(Im)mobility aspirations in the context of remote work

Transformations in the world of work have been supported by technological advances and, most recently, changing socio-cultural norms accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Expanded acceptance of – and desires for – remote working have underpinned the growth of ‘location-independent’ work, or ‘anywhere jobs’: skilled and relatively well-paid jobs that can be done from any location, facilitated by digital technologies.

Our new research project, ‘(Im)mobility aspirations in the context of anywhere jobs’, which I am conducting in collaboration with my colleagues Dr. Lauren Wagner and Dr. Katarina Wessling, explores the relationship between remote work and decisions (not) to live or travel abroad. Looking beyond the high-profile phenomenon of ‘digital nomadism’ – which has attracted both the cultural zeitgeist and an emerging academic scholarship – we are interested in the broader population of people whose remote work spans international borders. By this, we mean people who work remotely for a company, client, or organisation located in another country – however much, and in whatever ways, they travel or live abroad themselves.

The practices, experiences, choices and aspirations of such ‘transnational remote workers’ are particularly significant given the normalisation of remote work in general, and the growth in ‘offshoring’ professional services specifically. Given public and policy concerns about both immigration to countries of destination and the emigration of highly-skilled people from countries of origin, the offshoring of remote work is described as a potential ‘game changer’. In this logic, offshoring allows remote workers to fill labour shortages in foreign labour markets, without requiring them to physically migrate. By connecting supply and demand virtually, offshoring could promote economic growth in both countries and enable people to access jobs and incomes available on the international labour market, without the need to leave family, friends, valued homes and lifestyles.

Such a potential ‘triple win’ certainly merits consideration. However, theoretical and empirical studies of migration decision-making in other contexts paint a much more ambiguous picture of what may happen. It should not be assumed that remote workers would prefer to stay in their countries of origin, and there are reasons to think that experiences of transnational remote work might inspire or reinforce desires to migrate.

With these competing hypotheses as a point of departure, the first stage of our exploratory, mixed-method research was to conduct initial unstructured interviews with 10 remote workers from a range of European countries (only some of whom work within the ‘offshoring’ model). In the below, I offer some preliminary findings from these conversations in which interviewees generously shared their time, insights and experiences.

The interviews revealed both diverse forms of (fully and partly) remote work, as well as complex patterns of international migration and mobility. There were suggestions that transnational remote work can be both a substitute and impetus for migration, but these initial conversations also highlighted a range of important implications for societies and governments that go beyond the question of whether remote work reduces or stimulates desires to migrate. These include:

• The way in which remote work facilitates international migration and mobility for a wide range of reasons. Ideas about remote workers living and working abroad tend to focus on the pursuit of leisure and adventure, as exemplified by the digital nomad lifestyle. However, it was clear from our interviews that remote work also facilitates the emigration of people fleeing conflict and insecurity, who can thereby seek safety and stability in other countries without a total disruption to their careers and incomes. For example, as one interviewee who left her country of origin in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine emphasised, work is ‘the most stable thing in my life. ‘Cause I know that anywhere I go, if I, well, [am] going to change country soon, my work will stay the same. And… actually, this fact… it saves me during my immediate relocation.’
   
• The way in which remote work facilitates more complex migration trajectories across the life-course. For example, for two interviewees who had both lived abroad for several years, going remote allowed them to more easily return to their countries of origin and prioritise new life projects there, such as starting a family.
   
• The importance of having the freedom to travel internationally, even outside of a ‘digital nomad’ lifestyle. For several interviewees, the opportunities they have to combine work and travel – i.e., undertaking shorter trips abroad a few times a year – thanks both to their remote work and an enabling visa regime, is hugely valuable. For example, for one interviewee, these possibilities offer a ‘middle ground’ between her desire, on the one hand, to stay, put down roots, and build relationships where she is currently living and, on the other hand, her continued appetite to explore the world. Of course, visa restrictions mean that not all remote workers have the same opportunities to be internationally mobile. One interviewee from Kosovo* reflected on the impacts of the visa-free access to the EU that Kosovars* gained in January 2024: ‘I wish we had visa liberalisation years before, because I was younger, I was much eager back then to attend those conferences and go around and visit places and make new friends and colleagues, you know, and new opportunities. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible back then.’

There is still much to unpack – and further data to be collected and analysed. Building on these initial interviews, we designed an online survey which will provide a wider-angled lens on the experiences and desires of transnational remote workers. Our next step is now to conduct a further round of interviews to dig deeper into these preliminary findings and lines of inquiry.

We thank everyone who has already participated in this research for their much-valued contributions. Any questions about the research can be directed to the Principal Investigator, Talitha Dubow. This research project has been made possible by a starter grant received from the School of Business and Economics of Maastricht University, and by an additional grant from Studio Europa Maastricht.

*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)