In search of a good life: The narratives and trajectories of Romanian migrants in post-referendum UK.

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According to the United Nations' international migration report, the Romanian migrant population between 2000-2015 exceeded three million people and had the second highest annual growth rate (7.3%), following Syria (United Nations, 2016). The proposed research will focus on the narratives and trajectories of Romanian labour migrants in the UK, where approximately 250,000 Romanian citizens currently live (ONS, 2017). The study will explore how migrant identity is constructed vis-a-vis the wider migrant community, the country of origin, and UK as a host country in special relation to political developments following BREXIT. It will make an original contribution to the anthropology of migration through examining the applicability of prevalent analytical concepts (such as borders, rootedness, and displacement) in the understanding of Romanian migrant experiences. The proposed research has two broad interrelated aims: First, to record and comprehend the complex motivations and circumstances of Romanian migrants to the UK, as these may extend beyond economic factors. The second aim of my research is to contribute to our understanding of migration as a 'future-oriented' social movement which promotes new visions of citizenship and novel forms of political belonging. The proposed PhD aims to contribute to wider debates on the need to reformulate current policy narratives on migration by critically evaluating the usefulness of the notion of 'pull-factors' and the effects of migration prevention and deterrence strategies.