Reevaluating Immigrant Integration in "Exclusionary" Regimes: Diasporas and Mobility in the State of Qatar

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, with roughly 85% of their population comprised of non-citizen foreigners, present a unique opportunity to understand immigrant integration. Existing paradigms rooted in the study of immigration in Western contexts fall short in capturing the nuances of integration trajectories within exclusionary and ethnocratic regimes like the Gulf, often dismissing immigrant inclusion as an impossibility. However, despite the strict kafala sponsorship system and nationality-based migration hierarchies that undoubtedly constrain migrant life, inclusion does occur. Immigrants in the Gulf carve out dynamic social relationships, become deeply embedded in economic activities, forge meaningful political identities, and articulate a sense of belonging that suggests scholars must rethink the notion of immigrant inclusion altogether. Based on 35 in-depth interviews with both high- and low-skilled migrants from Europe, the U.S. and Asia in the State of Qatar, this research finds that immigrant integration occurs primarily vis-à-vis the diaspora community itself and is shaped by two dynamics. First, the sheer size, diversity, and interconnectedness of the broader diaspora community in Qatar helps migrants avoid the traditional pitfalls of excessive co-ethnic network dependence and isolation. Through regular interaction with the international community, migrants acquire valuable cultural and migrant capital that facilitates meaningful economic and social mobility despite restrictive state policies and institutions. Second, access to the international diaspora allows migrants to break away from identity structures that may otherwise define them in their home countries (i.e. caste, tribe) and reinvent themselves. The interview data confirms that both processes represent unique sources of empowerment, belonging, and social mobility for migrants in highly exclusionary integration contexts.