documents such as visas and work permits None of the participants stated that they had any trouble with it It is 38 important to note that this process is even simpler if the documentation is handled by the employer However, none of the participants talked about the process of obtaining residency Although they lived in Vietnam for between one and five years, they did not mention their desire to move to Vietnam permanently Also, several participants mentioned that after the relocation, they became aware that is “easier for people from EU and UK to migrate to Vietnam” than vice versa It can be argued that the perception of quality of life in Vietnam was the least influential factor This narrative suggests that only prospects of a high paying job combined with low costs of living was significant for forming aspirations This suggests instrumental aspirations From third and fourth narrative it is possible to draw a conclusion about capabilities of participants (de Haas, A theory of migration: the aspiration-capabilities framework, 2021) Migration capabilities are a result of the influence of positive and negative liberties Negative liberties refer to the absence of constraints Participants stated that they did not face any kind of migration constrains (from their country of residence or Vietnam) Positive liberties refer to capabilities to something Among other positive liberties, financial situation is especially significant one For example, a country can have no migration restrictions, but people with no financial means would not be able to migrate They would need a degree of positive liberty in a form of capabilities (de Haas, A theory of migration: the aspiration-capabilities framework, 2021) All participants had no restrictions and, in spite their financial situation, had enough means to relocate It can be argued that they had high capabilities for migration Following aspiration-capabilities framework by de Haas, it is possible to determine the aspiration-capabilities-derived individual mobility type (see table 2.1) Considering that both aspirations and capabilities were high, all participants can be categorized as voluntary mobility type Based on positive and negative liberties, de Haas also constructed theoretical migration categories (see table 2.2) Since both positive and negative liberties which influenced participants were high, their migrations can be categorized as “Free migrations.” They encompass “relatively unconstrained mobility in and between 39 wealthy countries or by wealthy people, skilled workers, “lifestyle migrations” (de Haas, A theory of migration: the aspiration-capabilities framework, 2021) Participants’ narratives confirm this categorization to a degree First, their mobility was unconstrained Second, we don’t have evidence which suggest that they are wealthy people However, they had enough financial manses to relocate All of them claimed that they emigrated because they wanted new experience which is in line with lifestyle migrations CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS By analyzing the collected data, several conclusions were made This study argued that three main factors influence the formation of aspiration to migrate The first one is the perception of personal life in the country of residence The second one is the perception of quality of life in a country of residence The third one is the perception of life in the destination country It can be argued that these factors will influence aspirations in different ways, depending on the type of migration For example, if people live in a less developed country their perception of a better quality of life in a more developed country will be the main motivational factor This does not refer only to job opportunities Many people are willing to migrate because of a lack of 40 safety or educational opportunities, dissatisfaction with the government, and more Strong push and pull factors are visible However, it appears that relocating from EU countries and UK to Vietnam does not follow this logic According to Human Development Index, EU countries and the UK are more developed than Vietnam It is not unexpected that the above- mentioned factors will influence aspiration for relocation in a different way It can be concluded that the most influential factor was personal life Perception of quality of life in their country of residence was less influential, but still important Perception of life in Vietnam was not as significant Most of the participants had no prior knowledge of aspects such as government work, gender equality, health care, education, migration policies, and safety They were influenced by the experiences of other people (mostly friends and family) Most of the male participants from developed countries stated that they immigrated to Vietnam in order to change their lives It was mostly an “adventure.” Many of them lived elsewhere before, like Thailand and Brazil Push factors that influenced their aspirations to migrate can be divided into two main groups The first group encompasses participants who were stable financially However, they were bored or had poor work-life balance As they said, in Western Europe, living standards are high (great education, healthcare, job opportunities, salaries, gender equality, freedom of speech, and good governance) However, most of life revolves around work, which can be exhausting The second group encompasses participants who were not stable financially They moved to avoid the high costs of living Several of them had debt and had to find a way to pay it off The solution was to move to a country that offers good salaries but has lower costs of living Although most of the participants stated that they relocated to Vietnam in search of new experiences, it can be argued that the majority of them had strong push factors They were either unsatisfied with their life or with the life in their country of residence On the other hand, pull factors were limited to job opportunities and low costs of living This suggests that their aspirations were instrumental However, their 41 personal perception was different They believe that their aspirations were more intrinsic (relocating as a lifestyle change) Most of the female participants from developed countries stated that they immigrated to Vietnam to change their lives as well However, male participants were less satisfied with their standards of living Both male and female participants from developed countries were satisfied with the quality of life in their country of residence Although standards are considered high, there still are issues such as gender inequality or poor organization of the health care system However, this was not significant Participants saw their country of residence as place with high standards of living Both male and female participants from developing countries were not satisfied with living in their countries of residence It was not hard to obtain a job, but it was to obtain a good and high-paying one Most of them had to work 10-12 hours a day And again, the work-life balance was poor They relocated because of good job opportunities According to them, In Vietnam, salaries are high, and the cost of living is low, so they can save up What was unexpected were findings of their perception of Vietnam before they moved Most of them didn’t know much, or had the wrong picture caused by stereotypes All of them had someone who recommended Vietnam So why did they relocate? Apart from wanting an adventure, living in Vietnam offers high-paying jobs for English-speaking Europeans Also, the cost of living is significantly lower In their words, the political situation is not ideal, but it doesn’t concern them They are rarely affected by it According to them, western immigrants are in a good position Expected finding: • It is expected that aspiration and capabilities depend on the country of residence The EU consists of states with different levels of development Immigrants from highly developed countries, such as UK and Germany, could have aspired, for 42 example, to change a lifestyle Immigrants from developing countries could have been motivated to find high-paying jobs or to study This expected finding was not entirely confirmed The data shows that both people from developed and developing EU countries (and the UK) relocated either because they wanted a new experience or they were unsatisfied with their life However, it is important to note that their aspirations were more instrumental then intrinsic Participants saw their relocation as a result of intrinsic aspirations They wanted new experience Nevertheless, further analysis of their narrative suggest otherwise Majority was not satisfied with their personal life, because of the financial situation They wanted a “more comfortable” life It was not just a lifestyle change, but a need • It is expected that their aspirations are affected by both their perception of the personal life/ general perceptions of a standard of living in their country of residence and their perception of life in Vietnam It seems that the perception of Vietnam itself has less significance than their perception of the quality of life in their country of residence Also, quality of life in their country of residence appears to be less significant than personal life 43 REFERENCES Human development in the European Union (2020) Retrieved 7, 2022, from The Global Economy : https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/human_development/Europea n-union/ Britannica, T E (2018, 23) Migration period Retrieved 17, 2022, from Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/event/Dark-Ages Carling, J., & Collins, F (2018) Aspiration, desire and drivers of migration Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 44:6, 909-926 Carling, J., & Schewel, K (2018) Revisiting aspiration and ability in international migration Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 44:6, 945-963 Dang Nguyen, A., & Tacoli, C H (2003) Migration in Vietnam: A review of information on current trends and patterns, and their policy implication de Haas, H (2021) A theory of migration: the aspiration-capabilities framework Comparative Migration Studies de Haas, H., Fransen, S., Natter, K., Schewel, K., & Vezzoli, Z (2020) Social Transformation IMI Working Paper Series 2020, NO.166 Ersanilli, E., de Haas, H., & Carling, J (2011) Methodology for quantitative data collection EUMAGINE (2011) About the EUMAGINE Project Retrieved 10, 2022, from Imagine Europe from the Outside: http://www.eumagine.org/pages/eumagine_about.aspx Eurostat (2017) EU-ASEAN Cooporation - key migration statistics Retrieved 23, 2022, from Eurostat: statistics explained: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/index.php?title=Archive:EU-ASEAN_cooperation key_migration_statistics#Foreign-born_population IOM (n.d.) UN/Global Issues/Migrations Retrieved 23, 2022, from United Nations : https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/migration Lavenex, S., & Piper, N (2021) Regions and global migration governance: perspectives ‘from above’, ‘from below’ and ‘from beyond’ Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies Lucas, J R (2004) Life Earnings and Rural-Urban Migrations Journal of Political Economy, 112(S1), 29-59 Nguyen, Q (2019) Vietnam a top 10 country for expats to settle down Retrieved 25, 2022, from VnExpress: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/places/vietnam-a-top-10-countryfor- expats-to-settle-down-3948294.html Nhuan Kien, T., & Heo, Y (2008) Doi Moi Policy and Socio-Economic Development in Vietnam, 1986-2005 International Area Review, Volume 11, Number 1, 206-232 Shelley, L (2010) Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective Cambridge University Press UNHCR (2022, 16) Ukraine Refugee Situation Retrieved 18, 2022, from Operational Data Portal Refugee Situations: https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine 44 APPENDIX The template of consent form The migration pattern of EU and UK citizens to Vietnam: the case study of EU and UK citizens in Hanoi Purpose of the interview This interview is conducted to collect information for research The research focuses on EU and UK citizens who migrated to Vietnam The goal is to collect data from personal experiences and acquire a better understanding of factors that are motivating people to emigrate Consent to take part in research • I voluntarily agree to participate in this research study • I understand that even if I agree to participate now, I can withdraw at any time or refuse to answer any question without any consequences of any kind • I understand that I can withdraw permission to use data from my interview within one week after the interview, in which case the material will be deleted • I have had the purpose and nature of the study explained to me and I have had the opportunity to ask questions about the study • I understand that all information I provide for this study will be treated confidentially • I understand that in any report on the results of this research my identity will remain anonymous This will be done by changing my name and disguising any details of my interview which may reveal my identity or the identity of people I speak about • I understand that disguised extracts from my interview may be quoted in final paper and class presentation If you understand the process and agree to the terms and conditions, please send us a conformational email 45