Abstract
AbstractThis study examined reasons for return migration among Lithuanian migrant home care workers who provided care to older adults abroad. In total, 13 interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of returnees. Using constant comparison, three major themes were identified. The first theme described the undocumented nature of the job as a reason to return. The emotional consequences of the job as well as its physically demanding aspects also were portrayed. The third theme addressed the increased awareness to possible losses and care needs brought by the job. Our findings stress the importance of the job characteristics of the worker as a push factor that results in the return of migrant workers to their home. The importance of the documentation status of the job and its precarious nature are discussed.
Highlights
The past century has seen a dramatic flux in migration, as there are currently about 272 million migrants worldwide (United Nations International Organization for Migration, 2020)
The present study is focused on the latter form of return migration to one’s home country from the viewpoint of Lithuanian migrant home care workers who returned to Lithuania
In addition to here-and- challenges on the job, such as the undocumented nature of the job when performed in non-European countries, and the physical and emotionally demanding characteristics of care work, especially when provided round the clock (Ayalon, 2009b), our findings point to the future-oriented aspirations and concerns of migrant care workers
Summary
The past century has seen a dramatic flux in migration, as there are currently about 272 million migrants worldwide (United Nations International Organization for Migration, 2020). The non-linear features of immigration are of particular relevance (Olesen, 2002); some immigrants may move to more than one country, becoming transnational migrants, while others may adopt a circular pattern, going back and forth between the host country and the sending country. The present study is focused on the latter form of return migration to one’s home country from the viewpoint of Lithuanian migrant home care workers who returned to Lithuania. IP address: 3.82.207.155, on 22 Feb 2022 at 09:30:05, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
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