mobile phones
Definition
Mobile phones refers to portable digital devices that serve as essential tools for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to maintain communication, access information, and navigate their migration journeys and acculturation processes. These devices enable near-synchronous contact with individuals in countries of origin and settlement, facilitating access to information about destination countries and reducing uncertainties associated with migration. However, mobile phone use also introduces risks including surveillance, exploitation, and the stress of constant connectivity during migration experiences.
Sources: Stuart et al. (2025)
Related Terms
Applications
Mobile Phones and Refugee Migration
Mobile phones serve as critical instruments for refugees and asylum seekers during their migration journeys, enabling safety, navigation, and the maintenance of social connections across geographical distances. However, their use simultaneously exposes vulnerable populations to risks such as surveillance, exploitation, and psychological stress stemming from continuous connectivity demands.
Sources: Stuart et al. (2025)
Mobile Phones and Transnational Communication
Mobile phones have transformed migrants' capacity to maintain transnational ties by enabling near-synchronous communication with their country of origin regardless of physical location. This technological shift represents a change in migration patterns in which digitally mediated communication influences adjustment and support during acculturation processes.
Sources: Stuart et al. (2025)
