Surviving the limbo of supervening immobility: family strategies after the Spanish-Moroccan border closure

Amid a growing global trend of involuntary immobility, this study examines how state-imposed border restrictions reshape family life. Using a transnational lens and semi-structured interviews, we explore the experiences of Moroccan cross-border domestic workers trapped in the Spanish city of Melilla following the 2020 Spanish-Moroccan border closure. The findings highlight: immobility and physical separation of families driven by state policies and intersecting structural inequalities such as gender and labor informality; the emergence of long-distance survival strategies that sustain transnational ties while only partially challenging traditional gender roles; and the chronicization of uncertainty due to prolonged legal limbo and economic instability. Women’s decisions – to return, settle, or live transnationally – emerge as complex, ongoing negotiations shaped by shifting legal, economic, and familial conditions. This study contributes to broader debates on migration decision-making and the lived consequences of mobility regimes in border regions.