Labour Mobility and Informality: Romanian Migrants in Spain and Ethnic Entrepreneurs in Croatia

Open Access Journal | ISSN: 2183-2463

Article | Open Access

Labour Mobility and Informality: Romanian Migrants in Spain and Ethnic Entrepreneurs in Croatia


  • Abel Polese Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland / Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia / Institute of Social Theory and Dynamics, Japan / Dublin City University, Ireland
  • Ignacio Fradejas-García School of Social Sciences, University of Iceland, Iceland
  • Ružica Šimić Banović Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Vlatka Škokić Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split, Croatia
  • Tanel Kerikmäe Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia
  • José Luis Molina Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
  • Mirela Alpeza Faculty of Economics in Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
  • Miranda J. Lubbers Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
  • Alberica Camerani Dublin City University, Ireland


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Abstract:  Post-Weberian definitions see the state–individual relationship as a “do ut des” one. The state grants protection, education, medical care, and its citizens contribute labour, compliance, and taxes. When this does not occur, it is generally accepted that the citizens are deviating from state goals. However, there are cases where lack of compliance stems from the fact that society members do not feel protected by formal structures, and they rely on informal ones to replace, supplement, or even compete with state institutions. The starting point of this article is that this lack of support may result from enhanced labour mobility (and migration) across Europe, and may enhance the creation and persistence of informal practices. Taking advantage of two case studies, Romanian migrants to Spain and ethnic entrepreneurs in Croatia, we observe how governance is constructed and provide two novel interpretative frameworks. First, we explore the use of informality (informal practices) to suggest that apparently insignificant actions that are repeated routinely and without much thought, are a way to contribute to the construction of the political and that everyday governance should receive more attention. Second, we use this claim to argue that a better understanding of informality can help identify governance areas where interventions are more urgent. These are the spheres of public life where it is possible to identify a larger gap between the wishes of a state and the ways citizens actually act as they informally avoid or bypass its rules.

Keywords:  Croatia; informality; labour mobility; Spain; welfare

Published:  


DOI: https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v10i2.5166


© Abel Polese, Ignacio Fradejas-García, Ružica Šimić Banović, Vlatka Škokić, Tanel Kerikmäe, José Luis Molina, Mirela Alpeza, Miranda J. Lubbers, Alberica Camerani. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction of the work without further permission provided the original author(s) and source are credited.