Migrant immobilities beyond the pandemic: Changing migration patterns and aspirations

Abstract

Transnational migration entails profound changes to gender subjectivities and family structures, social networks and urban landscapes, and lifestyles and aspirations. Pandemic-induced immobilities have led many to question the assumed links between migration and mobility, and heightened interest in mobility inequalities. This research note offers critical insights into the “immobility turn” scholarship and highlights the gaps in our understanding of immobilities as both a social phenomenon and a conceptual tool. By placing our analytical focus on migrant immobilities, this research note sheds light on important changes in the meanings and values associated with migration and (im)mobility across contexts.