Migrant Remitting as Transnational Practice: Moldovans in Italy and Czechia

Abstract

We examine the relationship between the social practice of migrant remitting and the transnational field connecting Moldova with Italy and Czechia. Using data from a harmonized migrant survey, we estimate ordinal regression models and distinguish two remitting practices. Family remitting is organized around a set of routinized activities and communications that support the survival needs of families, while civil remitting contributes to the long-term development of civil society. These practices are associated with ongoing engagements with the transnational field and differentiated by duration overseas and legal status. Our findings confirm the importance of studying the transnational context of remitting and suggest that migration-development policy should recognize remittances as long-term social practices rather than transactions.