Migration Processes in Central and Eastern Europe - Multiple Choices

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Construction of Borders and Practices of Labour Migration
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
20
—————————————————————————————
The Role of
Ethnicity in the
Re-construction
of the Community:
Internal and
International
Migration in
a Bulgarian
Muslim Village
—————————————————————————————
Neda Deneva
The research presented here focuses on the
similarities and differences in the networks of
mobilisation in the labour migration processes
in Ribnovo, a Bulgarian Muslim village situated
in the western part of the Rhodopi Mountain.
More specifically, in this paper I discuss how different levels
of social networks sustain the reproduction of the ethnic,
religious and village community when living and working
outside the village. I have identified four types of labour
migration classified according to the destination: Greece,
Spain, Dupnitsa (a town around 100 kilometres away from
Ribnovo) and Sofia. In the different destinations, different
types of work are undertaken and different configurations
of groups exist. I will argue that the differences between the
four types, in terms of levels of reproducing the community
and the significance of network mobilisation, are not subordinated
to the border-crossing factor, but rather depend on the
specifics of the different contexts and structural conditions,
of the type of work undertaken and of the migrating group.
The conclusions are based on fieldwork in the
village of Ribnovo, Bulgaria, in April 2005. 1 I found the village
suitable for my research because firstly, most of the villagers
migrate, secondly, there is both domestic and international
migration (thus it is convenient for a comparative perspective),
and thirdly, the population is Bulgarian Muslim, which
gives the opportunity to observe any connections between
ethnic identity and migratory behaviour.
My research aims to assess to what extent the
border-crossing factor is crucial for explaining the differences
and similarities between migration practices. In addition,
it diverts from the assimilation/integration focus of
many migration theories and looks at short-term, pendular
labour migration. In order to explain the migration dynamics
and the mechanisms of the migration process, the
research has been placed within the more general framework
of network theories which deal with migration. 2 I have
looked at different moments in the migration process:
choosing a destination, organising transportation, searching
for a workplace, finding accommodation and everyday
practices. I have used the prism of social networks as
an explanatory tool at the different stages of the process.
In this paper I have focused on the moment of settling in
the destination, the everyday practices which the migrants
adopt and the ways they reconstruct their identities and
their “home”. 3
THE VILLAGE AND ITS INHABITANTS
The village of Ribnovo is situated in the Western
part of the Rhodopi Mountain, near the Greek border. The
population of the village is exclusively Bulgarian Muslim
(or as they are often referred to as “Pomak”). 4 At present,
the main part of the Bulgarian Muslim population lives in
villages in the Rhodopi Mountain region. The main source
of making a living is agriculture and construction, most of
which takes the form of seasonal labour migration (or the
so called gurbet). In terms of ethno-religious identification,
Bulgarian Muslims have a “shifting identity” (Karagiannis,
1997). They present and consider themselves as possessing
many different identities: as Bulgarian Muslims, as Turks
and as Bulgarian Christians. These are the basic identities
according to the context and the group in which they live
and work. The main reason for shifting identities
is the position of double marginalisation. They are, on one
hand, marginalised by the Bulgarian majority, whilst on the
other hand sometimes marginalised by the Turkish minority,
who in turn do not recognise the Bulgarian Muslims as
“true Muslims” (because they speak Bulgarian and have
slightly different customs).
Ribnovo has 2,800 inhabitants with around seven
hundred houses. The village is geographically isolated.
Most of the inhabitants consider themselves highly religious
in keeping with the practices of Islam. In addition, the
women wear quite distinguishable clothes, which identify
them as Bulgarian Muslims. 5 The village is in a mountainous
region with forests covering much of the area; there is no
mass livestock breeding and in general the land remains
Migration Processes in Central and Eastern Europe: Unpacking the Diversity