Depicting migrants’ social mobility and well-being in Greece

Keywords: social mobility, Greece, well-being, Romanian migrants
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Tuesday
Session Start / End Time: 3/1/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 3/1/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 2

Abstract

Over the last thirty years Greece was transformed from an emigration to an immigration country. During that time, international migration flows contributed to new socioeconomic realities in the country in rural and urban areas alike. In this context, the collapse of the socialist regime the geographical and cultural proximity of the Greece and Romania enabled the emergence of various forms of mobility between the two countries. In addition, since 2007, Romanians’ access to the Greek labour market has become easier due to the accession of their country to the EU. However, the statistical and empirical evidence suggests the existence of a hierarchy of stratified rights regarding entry, residence and employment which has impacted on the social position and well-being of migrants in Greece. Despite the sings of economic recovery ten years following the downturn, the ongoing Covid19 pandemic has implications on the livelihoods and the mobility of migrants and natives alike.
Drawing from 30 life-stories interviews conducted between 2017 and 2021, this paper aims at theorizing the social mobility and well-being of migrants in Greece in the after-crisis period. Migrants’ narratives about their well-being are analysed in relation to their social trajectories, spatial movement(s), and settlement patterns in Greece. Moreover, their perceptions of their living conditions and well-being both in Romania prior to their migration and today are interrelated to the construction of their current subjective well-being and livelihoods. The paper concludes with a critical discussion regarding the implications of the lockdown on migrants’ standard of living, employment and mobility.