Emigration from 'destination': The unfulfilled migration aspirations of the precariat in the 'Global North'

It is often assumed that there is a fundamental difference in the emigration patterns and rationales of 'Global South' versus 'Global North' citizens, with emigration from the 'South' being associated with instrumental rationales and considered to be a result of 'misery' while emigration from the 'North' is often romanticized, linked to intrinsic rationales, and considered to be systematically fulfilled and fully voluntary. While emerging research is contradicting these assumptions, the scarce application of two-step migration approaches beyond the so-called 'Global South' hinders theory-building and reinforces artificial categorizations. This thesis applies two-step migration approaches to high-income countries from a macro- and micro-perspective and asks: How do people in high-income countries form and fulfill their migration aspirations? By doing so, it advances the operationalization and conceptualization of aspirations, capabilities, adaptation, and (in)voluntariness. From a macro-perspective, the objective is two-fold. First, to examine migration aspirations drivers in high-income countries and investigate whether these are different to those in moderate- and low-income countries. Secondly, to provide an operationalization and approximation of migration capabilities across countries by relying on economic, social, human and citizenship capital, which advances the aspirations-capability framework by providing a novel approach to measure capabilities at the aggregate level. I show that, from a macro-perspective, the situation of 'Westerners' appears to be, overall, ideal, as migration capabilities are high and migration aspirations drivers seem to be associated with intrinsic rationales. Through in-depth analysis in El Bierzo and Laciana, two sluggish regions in Northwest Spain, this thesis demonstrates, however, that this is not always the case given that unfulfilled aspirations, limited capabilities to migrate and remain, feelings of involuntariness, and adaptation mechanisms are also present in the so-called 'Global North'. Based on its empirical insights, this thesis theoretically and methodologically advances general theorizing on two-step migration approaches and migratory decision-making by developing propositions that: (1) conceptualize aspirations, capabilities, and involuntariness in a spectrum of degrees, (2) approach adaptation strategies as a process to explain how the various adaptation mechanisms interact, and (3) surpass the 'mobility bias' of transnational studies. Perhaps, more importantly, this thesis challenges artificial categories that have long crippled migration and development debates and calls for more systematic research on the formation and fulfillment of aspirations of those in precarious, neglected, and deprived regions, regardless of the country of origin and residence. In this vein, the insights of this thesis aim to reconcile theorizations of social processes in the 'Global South' and the 'Global North'.