Project description

The fifth enlargement of the European Union has produced very different outcomes for Romanian and Norwegian societies. While Romanians were celebrating their newly acquired right to free travel within the European Union and to explore job opportunities within the common space, for Norwegians the flow of immigration, especially of Roma Romanians, has created a cultural shock. The project “Understanding Transnational Roma Migration: Challenges and Perspectives for Romania and Norway” was devised as a means of understanding the migration flows of Roma people from Romania to Norway and back, their reasons for engaging in migration behaviour, and the reaction of the host society to the challenge presented by this phenomenon.

For accomplishing mutual understanding of transnational migration between Romania and Norway, we have first organized a workshop in Sibiu between 28.09.2016–01.10.2016, which brought together three Norwegian scholars from the University College of Southeast Norway, six national experts from a range of Romanian universities and 12 sociologists and specialists in the field of social work from Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. The programme of the workshop can be consulted below. The second phase of the project consisted in a five-day research mobility in Norway of two sociologists from Romania (13.11.2016–18.11.2016), which included multiple meetings with academics, social workers, and public officials on the topic of Roma migration. Between 10.01.2016–17.01.2016, two Norwegian academics from the University College of Southeast Norway have come to Sibiu in a research visit, in which they discussed with specialist in the field of Roma migration and visited several vulnerable rural communities and met with people involved in programmes of social integration.

Project mobilities

The project included two mobilities as an exchange visit to each country. The first mobility consisted in a visit made by two sociologists from LBUS (Romania) to UCSN (Norway) in November 2016. The agenda set up by the Norwegian partners included a series of meetings with scholars from the University of Oslo and the University College of Southeast Norway, but also with professionals working in the field of social work. The discussions with these academics and social workers broadened our understanding of the situation of Roma migrants Norway, just as the input provided by the two Romanian visiting researchers contributed to a better understanding of the socio-economic factors that determine the migrants to take the path of migration (e.g. poverty, discrimination, social exclusion and marginalization, lack of job opportunities etc.). The second mobility involved two Norwegian researchers coming in Sibiu in January 2017. With this occasion, by visiting two vulnerable communities from Sibiu’s surroundings, the Norwegian partners have had the chance to observe the socio-economic conditions prevalent in Roma communities from Romania that trigger Roma people to migrate to Norway in search of a better life.

Project outcome

The project contributed to a better understanding by the Norwegian partner and the other Norwegian institutional actors of the root causes that underlie the process of Roma migration. By discussing with Romanian experts met during the workshop and visiting some vulnerable communities in Sibiu’s rural surroundings (Rusciori and Roșia), the Norwegian partners could understand that Roma migration is triggered by chronic poverty, systemic social exclusion, and a desire for a better life in Romanian society improved by the economic gains obtained abroad.

The insights and knowledge on the Roma situation in the migration context gained by both partners in Romania and Norway respectively will be used to inform policy-makers in both countries. By highlighting to local authorities the root causes that lead Roma people from Romania to migrate abroad as well as their precarious situation as migrants, these authorities can develop more sensitive policies both at home (tackling inequality and poverty, combating discrimination, promoting socio-economic wellbeing, schooling and healthcare) and at their destination (fostering social and cultural integration, improving their living conditions during their stay, finding solutions to transform Roma street work such as begging in socially acceptable alternatives that will allow them to gain a sufficient income).