Torsello, Davide - Pappová, Melinda: Social Networks in Movement. Time, interaction and interethnic spaces in Central Eastern Europe - Nostra Tempora 8. (Somorja-Dunaszerdahely, 2003)
Interaction, migration and change
Migration from the former Soviet Union 217 by fostering interpersonal conflicts and ties to established Mafia groups.7 Where are the differences between these types of migration and why does it show different effects? Drawing from summer research in Subcarpathian Ukraine, we now offer the following preliminary results: 1. Motivation for migration All of the above groups had abandoned their homes, but only the re-settlers decided to move with their families to the Czech Republic for permanent residency. These persons wanted to improve their living conditions in their new country. At the same time, most persons from Subcarpathian Ukraine had abandoned their homes in order to improve their living conditions in Ukraine. They were not searching for better living conditions in the Czech Republic but instead wanted to make some money there. These individuals did not come with families but were either alone or with small groups of relatives, friends, or colleagues - no more than five or six people. Many lived in lodging houses, often with two to ten people per room; while others lived in temporary shelters near their workplaces. Such workers often arrived without exact notions of what they would do or how much they would earn. They generally received approximately one U.S. dollar per working hour and typically possessed only short-term visas for the Czech Republic. Consequently, these persons do not live but only work; some even demanded to work 10 to 16 working hours per day, as well as on Saturdays and Sundays, in order to utilise fully their available time for work. In some cases, husbands arrived with their wives and were able to create for themselves a semblance of a family life. Usually, however, workers’ children remained in Ukraine and lived with their grandparents or other relatives. Based on our interviews, we conclude that guest workers do not know the laws of the target countries and are not interested in the local cultural and political environment because their only concern is working. Nevertheless, one should recognise that
