Urbanities,
Vol. 3
·
No 2
·
November 2013
© 2013
Urbanities
64
Where?
‘We vote in both countries. We vote in Lithuanian elections in the embassy and we
also have a right to vote in local elections here in Norway, so we vote here as well’.
(Female, 55)
We can therefore apply the notion of social citizenship when referring to Lithuanian
migrants. This means that migrants can actively participate in elections in both their country of
origin and their host country, due to formal citizenship (of Lithuania in this case) and rights
granted by the host country (Norway). A situation in which someone can participate in politics in
two countries is described by migrants as dual citizenship, although formally they only have
Lithuanian citizenship. A 49-years-old woman said:
‘Every morning I browse through the main Lithuanian news sites, such as
Delfi
and
Lietuvos Rytas
, you know. I’m just interested in what is going on there and what has
happened. I feel like a citizen in both countries’.
You’re really burning to know what is going on in Lithuania?
‘Yes, I want to know what’s happening in Lithuania. I care about everything that is
taking place there and I often see, by the way, that I’m even better informed about its
situation than people who live in Lithuania. When I’m in Lithuania, sometimes
people start telling me that this and that happened and I reply that I already know
everything!’
Migrants not only follow political events in Lithuania, but say that they also care about
Norway’s political situation. As a 55-years-old female informant remarked, ‘The political
situation also encompasses laws that have been passed, such as the pension law for example. This
is important to us. Developments such as new and changed tax laws and changes to working
arrangements directly affect us and our daily lives. So in effect we’re more interested in what’s
happening here. But of course we also want things to improve in Lithuania too’.
Events in Norway are followed more often because migrants’ daily lives and future are
affected by them, while news from Lithuania is only an area of interest that does not have a direct
effect on their wellbeing. Migrants sometimes point out that Lithuania’s news matters to them
because of relatives living there. On the other hand, an interest in news does not necessarily
imply active participation in decision-making such as participation in elections. The following
exchange with a 29-yers-old man is exemplary:
Whose news matters more to you - Norway’s or Lithuania’s?
‘Lithuania’s’.
But you mentioned that you’re not going to return there?
‘No, I’m definitely not going back. But I’m curious’.
