CHALLENGES AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITIES FOR ROMANIAN SEASONAL WORKERS IN GERMANY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

In the present study I highlighted the subjective indicators of the quality of life in the Romanian diaspora during the COVID-19 pandemic, using as a case study the situation of Romanians residing in Germany, as well as of Romanians working in seasonal jobs. The data collected were extracted from primary research based on in-depth interviews that I conducted with Romanian respondents living both in Romania and in Germany between April 2021 and August 2021, also with administrative officials from both countries who agreed to present their opinions on the topic under analysis. The secondary databases have largely completed the data specific to a statistical analysis, but without being able to access a complete picture of Romanian migrants in Germany, as many of the specific macro-data for the period 2020 and 2021 are lacking and others are not finalized. An important part of the secondary data comes from statistical sources provided by Eurostat and the National Institute of Statistics. The increasing presence of Romanians in Germany in recent years has become a topic of interest for both countries, involving joint diplomatic efforts, closer communication and a streamlining of legislation and bureaucracy. In order to strengthen administrative and diplomatic relations between the two countries, the need for research on the proposed topic is a major priority for both Romanian and German academic society.