Between migration and cross-border mobility: return for development and Europeanization among Moldavian immigrants

Abstract

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.

Keywords:

• mobility
• border
• identity
• Moldova
• immigrants
• European Union

Acknowledgement

This article comes as a result of the research project entitled: ‘Eastern European migration to Spain in the context of border geopolitics: circulatory mobility and return’ (CSO 2010-14870), with funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and coordination by the author (PhD Researcher ‘Ramón y Cajal’, RyC 2009-03834). I wish to express my gratitude to all of the Moldavians migrants who shared their stories with me in the course of this research.

Notes

1. According to IOM specialists L. Vasilova and T. Jordan, interviews collected in April 2011 show that 90% of remittances were used for consumables, while 10% were set aside for development.

2. Of these, 237,690 live in countries of the EU.

3. The GDP per capita was 2500 USD in 2008 (7800 USD in Ukraine; 12,500 USD in Romania; and 33,800 USD in the EU. World Bank: Report No. 55195-Moldova; 4 April 2011.

4. http://www.border.gov.md, accessed August 17, 2011.

5. Commission Decision 2011/503/EU of 11 August 2011, OJ L 207, 12.8.2011, 22.

6. Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.

7. In December 2007, the EU Council invited the Commission to start a discussion with the Republic of Moldova in collaboration with the Member States and the Presidency in order to launch this partnership plan for labour mobility. The press release is available at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/.

8. During the months of July 2010 and April 2011, I undertook field work within the framework of a project on mobility and return. (CSO2010.14870).

9. Even though previously I had contacted the local counsellors, later I used the snowball technique and interviewed returning Moldovans in public places (official offices, and cafés) or in their homes.

10. Aside from the interview with the IOM coordinator, the rest of the interviews were conducted entirely in Romanian and then translated into English.

11. Grounded theory is a method that begins by collecting data and then by means of the data collected, detecting codes, from which information is extracted. The codes are grouped according to similar concepts from which are formed categories that offer a basis for a reverse-engineering theory or hypothesis.

12. IOM, Mission to Moldova, is implementing a three-year project, ‘Supporting the implementation of the migration and development component of the EU-Moldova Mobility Partnership,’ in order to minimize the negative effects of migration and to harness the benefits for development purposes.

13. On 22 November 2010, the pilot Program on Attracting Remittances into the Economy PARE 1 + 1 was launched. The programme aims to stimulate the transfer of remittances through official channels, the transfer of knowledge and know-how, facilitate the access of migrants to funds and create new places of work in Moldova.

14. http://www.europalibera.org/content/article/1816928.html, accessed 15 June 2011.

15. http://ipp.md/libview.php?l=ro&idc=150&id=562, accessed March 5, 2012.