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Accepted Paper:
Migration infrastructures in the eyes of Central Asian truck drivers: migrants’ experiences in Russia and the EU
Giulio Benedetti
(Stockholm School of Economics in Riga)
Migration from Central Asia is partially redirecting from Russia to other destinations. This study considers the case of the migration of truck drivers from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, who are spearheading a new migration flow to the countries of the European Union. As this destination becomes more popular, new institutions start to develop alongside technologies, social networks, intermediaries, and NGOs, facilitating and enabling mobility. They are all elements of a new infrastructure of migration, that underpin the growing mobility flow from Central Asia to the European Union. While the existence of infrastructures makes migration possible, less attention has been devoted to the role of infrastructures in shaping migrants’ aspirations. In examining the case of Central Asian truck drivers, this study looks at how their previous migration experiences in Russia shape expectations about migrating to the European Union, and how migration aspirations to the EU influence workers to choose this route over the traditional Russian destination. This study is based on 20 in-depth interviews with drivers collected on multiple sites during 2023. The study intends to contribute to the growing literature about migration infrastructures and the new mobility flows from Central Asia.