Polish migrant entrepreneurs in the UK: the significance of digitalization amid the pandemic

The Covid-19 crisis, lockdowns, and closed borders adversely affected entrepreneurs and their activities on the labour markets. In the case of vulnerable grups such as migrants this influence is even more evident than within the non-minority populations. In some segments of migrant communities, the response to new challenges is digitalization of work: more activities of a professional character, including entrepreneurial activities, are done remotely and online. Digital tools became the basic instrument of everyday work.

The digitalization of entrepreneurial tasks and ventures, especially visible among highly skilled individuals, profoundly challenges the current meanings and conceptualizations of migrants, mobility, and cross-border activities. While digitalization of migrant work has increased because of the pandemic, it will not necessarily stop when the pandemic ends.

In migrant entrepreneurship, the changes include: 1) more frequent digital activities, also in the spheres where they were already present; 2) more diversified digital activities, e.g. emerging in the traditionally offline sectors; 3) more acceptance for digital activities from customers, contractors, and other parties (such as state authorities). However, not all segments of migrant entrepreneurship may take advantage of digitalization, which leads to new divisions and patterns of marginalization.

The presentation will be based on a case study of Polish migrant entrepreneurs in the UK (in-depth interviews - both online and offline, participant observation). The empirical research was conducted after the outbreak of the pandemic, in 2020 and 2021.

This is a Polish Studies Research Group event.