All By Myself? The Self-Responsibilisation of Young Migrants for Integration: Insights from Poland
All By Myself? The Self-Responsibilisation of Young Migrants for Integration: Insights from Poland

Summary/Abstract: In migration studies, integration is predominantly conceptualised by scholars as a 'two-way' process. In practice, however, migrants are increasingly being held responsible for integration. In this article, grounded in qualitative data from Poland - collected between 2021-2022 from young migrants and representatives of NGOs and public institutions supporting migrants - we explore how they perceive and experience this process. We argue that, influenced by neoliberal discourses of individuality, migrants often view the challenge of integration as their personal responsibility - a phenomenon we refer to as self-responsibilisation. Thus, we identify and analyse three intersecting and mutually reinforcing processes: 1) the shift of responsibility for integration onto young migrants as a consequence of state negligence, 2) the asymmetry of responsibility as a result of the host society's othering of migrants and 3) self-responsibilisation as a consequence of migrants' internalisation of responsibility for integration. Together, they form what we call the self-perpetuating mechanism of (self)responsibilisation of young migrants for integration. Our analysis indicates that this mechanism may lead to the empowerment of young migrants although it can also foster the normalisation of structural constraints, hinder the migrants' access to available support, increase stress and may even contribute to deteriorating mental and physical health.

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