The VUCA World of Arab and Moldovan Migrants in Romania

This paper sets out to investigate the impact of the VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) on the vulnerability and resilience of incoming migrants in Romania, as well as on their integration patterns. Vulnerability and resilience are conceptualized through the four elements of the VUCA world. Data was collected through 35 semi-structured, psycho-social interviews, and 4 focus groups carried out between January 2020 and November 2021 with young migrants (aged 18 to 29). Participants came from two ethnic backgrounds: young migrants of Arab and Moldovan origins. Results show that much of VUCA is generated by the lack of employment opportunities and by the bureaucratic public administration. At the same time, the challenges raised by the VUCA world for migrants can be reduced through the improvement of destination language skills and through the development of social networks.