12 Mar PERCEPTIONS fieldwork underway

PERCEPTIONS fieldwork is conducted within Work Package 3, focusing on “Methodological Specification, Quantitative Online Surveys, Qualitative Interviews and Focus Groups”. A multi-perspective study design has been defined, specifying research in the 14 research sites in and beyond the European Union. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the fieldwork has faced delays; and the multi-perspective study design has been adapted accordingly. Additional ethics guidelines addressing new requirements due to the changes in fieldwork caused by the pandemic have been defined. After the periodic review held in January, the qualitative fieldwork in WP3 started and is progressing well.

The qualitative research follows a quantitative online survey, which was launched in October 2020 and focused on practitioners’ assessments of migrants’ perceptions. Design of the second iteration of the survey, focused on best practices, will begin in April.

Since February 2021, qualitative interviews with migrants and practitioners are being held and will continue to take place throughout the month of March. It will collect the results of approximately 100 interviews with practitioners, migrants, and refugees in twelve different countries in and outside of Europe. The analysis of the content will grant us a clear insight into perceptions formation, the transmission of narratives through various channels, and intersecting aspects of individual and societal security.

In parallel, partners carry out focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with policymakers and civil society organizations at the national and local levels in 13 countries. The task aims to gain insights from stakeholders and their understanding of “perceptions” and the role of social media in migration decision making, how threats linked with perceptions affect policymaking, among other topics. Currently, interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders have been conducted in Belgium, Bulgaria, and the UK, with interviews in other countries underway.