Navigating uncertainty: Leveraging digital technologies for migration decisions

Workshop co-convened by Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, Toronto Metropolitan University, Igor Grossmann, Professor of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Faisal Garba, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Cape Town, and Ana Beduschi, Professor of Law, University of Exeter.

This workshop will explore how migrants make critical life decisions to migrate, and how they use technology for information gathering under conditions of uncertainty—from mainstream media to social networks and direct contacts, balancing opportunities with the challenges of misinformation. Participants will explore both the empowering aspects of these technologies and their potential pitfalls, examining differences between regular and irregular migration pathways.

Information seeking and processing, and decision making in migration have been an important focus in migration studies for the past 15 years. There is an emerging literature looking into how people process information and make decisions in conditions of significant uncertainty, notably when moving without appropriate documentation and when facing high levels of vulnerability and risk. The recent global disruptions, including the pandemic, and moments of global technological outages/failure, have further complicated these pathways, affecting even privileged and the most skilled migrants' ability to navigate international borders smoothly.

This interdisciplinary workshop, a collaboration between the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS) and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration (CERC Migration), aims to merge insights from social psychology and decision science. We will explore:

• Strategies to apply social psychological and decision science theories to migration studies to better understand and support migrant decision-making in uncertain conditions
• How migrants use digital tools and other aids in decision-making processes
• The influence of technology on both regular and irregular migration
• The meaning and implication of technology for social relations in the context of migration