5. Romanian migration movements: Networks as informal transnational organisations

Abstract

Since the Iron Curtain came down, the European continent has become, as it used to be, a vast space of exchange in which human migrations take diverse forms, from more or less permanent emigration to a variety of short-term movements, such as study programs or seasonal jobs (Okólski 2001). The kind of migration this text deals with consists of constant mobility, between the native country and several places abroad where migrants work on a temporary basis. This began at the beginning of the nineties and demonstrates how middleclass people from eastern European countries have played a role, without waiting for international agreements, in the construction of a large transnational space across Europe.

The unwritten ‘laws of migration’: reflections on inequalities, aspirations and cultures of migration

“…There is an important literature on the role of social and family networks in Romanian migration (Potot, 2008;Elrick & Ciobanu, 2009;Ban, 2012;Ciobanu 2015). Social and family networks provide information on migration routes, employment opportunities in the receiving country and legalization prospects, and are generally considered to serve as a 'safety net', at least during the initial phases of migration.…”

Transitioning Strategies of Economic Survival: Romanian Migration During the Transition Process

“…Within these networks, as in the transactions which connect them to the societies they cross, the negotiations and the interpersonal relations have utmost importance, much more than that of 03/06/2010 6/15 any strict regulations. Thus, to speak of transnational Romanian migrations is to refer as much to the practices of circulatory mobility, these continual movements between the home city and various migratory poles in the European space, as to the forms of organisation and structuring of social relations that underlie this mobility (Potot 2008, to be published).…”

A Continent Moving West?

“…Within these networks, as in the transactions that connect them to the societies they cross, negotiations and interpersonal relations have the utmost importance, much more than that of any strict regulations. Thus, when referring to transnational Romanian migrations, it is important to consider the practices of circulatory mobility, in the form of continual movements between the home city and various migratory poles in the European space, as well as the forms of organisation and structuring of social relations that underlie this mobility (Potot 2008).…”