It’s often remarked that technology has made the world a smaller place. While this has been especially true for those with the wherewithal to buy the latest gadget and to travel at will, but it’s also true for economic migrants. Those technological ties are one of the key research interests of Mirca Madianou who discusses her work on transnational families and social media in the latest Social Science Bites podcast.

Given the angry images cascading off TV screens, it’s pretty clear that migrants aren’t welcome in Europe. Or are they? Three papers in a themed edition of the ‘International Journal of Comparative Sociology’ suggest a more nuanced answer.