This article explores how human global mobility is linked to a sense of home and belonging and outlines ways in which European Union (EU) enlargement could contribute to broader debates about migration, both empirically and theoretically. To accomplish this aim, I use the context of Romanian migration to Spain. Since EU enlargement in 2007, Spain has emerged as a major destination for Romanian migrants. The main argument of the paper is that transformations in the EU over the past 20 years through its open border policy have changed migrant workers into EU movers, and this change affects people's perceptions about sense of home. This analysis is prompted by a qualitative and narrative turn in migration studies, and an emphasis on new mobility pathways in accounting for the embodied dimensions of migration. Key to the paper is an analysis of how people can maintain a sense of home while being on the move. It attempts to demonstrate that migrants' experiences of belonging in their host country may vary greatly depending on the time of movement, the politics of EU borders, the nature of mobility and personal and individual circumstances. ; Peer reviewed
Over the past two decades, the theoretical frameworks of human mobility studies have undergone profound changes. The rise of transnational and border analysis, the formulation of the embodied experiences of migration, the increasing interest in migrants' attachment to place and sense of home have coalesced to enrich our understanding of human mobility. This paper explores how Romanian immigrants in Spain interpret the changes to their global identity in terms of self-perceptions within the context of the enlargement of the European Union (EU) towards Eastern Europe. By means of qualitative research, the principal aim of this article is to highlight how the migration process, which is closely tied to border dynamics and European expansion, and which has occurred in stages from 1990 to the present, has influenced the (re)construction of identity and the changes in discourse among immigrants. The experiences of the interviewees show that migration/mobility and place – that left behind in the country of origin and the new place in the receiving country – are essential factors in the reconstruction of identity in the twenty-first century. ; Peer reviewed
This paper links migration, cross-border mobility and return for development, in terms of citizenship, identity and approach to Europeanization. Taking into account the global changes in Moldova, the paper examines the perceptions of migration/mobility, return and identity of the Moldovans engaged in emigration in the countries of the European Union (EU). Using a multi-discipline approach and an in-depth qualitative interview technique, this article analyses from a transnational perspective how migration/mobility and return can support social change and development in Moldova and argues that people who cross EU borders, and who live through the experience of emigration, acquire a pro-European mentality. ; Peer reviewed
This article seeks to analyze the mobility of Romanians within Spain, taking into account the current economic crisis that is affecting labour markets in Spain and Romania, and its impact upon people. Using the perceptions of Romanians, the paper examines their experiences and their understanding of their process of mobility and return as Europeans who have a right to free circulation but limited working rights in the enlarged European Union (EU). To carry out this research, the author used the qualitative method of in-depth interviews with 80 Romanian immigrants engaged in labour mobility between the two countries. The article highlights the role played by borders in studies of mobility and suggests that migrants may have varying perceptions concerning place and mobility. By looking at immigrants' narratives the article seeks to produce a framework that reflects the transformation of immigrants into mobile citizens within the context of the EU. ; Peer reviewed
This article seeks to analyze the mobility of Romanians within Spain, taking into account the current economic crisis that is affecting labor markets in Spain and Romania, and its impact upon people. Using the discourse of Romanian immigrants as a reference, the paper examines their mobility experiences as Europeans who have a right to free circulation but not to work in the enlarged European Union (EU). To carry out this research, I utilize the qualitative method of in-depth interviews with 80 Romanian immigrants engaged in labor mobility between the two countries. The empirical approach suggests that migrant may have varying perceptions concerning place and mobility according to their migratory stage and the current economic circumstances. In the theoretical field, the article emphasizes the contribution of mobility to improve knowledge on migration and its conclusions points toward understanding the process of mobility in the enlarged EU. ; El artículo analiza la movilidad de rumanos en España, en el contexto de la crisis económica que afecta a los mercados de trabajo de España y Rumanía. Tomando como referencia la percepción de los inmigrantes rumanos, el estudio aborda sus experiencias de movilidad como ciudadanos europeos en la Unión Europea (UE) ampliada, con derechos de libre circulación pero no de trabajo. Para realizar la investigación se utilizó la técnica cualitativa de la entrevista en profundidad, llevándose a cabo 80 entrevistas a rumanos que practican la movilidad laboral entre los dos países. El trabajo empírico sugiere que las percepciones de los migrantes sobre la movilidad se interpretan según las etapas migratorias y las circunstancias económicas actuales. En el ámbito teórico el artículo destaca la contribución de la movilidad al conocimiento sobre la inmigración, y sus conclusiones apuntan hacia la comprensión del proceso de movilidad en la UE ampliada.
Borders and human mobility have become key elements in the development of the global society of the twenty-first century. Growing attention to the development potential of migration has recently raised a new concern regarding the issue of return migration. Linked to this, the debate on the migration-development nexus considers circulation to foster development as it enhances the flow of financial, social and cultural capital to the countries of origin. This paper links cross-border mobility and return to development migration. Taking into account the historical, geopolitical and social changes in Moldova, the paper examines the perceptions of mobility and return for development of the Moldovans engaged in emigration in the countries of the European Union. Using a multi-discipline approach and ethnographic research (in-depth interviews) conducted among Moldovan migrants in their home country, this paper seeks to analyse how mobility and return can support social change and development within the country. ; Peer reviewed
One of the heritages of the last years of communism in the Soviet Union (USSR) for the new Russia consisted in an ethnic conflict that out-break, when religious or political oppression of the regime failed to paralyze the national spirit. They entered the post-Soviet geopolitical dictionary under the name of permanent tensions and «frozen conflicts» its analysis is the idea that their premises are in the past, and that the communist regime of «frozen» through terror spread to the scale of society, unable to ever resolve. The article presents the labyrinth of tensions and conflicts generated by the mixture of nations, ethnicities, and the intense fragmentation lived in former Soviet republics after the fall of the USSR The first part presents the determinants that led to these conflicts and tensions while the second and third attempt a brief summary of the major focal point where they were dismissed. The findings suggest the role of Russia as a power and influence in the region. ; Una de las herencias de los últimos años del comunismo en la Unión Soviética (URSS), para la nueva Rusia, consistió en los conflictos de naturaleza étnica o confesional que estallaron cuando la opresión política del régimen dejó de paralizar el espíritu nacional. Los mismos entraron en el diccionario geopolítico postsoviético bajo la denominación de tensiones permanentes y «conflictos congelados» — frozen conflicts; su análisis parte de la idea de que sus premisas están en el pasado, y que el régimen comunista los «congeló» a través del terror dispersado a la escala de la sociedad, sin conseguir alguna vez resolverlos. El artículo presenta el laberinto de las tensiones y de los conflictos generados por la mezcla de naciones, etnias, y por la intensa fragmentación vivida en el espacio postsoviético después de la caída de la URSS. La primera parte presenta los factores condicionantes que desencadenaron dichos conflictos y tensiones, mientras que la segunda y tercera parte intentan realizar una breve síntesis de los focos más importantes ...
This article examines the geopolitics of Russia's borders after the collapse of the USSR. It wants to make a meeting between the geopolitics of border and migration research fields are separated from each other (Gielis, 2009). The first part presents Russia as a space of global migration, while the second part analyzes the labyrinth border between Russia and the European Union (EU), countries in the nearby vicinity, and the countries of Central and Eastern Asia and China. Then it explores the significance of cross-border migration, presenting irregular migration and migration routes of entry, exit and transit from Asia and Africa pass through Russian territory in search of the western dream. The findings point to a renewal of border studies, to look into the shadows of the migration situation of the vast and unknown territory of Russia. ; El artículo analiza la geopolítica de las fronteras de Rusia, después del desplome de la URSS. Se propone lograr un encuentro entre la geopolítica fronteriza y las migraciones, ámbitos de investigación separados en la actualidad (Gielis, 2009). La primera parte, presenta a Rusia como espacio de migración internacional, mientras que la segunda parte analiza el laberinto fronterizo de Rusia con la Unión Europea (UE), los países de la vecindad próxima, y los países de Asia Central y China. A continuación, se explora el significado de los movimientos migratorios transfronterizos, presentando la migración irregular y las rutas de migración de entrada, salida y de tránsito, que, procedentes de Asia y África atraviesan el territorio ruso para llegar a los países occidentales. Las conclusiones apuntan hacia una renovación de los estudios fronterizos para indagar en las sombras de la realidad migratoria del vasto y desconocido territorio de Rusia. ; Cet article examine la géopolitique des frontières de la Russie après l'effondrement de l'URSS. Il veut faire une réunion entre la frontière et les champs de recherche sur la migration sont séparés les uns des autres (Gielis, 2009). La première partie présente la Russie comme un espace de migrations au niveau international, tandis que la seconde partie analyse la frontière entre le labyrinthe de la Russie et l'Union Européenne (UE), les pays dans les environs immédiats, et les pays d'Asie centrale et orientale et Chine. Explore, ensuite l'importante de la migration transfrontalière, en présentant la migration irrégulière et les voies de migration de transit en provenance d'Asie et d'Afrique passent par le territoire russe à la recherche du rêve occidental Les résultats soulignent un renouvellement des études des frontières, de regarder dans l'ombre de la situation migratoire du territoire vaste et inconnu de la Russie.
Una de las herencias de los últimos años del comunismo en la Unión Soviética (URSS), para la nueva Rusia, consistió en los conflictos de naturaleza étnica o confesional que estallaron cuando la opresión política del régimen dejó de paralizar el espíritu nacional. Los mismos entraron en el diccionario geopolítico postsoviético bajo la denominación de tensiones permanentes y «conflictos congelados» — frozen conflicts; su análisis parte de la idea de que sus premisas están en el pasado, y que el régimen comunista los «congeló» a través del terror dispersado a la escala de la sociedad, sin conseguir alguna vez resolverlos. El artículo presenta el laberinto de las tensiones y de los conflictos generados por la mezcla de naciones, etnias, y por la intensa fragmentación vivida en el espacio postsoviético después de la caída de la URSS. La primera parte presenta los factores condicionantes que desencadenaron dichos conflictos y tensiones, mientras que la segunda y tercera parte intentan realizar una breve síntesis de los focos más importantes donde los mismos se produjeron. Las conclusiones apuntan sobre el papel de Rusia como potencia y su influencia en la región. ; One of the heritages of the last years of communism in the Soviet Union (USSR) for the new Russia consisted in an ethnic conflict that out-break, when religious or political oppression of the regime failed to paralyze the national spirit. They entered the post-Soviet geopolitical dictionary under the name of permanent tensions and «frozen conflicts» its analysis is the idea that their premises are in the past, and that the communist regime of «frozen» through terror spread to the scale of society, unable to ever resolve. The article presents the labyrinth of tensions and conflicts generated by the mixture of nations, ethnicities, and the intense fragmentation lived in former Soviet republics after the fall of the USSR The first part presents the determinants that led to these conflicts and tensions while the second and third attempt a brief summary of the major focal point where they were dismissed. The findings suggest the role of Russia as a power and influence in the region.
The article analyzes the process by which Romanian immigrants to the Autonomous Community of Madrid (Spain) return to their country. Starting with the empirical reality and the theoretical focuses on human mobility as a form of transnationalism, the article emphasises on the characteristics which distinguish the Romanian collective from other collectives of immigrants living in Spain; circular migration that creates work networks. The paper reflects how the intensive mobility contributes to a process that is continuous and partial—hardly ever final. The first part of the article presents the phases of Romanian migration to the Autonomous Community of Madrid. It then delves into the process by which Romanians return to their country of origin, while detailing those factors that influence their decision. The conclusions point towards a renewal of studies on mobility within the framework of the European Union that links the border dynamic with the migration process. ; Peer reviewed
Una de las herencias de los últimos años del comunismo en la Unión Soviética (URSS), para la nueva Rusia, consistió en los conflictos de naturaleza étnica o confesional que estallaron cuando la opresión política del régimen dejó de paralizar el espíritu nacional. Los mismos entraron en el diccionario geopolítico postsoviético bajo la denominación de tensiones permanentes y «conflictos congelados» — frozen conflicts; su análisis parte de la idea de que sus premisas están en el pasado, y que el régimen comunista los «congeló» a través del terror dispersado a la escala de la sociedad, sin conseguir alguna vez resolverlos. El artículo presenta el laberinto de las tensiones y de los conflictos generados por la mezcla de naciones, etnias, y por la intensa fragmentación vivida en el espacio postsoviético después de la caída de la URSS. La primera parte presenta los factores condicionantes que desencadenaron dichos conflictos y tensiones, mientras que la segunda y tercera parte intentan realizar una breve síntesis de los focos más importantes donde los mismos se produjeron. Las conclusiones apuntan sobre el papel de Rusia como potencia y su influencia en la región. | One of the heritages of the last years of communism in the Soviet Union (USSR) for the new Russia consisted in an ethnic conflict that out-break, when religious or political oppression of the regime failed to paralyze the national spirit. They entered the post-Soviet geopolitical dictionary under the name of permanent tensions and «frozen conflicts» its analysis is the idea that their premises are in the past, and that the communist regime of «frozen» through terror spread to the scale of society, unable to ever resolve. The article presents the labyrinth of tensions and conflicts generated by the mixture of nations, ethnicities, and the intense fragmentation lived in former Soviet republics after the fall of the USSR The first part presents the determinants that led to these conflicts and tensions while the second and third attempt a brief summary of the major focal point where they were dismissed. The findings suggest the role of Russia as a power and influence in the region. ; Peer reviewed
