ABSTRACT
This chapter examines my respondents’ aspirations during their stay in Belgium or the Netherlands. From this analysis, it appears that three types of aspirations can be distinguished. The first type of aspiration concerns working and making money in the destination country and returning with it to the country of origin. Thus, respondents with this type of aspiration hoped to achieve future upward mobility in their country of origin. They were usually ‘target earners’; that is, they saved for very specific projects, ranging from starting their own business to financing a future wedding in the country of origin (Massey et al. 1987). Musa from Turkey, for example, says ‘I am here with only one goal and that is to save money and return to get married and start my own business.’ Mbark says, ‘When I have earned enough money, I will go back to Morocco to start a business there.’ During their stay in Belgium or the Netherlands, these migrants try to acquire financial means for future investment in their home country. The following fragment illustrates how their stay serves a planned future in the country of origin:
I have big plans in Bulgaria. For starters, I will marry my girlfriend when I return to Burgas … Furthermore, I intend to start my own business. At the least, I do not want to deprive my children of the education that I did not have … My only aim is to get back to Burgas as fast as I can. However, to be able to achieve this, I need a considerable amount of euros. So that is what I try to achieve here in Ghent
(Dimitar, Bulgaria).