Denial, Deterrence, and Disenchantment : Why Many Never Immigrate

This book complements abundant research about immigrants by contributing novel data, knowledge, and theories about potential immigrants-those who might have immigrated but did not despite the benefits of migration to immigrants and origin and destination societies.The text examines three mechanisms that reduce or restrict immigration-governments denying visas, policies and social forces deterring many from applying for visas, and potential immigrants becoming disenchanted with immigration.Jacob expands the Push-Pull Model to a Push-Retain-Pull-Repel Model that accounts for why many remain ambivalently immobile.Narratives of might-have-been-immigrants reveal an (im)mobility paradox: factors facilitating migration-socio-economic resources and social ties-also hinder it.The book analyses denial, deterrence, and disenchantment from the perspective of countless people who do not immigrate due to one of these processes, revealing how they are socio-economically stratified with respect to eac