Challenges faced by Serbian migrants caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

Predojević-Despić, Jelena and Lukić, Vesna (2021) Challenges faced by Serbian migrants caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teme, 45 (4). pp. 1245-1260. ISSN 0353-7919 eISSN 1820-7804

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Abstract

This paper studies the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different groups of migrants from Serbia. The paper aims to identify and analyse difficulties and the most migration-related stressful issues that international migrants from Serbia coped with due to the societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored how they perceive those migration-related stressors and how they act in the context of limitations and opportunities in countries of origin and destination out of necessity to counter these challenges. We also highlighted the migration plans in accordance with the migration motives before the pandemic, and the possibilities for their realisation after the pandemic. The paper is based on qualitative research conducted using semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews with 34 participants. As major migration-related stressors that were singled out are those associated with professional and financial hardship, their return, legal status, stigma, health and family. The results indicate the importance of the migration context for understanding the ability of individuals to cope with numerous and sudden challenges in crisis situations.

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