ABSTRACT In the last two decades, mobile phones and new technologies have transformed migration. Some scholars argue that they help empower migrants, who are otherwise often marginalized in their host country. We discuss the extent to which this is true for Kyrgyz labour migrants in Russia, a relatively large diaspora that suffers from multiple levels of disempowerment, ranging from precarious living and working conditions to a lack of legal support and representation from their home government. Relying on fieldwork conducted in Kyrgyzstan in 2017 and 2018, we explore the extent to which smartphones are enabling Kyrgyz labour migrants in Russia to be informed about migration rules, help each other abroad, connect as a diaspora, and discuss important diaspora topics. Our findings are relevant beyond academia, as many international and governmental agencies are trying to assist migrants through technology; they also point to several missed opportunities for these organizations.

中文翻译：

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智能手机能否赋能劳务移民？吉尔吉斯斯坦移民在俄罗斯的案例

摘要 在过去的二十年里，移动电话和新技术已经改变了移民。一些学者认为，它们有助于赋予移民权力，否则他们往往在东道国被边缘化。我们讨论了在俄罗斯的吉尔吉斯劳工移民在多大程度上是真实的，这是一个相对较大的侨民，遭受多层次的剥夺权利，从不稳定的生活和工作条件到缺乏来自本国政府的法律支持和代表。依靠 2017 年和 2018 年在吉尔吉斯斯坦进行的实地调查，我们探讨了智能手机在多大程度上使在俄罗斯的吉尔吉斯劳工移民能够了解移民规则、在国外互相帮助、作为侨民建立联系并讨论重要的侨民话题。我们的发现不仅与学术界有关，许多国际和政府机构正试图通过技术帮助移民；他们还指出这些组织错失了几个机会。