Paper short abstract:

Our paper aims to tackle the panel topic, through analysing the dynamics of the Romanian migration to UK and how it is represented at the level of social media, considering the post - Brexit and pandemic crisis as time frames our analysis.

Paper long abstract:

Our paper aims to tackle the panel topic, through analysing the ways in which the Romanian migration to UK is configured and represented at the level of social media during the pandemic crisis. In particular, we are going to explore how migration experiences are described and represented in virtual groups, such as Romanians in UK, Romanians in United Kingdom (two different Facebook groups), and Romanians in London, considering especially the post- Brexit and pandemic crisis as time frames of our approach. Our idea is to analyse the groups dynamics, their specificities, recurrent and “irregular” problems the members are confronting with at present, new ways of grouping and communicating, new solidarities as well as the ways in which they are exposed via Facebook. Our intention is also to approach the particular ways in which the feeling of belonging to the Social/Facebook groups is represented, how their members perceive the new crises context, and how they expose the new migration challenges, opportunities and threats. Through these, we intend to analyse the role of these virtual groups in creating new solidarities among migrants, specific networks with particular relevance in their lives, and to approach how the migration desires and aspirations, action and decision making are configured and represented currently. Through these, we attempt to discuss the role of social media as channels generating specific individual and networking experiences, and their cohesive or non cohesive role in the whole migration process.