The role of the digital diaspora in overcoming the vulnerabilities of migrants under the covid-19 pandemic (the case of Moldovan migrants)

Abstract

Contemporary information-communication technologies contribute to the development of the quasi-institution ‘transnational migrant community’ in the form of digital diaspora. It has several functions: maintaining ties with the country of origin, ensuring transnational interaction, constructing the identity of migrants, consolidating their ethnic community and social adaptation, expressing the subjectivity of the diaspora in the public sphere, psycho-emotional support. The relevance of the study of the digital diaspora’s role in overcoming vulnerabilities of migrants under the pandemic is determined by the need to consider the adaptation of migrants in the context of the transformation of migrations and the use of contemporary information-communication technologies by migrants. The object of the study is the online groups of Moldovan migrants, which are characterized by the rapid institutionalization of diaspora organizations. The authors focus on the mechanisms of social adaptation of Moldovan migrants, which serve to overcome their vulnerabilities and risks under the pandemic with information-communication technologies. The study is based on the concept “digital diaspora” and the secondary analysis of the data from the Representative Office of the International Organization for Migration in Moldova on the Internet practices of Moldovan migrants (2017) and on the situation of migrants under the pandemic (2020). The main research method is the analysis of the content of the largest Internet groups of Moldovan migrants in the social network with the techniques “problem tree” and “decision tree”. The study showed that during the pandemic, the Internet groups of Moldovan migrants became a platform for their self-organization and overcoming vulnerabilities, and also performed informational, organizational, representative, mobilization and recreational functions. The authors believe that the experience of the Internet groups of Moldovan migrants can be extrapolated to other migrant communities and other contexts supporting the political, economic and social-cultural subjectivity of migrants.