Weave Project on Involuntary Immobility and Development

Nicolás' PhD project investigates the development consequences of involuntary immobility—a phenomenon whereby individuals wish to migrate but lack the capacity to do so. Large numbers of young people worldwide, particularly in developing countries, aspire to migrate yet remain unable to act on these aspirations, with potentially significant implications for human development. His research forms part of the PATHWAYS project, a four-year initiative (2023–2027) funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, conducted by Ghent University and the University for Continuing Education Krems. The project examines the causes and socio-economic consequences of involuntary immobility in southern Senegal, with an empirical focus on Ziguinchor, Kolda, and surrounding villages — a region where prior research has documented consistently high migration aspirations alongside persistently low migration capabilities.