Conceptualizing transnational disappearances: Polish missing abroad and the governance of the search

Abstract

Transnational studies emphasize the continuous social presence of transnationally mobile people in their countries of origin. However, some of these individuals will disappear, bringing affective turmoil and uncertainty to the families left behind. Although research has focused on political indifference towards undocumented missing migrants, the effects of other mobility regimes on disappearances remain understudied. I explore patterns of Polish transnational disappearance. Poles as European Union citizens occupy a space of privileged mobility. Yet, I argue, they are also susceptible to disappearance and institutional disregard. I analyse four categories of Polish transnationally missing: temporary migrant workers, settled migrants, truck drivers and tourists. I show that each category carries a specific mobile status and an associated perception of vulnerability and traceability, both of which affect the governance of the search. The stratified reaction to Polish disappearances reflects a global mobility hierarchy and exemplifies the exclusionary practices of transnational governance.