Abstract
Purpose – Naples, Italy has become a destination for Ukrainian migrants in the last decade escaping the economic uncertainty of their homeland. A sign of the city’s importance in the diaspora is that the Ukrainian government in 2008 opened a local consulate. Estimates are that nearly a million Ukrainians have used Italy as a point of labour transit even if only a fifth of those are formally registered. In this paper, I examine the strategies with which Ukrainian migrants in Naples, Italy attemtp to create ontological security in the context of informal economies and the uncertainties of the migratory processDesign/methodology/approach – The research is based on 18 months of ethnographic close observation and participation in migrant networks in Naples between 2004 and 2008. Findings – The research reveals the strategies used by Ukrainian migrants to arrange and maintain transnational connections, seek work, and develop a sense of belonging through place-making and insitutional development in the face of the significant barriers to inclusion and socio-economic stability in Neapolitan societyResearch limitations/implications – Despite the considerable structural, social and cultural challenges faced by Ukrainian migrants in Naples, evidence suggests an increasing degree of ontological security even as, or perhaps, because of their persistent engagement in the informal economies of the city.Practical implications – The evidence suggests that policymakers concerned with social cohesion and integration might wish to consider informal economic activities not simply as a ‘problem’ to resolve but a key feature of contemporary capitalism that may create the conditions to address their concerns. Therefore, a more nuanced understanding of how migrants create their lives through these activities would be useful.Originality/value – This ethnographic material suggests that greater attention should be paid to the creative capacities of migrants to create a sense of security through informal activities. Migrants makes extensive use of social networks and knowledge distribution to form the basis of decisions about economic behaviour, emplacement and ontological security.