New Perspectives on Migrant Transnationalism in the Pandemic Era

Abstract

Within the debates on the role of time and change in migrant transnationalism research, the Covid-19 pandemic provides an extremely enriching perspective and fresh discussions on our understandings of transnationalism in international migration. Assuming a before–during–after perspective, in this chapter, our aim is to present, discuss and assess changes that may materialize in different dimensions of migrant transnationalism because of the pandemic. Our objective is to provide potential answers to, and reflections on, two questions: How did the Covid-19 pandemic change and transform the economic and social transnational engagements of migrants? And how are the transnational identifications of migrants affected by Covid-19 induced discrimination and stigmatization? This chapter highlights that the pandemic affected not only the everyday lives of migrants themselves, but also the social and economic connections they have with their families and friends in different contexts. The maintenance and, at times, even the intensification of these relationships highlight that, in times of crises, migrants and their social networks need and rely on each other even more so for their individual and collective resilience.