Abstract
In recent times, global student migration has been growing rapidly, including an increase in student migration from Bangladesh. However, the field of student migration from Bangladesh remains relatively neglected in migration research. Hence, this study aims to explore the factors which influence Bangladeshi students in their migration decision. This study employed a qualitative research design to investigate the research questions. Specifically, the data collection involved ten focus group discussions with university students in Bangladesh. Subsequently, the researchers conducted a thematic analysis of the data using the Granheim approach, which involved identifying patterns and themes in the data. The NVivo 12 software was utilized to facilitate the analysis. The present study employs the push–pull theory to shed light on the determinants of student migration decisions. The research findings elucidate the salience of push factors, such as corruption, discrimination, lack of good governance, political instability, and limited freedom of expression, which potent motivators students to leave their home countries. In contrast, the study identifies various pull factors that attract students to settle abroad, including better living standards, economic opportunities, as well as career advancement and social value that impact migration choices. The study outcomes have crucial implications for policymakers, stakeholders, and the Ministry of Education to formulate appropriate policies in this domain.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to those who participated in the study for sharing their moving experiences and devoting their time to it so quickly. Furthermore, we appreciate the essential data and time provided by NGOs and GOs personnel, including officers as well as field workers.
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Conceptualization: MSS, NTZ; Methodology: MSS, MKS and NTZ; Validation: MSS, MSH; Formal analysis: MSS and NTZ; Investigation: MO, MSH and MKS; Resources: MFHK and MTR; Data curation: MSH,MTR and MO; Writing—original draft preparation: MSS, MSH, MTR, MO; Writing—review and editing: MFHK, NTZZ and MKS; Visualization: NTZ, MKS, MTR; Supervision: MSS AND MFHK; Project administration: MSS, MSH and NTZ; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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The study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Review Board, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Daffodil International University, Dhaka -1212, Bangladesh (Protocol No. Ethics/ Fouad4/2023. The participant's identity was maintained as anonymous. It is important to note that all of our participants aged 18 and above. In addition, both verbal and written consent were obtained from all participants.
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The participant's identity was maintained as anonymous. It is important to note that all of our participants aged 18 and above. In addition, both verbal and written consent were obtained from all participants.
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Zaman, N.T., Sohel, M.S., Obaidullah, M. et al. Factors shaping Bangladeshi students’ migration decision using push–pull theory: a focus group study. SN Soc Sci 4, 4 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00797-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00797-2