The online diffusion of information related to Europe and migration has been little investigated from an external point of view. However, this is a very relevant topic, especially if users have had no direct contact with Europe and its perception depends solely on information retrieved online. In this work we analyse the information circulating online about Europe and migration after retrieving a large amount of data from social media (Twitter), to gain new insights into topics, magnitude, and dynamics of their diffusion. We combine retweets and hashtags network analysis with geolocation of users, linking thus data to geography and allowing analysis from an "outside Europe" perspective, with a special focus on Africa. We also introduce a novel approach based on cross-lingual quotes, i.e. when content in a language is commented and retweeted in another language, assuming these interactions are a proxy for connections between very distant communities. Results show how the majority of online discussions occurs at a national level, especially when discussing migration. Language (English) is pivotal for information to become transnational and reach far. Transnational information flow is strongly unbalanced, with content mainly produced in Europe and amplified outside. Conversely Europe-based accounts tend to be self-referential when they discuss migration-related topics. Football is the most exported topic from Europe worldwide. Moreover, important nodes in the communities discussing migration-related topics include accounts of official institutions and international agencies, together with journalists, news, commentators and activists.

翻译：关于欧洲与移民议题的网络信息扩散，较少有研究从外部视角进行探讨。然而这是一个极具现实意义的课题——当用户从未亲身接触过欧洲、其认知完全依赖于网络获取的信息时，这种外部视角尤为关键。本研究通过抓取社交媒体（Twitter）海量数据，分析欧洲与移民议题的网络信息流通，旨在揭示其话题特征、传播规模与动态规律。我们融合转发与话题标签的网络分析方法，结合用户地理定位数据，将信息流与地理空间相关联，首次实现了"欧洲之外"（尤其是非洲视角）的传播分析。同时提出基于跨语言引用（即用户以不同语言评论并转发其他语言内容）的创新方法，将此类互动视为跨社群连接指标。研究结果表明：多数网络讨论局限在国家层面，移民议题尤为显著；英语作为主导性语言，是信息实现跨国传播与远距离扩散的关键。跨国信息流呈现严重失衡态势——内容主要产自欧洲并被外部世界放大，而欧洲本土账号在讨论移民相关话题时则表现出明显的自我指涉性。足球是欧洲向全球输出的最热门话题。在移民讨论社群中，关键节点包括官方机构与国际组织的账号，以及记者、新闻媒体、评论员和活动人士。