Mobility as a support strategy: Linked lives through the life course among Eastern Europeans in Spain

Abstract

This article examines the role of mobility in the creation of support strategies of Eastern Europeans (EEs) in Spain. It emphasizes the relational linkages of mobility and shows how strategies of linked-lives are constructed and maintained over the life-course. Drawing on 52 in-depth interviews with EEs (Romanians and Bulgarians) who practice mobility to and from Spain, this article makes two contributions. First, it expands the concept of linked-lives across the life-course in mobility. Second, it highlights mobility as a support strategy to show how EE mobile children, through their movement, assist their parents both in their origin countries and in Spain. I argue that mobility articulates and harmonizes multiple practices of support strategies that link people's lives in different ways: (a) mobility as a strategy to support parents in old age; (b) mobility as a family livelihood strategy; and (c) mobility as a strategy of gratitude and family reunification. The conclusions highlight the need to integrate mobility as a support strategy into the study of global mobility.

The networked character of migration and transnationalism

“…The role of personal relationships in initiating spatial mobility has been well established (Boyd, 1989; Fawcett, 1989; Massey, 1987; Massey et al., 1993). Social network approaches have shown that, on the one hand, strong, affective relationships in the country of origin can prevent migration because individuals wish to stay together, but they can also encourage it in the case of family members’ economic needs (Asad & Garip, 2019; Haug, 2008; Marcu, 2018). Knowing people in a destination country and/or knowing people with migration experience can reduce social, economic, and emotional risks, uncertainties, and costs of migration (e.g., Collyer, 2005).…”

Who Wishes to Return? Ties to Home Country among the Romanian Migrants

“…For example, the ongoing estate investments were a reason for many Ghanaian migrants to postpone their return (Peil 1995). The remittances can be isolated from the intention to return when the action of sending money is driven by the willingness to cover the financial needs of those who remained at home (Marcu 2018).…”

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

“…A recent and extensive literature has documented the characteristics of Romanian migration in different EU countries, particularly in Spain (Marcu, 2018), Italy (Gabriel Anghel, 2008;Ban, 2012), Portugal (Ciobanu, 2015) and the UK (Lulle, Moroşanu & King, 2018). However, in Greece, Romanian migration research has been rather limited, despite Romanians being (at 5.1%) among the top three national migrant groups after the Albanians (53%) and Bulgarians (8.3%) (Fratsea & Papadopoulos, 2020).…”