This paper explores the tenability of three important critiques to the ‘migrant
network’ approach in migration studies: (1) the narrow focus on kin and community
members, which connect prospective migrants in origin countries with immigrants in
the destination areas, failing to take due account of sources of assistance beyond the
‘migrant network’ like institutional or online sources; (2) that it is misleading to assume
a general pattern in the role of migrant networks in migration, regardless of contexts of
arrival or departure, including the scale and history of migration or the immigration
regime; and (3) that ‘migrant networks’ are not equally relevant to all migrants, and that
important differences may exist between labour migrants and other types of migrants
like family migrants or students. Drawing on survey data on the migration of Brazilians
to Portugal and the Netherlands we find support for these critiques but also reaffirm the
relevance of ‘migrant networks’.
