It’s the taking part that counts: Inequalities and simultaneous youth transnational engagement from six European countries

In this article we investigate transnational engagement in the destination country and oriented towards the home country, offering a theoretical analysis of the often-neglected simultaneous nature of this phenomenon. Using two original indices, we empirically examine the extent to which young people from six countries (Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania and Spain) are involved in transnational political, economic, social and cultural activities. The study is based on two surveys carried out as part of the H2020 project MOVE, which studied youth mobility in Europe, with a sample of 8,706 young respondents (18-29 years old). Our findings show that migrants’ transnational engagement in their home country and destination is not only simultaneous but mutually reinforcing. This engagement is affected by individual and institutional constraints, which shows that transnational ties and transactions not only produce inequalities but are affected by them.