ABSTRACT
This chapter situates the contexts of departure in which migrants from the former Yugoslavia have made their decisions to make Britain their temporary or permanent home and discusses some of the multi-layered and mosaic-like motivations behind the migration decision. One of the aims of my research was to investigate the different conditions under which transnational expressions and affiliations of being and belonging can flourish (or not). The conditions in the country of origin prior to the point of initial migration and the context of departure are key variables to consider when exploring any transnational ties or affiliations. Those migrants from the former Yugoslavia who participated in my project arrived in Britain at different points over the period 1953–2010. My research participants demonstrated multiple and complex motivations for moving to and making their homes in Britain at different stages of their lifecycle and, depending on the period in which they made their journeys, have different experiences along and throughout their ‘stories’ of migration. The main aim of this chapter therefore is to begin to contextualise some of the varied experiences of the act of migration itself. It is beyond the scope of this book to provide an extensive history of such a complex region and that ground has been well covered elsewhere by others. I was more interested in exploring how the history of the region of origin was portrayed by my participants and how such portrayals have affected the transnational relationship. I therefore briefly refer to some key points as background which were foregrounded in the interviews and conversations with my research participants and signpost the reader who is looking for a more comprehensive historical narrative to other texts.
