Westward migration in Europe is often associated with settlement in urban areas. Despite this, many workers from the region have found employment in small rural communities. The French town of Gramat and its surroundings, for example, have seen the arrival of a few hundred Romanians over the past decade.

Since the 2010s, the Causse of Gramat in south-western France (part of a group of vibrant, shimmering limestone plateaus) has witnessed the appearance of a substantial Romanian population. At first, the newcomers came in response to recruitment for work positions in slaughterhouses. Then, opportunities diversified, relatives joined and the community grew. First believed to be a temporary movement, permanent settlement was just around the corner for many. Today, Romanians represent one of the largest immigrant communities (if not the largest) in the area, bringing an Eastern European facet and thus diversity to this French countryside.

Europe’s Ukrainian communities, vastly increased by forced displacement due to the Russian invasion, seek connections to home. The foreign expansion of Ukraine’s Nova Post stands at this crossroads, offering communication channels while fostering timely economic internationalization during a costly conflict. In Berlin, inputs from refugees and Serhii Symonov, the CEO of Nova Post Deutschland, shed light on this two-way affair.