The international workshop “(Im)Mobility in Rural Spaces in East-Central Europe” was held on 22 October 2025 in Budapest at the Institute for Regional Studies, as part of the SilverMig OTKA Research Programme.
The event aimed to present and discuss the interim findings of the project, which focuses on the mobility patterns, living conditions, and social embeddedness of elderly people. The research also explores the situation of those who have relocated from Ukraine or fled the war, as well as the emerging trend of elderly people moving from Germany to Western Hungary. Scholars from Hungary and abroad presented their findings on ageing, migration, intergenerational ties, and inequalities in health and social care services across regions.
Dr. Kornélia Hires-László, Head of the Hodinka Antal Linguistic Research Centre, gave a presentation entitled “A Vulnerable Age Group Behind the Frontline – The Challenges of the Elderly in Transcarpathia.”
Her lecture drew on interviews with staff members of the Beregszász Reformed Diaconal Centre, highlighting how church-based and civic initiatives often fill the gaps left by the state welfare system in the war-affected region.
In the closing session, a roundtable discussion brought together several experts who further expanded on the research results. The debate focused on the situation of Ukrainian refugees and previously relocated communities, discussing both temporary and permanent migration processes and their social implications. The discussion also examined the dilemmas of mobility and staying behind, particularly among elderly generations.
