Feminized precarity among onward migrants in Europe: reflections from Latin Americans in London
Cathy McIlwaine
Abstract
Increasingly turbulent forms of mobilities are emerging in Europe as diverse groups of migrants arrive, settle and move on. This paper explores this phenomenon of onward migration arguing that this is underpinned by various forms of feminized precarity. Challenging existing work on the feminization of precarity and migration that usually focuses on specific workers in situ, this paper explores the experiences of onward Latin American migrants (OLAs) who have moved to London from Southern Europe in a holistic manner. It develops the notion of “feminized onward precarity” to capture how female and male migrants experience precarious living and working conditions that reflect devaluation and exploitation in intersectional ways. In highlighting the interdependence of in/mobility and feminized precarity enacted through the relational lens of onward migration, the paper provides important insights into the increasingly complex and feminized lives of migrants as they move (or not) across diverse spatio-temporal contexts.