This chapter explores how new technologies, particularly mobile devices and web platforms, support refugees during their journeys and help them adapt to new environments. Many Ukrainians fleeing the war brought their smartphones to Poland, which became essential in managing their migration and establishing new lives. These devices are crucial at every stage of forced migration, aiding in finding destinations, crossing borders safely, securing accommodation, and maintaining communication with loved ones back home. Based on interviews with 54 refugees and their Polish hosts, the chapter analyses the benefits of smartphones for Ukrainian refugees in Poland. It discusses the phenomenon of a digital third space that connects those in Poland with those remaining in Ukraine. While employing these technologies feels natural to migrants, the analysis reveals that they significantly influence their experiences, sometimes reducing the need for human support by facilitating translations or creating new collaboration opportunities.

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Invisible Assistance: New Technologies as Facilitators of Ukrainian Refugees’ Journey and Homemaking Process

  • Iwona Leonowicz-Bukała

摘要

This chapter explores how new technologies, particularly mobile devices and web platforms, support refugees during their journeys and help them adapt to new environments. Many Ukrainians fleeing the war brought their smartphones to Poland, which became essential in managing their migration and establishing new lives. These devices are crucial at every stage of forced migration, aiding in finding destinations, crossing borders safely, securing accommodation, and maintaining communication with loved ones back home. Based on interviews with 54 refugees and their Polish hosts, the chapter analyses the benefits of smartphones for Ukrainian refugees in Poland. It discusses the phenomenon of a digital third space that connects those in Poland with those remaining in Ukraine. While employing these technologies feels natural to migrants, the analysis reveals that they significantly influence their experiences, sometimes reducing the need for human support by facilitating translations or creating new collaboration opportunities.