This article, published in the academic journal Social Inclusion, examines Moroccan migrant entrepreneurship in Amsterdam and Milan. The article compares transnational migrant entrepreneurs, whose business is based on cross-border relationships and exchanges, with domestic migrant entrepreneurs, who are active exclusively in the destination country.

The research shows that transnational entrepreneurs differ from domestic entrepreneurs mostly in terms of socio-relational transnational involvement. On the other hand, transnational entrepreneurship does not substantially change migrants’ sense of belonging to different countries and groups.

The article sheds light on the question of whether and how transnational economic activities, including entrepreneurship, influence migrants’ identities and sense of belonging. A recurrent, sometimes implicit idea in public and political discourse about migrant transnationalism is that transnational involvement facilitates identification with origin communities and co-ethnic groups at the expense of receiving countries and societies. This would allegedly promote mixed loyalties that are in contrast with the principles of citizenship in destination countries.

The authors’ findings do not support this idea, showing that Moroccan transnational entrepreneurs maintain similar types of identities and sense of belonging as domestic entrepreneurs. In policymaking, this suggests that transnational entrepreneurship could be supported as a viable migrant adaptation strategy that would not be in conflict with migrants’ “loyalty” to destination countries.