The Politics of Migration and Diaspora in Eastern Europe

This book provides a critical analysis of the politics of migration in Eastern Europe and an in-depth understanding of the role played by media and public discourse in shaping migration and migration policy.

Ruxandra Trandafoiu looks at emigration, diaspora, return, kin-minority cross-border mobility, and immigration in Eastern Europe from cultural, social and political angles, tracing the evolution of migration policies across Eastern Europe through communication, public debate and political strategy. Trandafoiu investigates the extent to which these potential ?models? or policy practices can be comparable to those in Western European countries, or whether Eastern Europe can give rise to a migration ?system? that rivals the North American one. Each chapter bridges the link between policy and politics and makes a case for considering migration politics as fundamentally intertwined with media representation and public debate. Drawing on comparative case studies of countries including Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine, the book considers how migration is both managed and experienced from political, social and cultural viewpoints and from the perspectives of a range of actors including migrants, politicians, policymakers and journalists.

This book will be key reading for advanced students and researchers of migration, media, international relations, and political communication.

Nowadays, Eastern Europe has come back into focus, mainly because of political decisions related to the decline of democracy. It is therefore not surprising that Hungary, Poland and Romania are mentioned the most in Trandafoiu's book as well. However, it is important to point out that the author does not provide a comparative analysis of countries selected according to some criteria, but rather tries to present the migration processes affecting the region and the national responses to them as having a more general validity. [?] we find a good number of novel interpretations, less discussed matters, or connections that have not been thematized so far. It is therefore worth reading for experts dealing with the topic, but the book is primarily recommended for readers familiar with current issues related to migration in the region, and it can certainly be used excellently as a reference in university courses.

Eszter Kovács, Institute for Minority Studies, Budapest