Migrant Families Research Articles

Migrant families and Children’s inclusion in culturally diverse educational contexts in Spain

This paper builds on the European project MiCREATE, which aimed to explore and stimulate migrant children and youth reception and inclusion in educational and social systems by adopting a child-centred approach at educational practice and policy levels. We focus on the role of the students’ local and immigrant families in this often-challenging process. We have evidence of the vital role of families in children and youth education. However, research mainly focuses on teachers when discussing issues related to the reception and inclusion of migrant students in schools, often forgetting that families and children/youth are also critical elements in these processes. In this project, we have explored the roles expected and developed by local and foreign families in facilitating and accompanying schools and students on these not-always-easy paths using various methods and activities. This paper focuses on aspects of the MiCREATE project related to the crucial role of families in their children’s social and educational experiences in the host country. It is based on fieldwork carried out in 16 schools in Spain, including teachers, families, students, educational community members and policymakers. Art-based research methods, open-ended interviews and focus groups provided a broad picture of the different views and expectations of all those involved in formal education. From the thematic analysis of the participants’ contributions, results emerge around two main focuses: (1) difficulties migrant families face in getting involved in school life, such as cultural clashes, school segregation, migrant families’ environment and the difference between primary school and secondary schools; (2) more general and specific initiatives that facilitate migrant family involvement in school life.

Socioeconomic Conditions of Migrants and Non-Migrants in Haryana

Purpose : Internal migration is considered an essential factor that significantly affects the origin and destination areas in varying degrees depending upon the employment situation in the destination region and the characteristics of migrants themselves. Haryana has the highest per-capita income among the major states in India and witnessed increased mobility over the years due to its advanced agricultural base, highly developed industrial sector, and proximity to the National Capital Region. Therefore, the present study examined the socioeconomic conditions of migrants and non-migrants in Haryana. Methodology : The study is based on secondary as well as primary data. The survey was conducted in four districts randomly selected in the state. A total of 509 households were surveyed from June 2021–February 2022. A detailed questionnaire was used to collect information about the socioeconomic conditions of the migrants and non-migrants. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques. Findings : The results suggested that most migrants were male heads of households who moved for work/employment to provide better living conditions. There were wide variations among inter-state and intra-state migrants. The level of education was significantly lower among inter-state migrants compared to non-migrants and intra-state migrants. Most inter-state migrants’ heads of households were illiterate or literate up to the middle, employed as daily wage casual laborers working in the informal sector, and living in precarious conditions. Such workers generally suffered from low earnings, lack of stability, and durability of employment. The average monthly household income and expenditure of the inter-state migrant household were lower than that of the non-migrants. The reason for low per capita household consumption among inter-state migrant families was that some portion of their relatively low income was also repatriated to the point of origin. Practical Implications : The findings highlighted that inter-state migration plays an important role in developing the state’s economy by providing cheap and flexible labor ready to take up any work. Originality : This is the only study that attempted to examine the socioeconomic conditions of migrants in various districts of Haryana and their comparison with non-migrants.

Everything but the Marriage Certificate: Unmarried Partners in Norwegian Immigration Regulation

Abstract Pandemic border closures separated previously transnational couples, including unmarried partners, revealing under-researched forms of transnational family life. From this point of departure, we reexamine Norwegian family immigration regulation for unmarried partners from the 1980s onwards. Societal norms around coupledom have shifted toward Giddens’s “pure relationship.” Yet, immigration regulations have focused on “problematic marriages,” such as forced marriages or marriages of convenience. While unmarried partners have a right to family reunification after two years’ cohabitation, this requires prior permission to live in the same country. We investigate three sites of contestation where appeals are made to intimacy norms: The Liberal party’s “love visa” proposal, sponsors’ statements in case files, and protests from same-sex couples. Even in “cohabitation land,” these appeals ultimately come up against immigration control. This investigation contributes to the literatures on the transformation of intimacy and family migration; in particular, immigration regulation for unmarried same- and opposite-sex partners.

THE SYSTEM OF SPEECH THERAPY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZATION OF EMOTIONAL STATES IN CHILDREN WITH SPEECH DISORDERS: A FOCUS ON MIGRANT FAMILIES

This article addresses the importance of implementing a comprehensive system of speech therapy interventions to support the development and stabilization of emotional states in children with speech disorders, particularly in the context of migrant families. The unique psychological needs of children from immigrant backgrounds with speech disorders are discussed, emphasizing the significance of psychological support provided to both the children and their families. This support encompasses psychological counseling, psychotherapeutic assistance, and speech therapy interventions. Within the framework of military psychological services, the implementation of various psychological techniques aimed at addressing speech therapy challenges in children holds significant importance, alongside organizational and legal aspects. Modern practical psychotherapy encompasses diverse directions and profiles, among which family psychotherapy, specifically systemic family psychotherapy, occupies a prominent position. In the context of children with speech disorders, this type of psychotherapy becomes particularly relevant, focusing on the whole family system. Professionals working with children aim to prevent and overcome speech disorders through various approaches. These include the development of visual-spatial concepts, attention stability, self-control, phonetic and lexical-grammatical exercises, promoting coherent speech, and addressing therapy of emotional states. Resources, encompassing internal and external variables, play a crucial role in maintaining psychological stability during stressful situations. These resources involve emotional, motivational-volitional, cognitive, and behavioral constructs that aid in adaptation. Psychotherapeutic techniques employed include psychoeducation, autogenic training (breathing exercises), trauma therapy elements (emotion processing, returning to the present moment), and concept-integrative methods (identifying strengths, focusing on resources, utilizing visualization techniques). Additional exercises such as grounding exercises, emotion exploration (utilizing emotion images), identifying sources of strength and support, relaxation exercises (such as psychogymnastics), and elements of music therapy are incorporated into psychological training.

Kontribusi ekonomi remitansi bagi pembangunan desa: Studi kasus pedagang warung tegal di Jakarta Selatan

Warung Tegal or warteg (a food stall with cheap food) is a local economic phenomenon that is rapidly growing in the Jakarta area, particularly for the lower middle-class society. This growth is due to the connection between warteg business and remittances sent to their hometowns. This paper aims to (i) explain the informal economy of warteg traders who provide economic opportunities for other migrants in Jakarta, (ii) describe the remittances economy of warteg traders to their families in their hometowns, and (iii) explain the economic contribution of remittances to the development of migrants' origin villages. This research uses a qualitative approach with case studies of warteg traders around Bangka IX, Pela Mampang, and Mampang Prapatan. Data were obtained by direct observation that was carried out from March 2016 to January 2017. The interviewees include five warteg traders who sell in the Pela Mampang region, as well as the children of the traders and village officials of Dukuhjati Kidul, Tegal. The results of the study show that warteg can increase the wealth of migrant families. Remittances serve as a form of social bonding and responsibility to their families. They are used for consumption and productive activities, such as building houses that are considered a symbol of success in running warteg.

From Left-Behind Children to Youth Labor Migrants: The Impact of Household Networks, Gendered Migration, and Relay Migration in Southeast Asia

Do children with migrant parents or migrant family members have a greater likelihood of migration as they reach adulthood? Three possible patterns of youth migration are examined in this study: (1) network migration, when families migrating first pave the way for subsequent generations to follow; (2) gendered migration, where the gender of migrant parents and left-behind children influences the probability of youth migration; and (3) relay migration, which involves transgenerational migration switching within a family. We use data collected from Thailand in 2008/2010 (Wave 1) and tracked in 2019 (Wave 2) to understand how the migration of parents and other family members influenced youth migration in 2019. Within the network effect, household migration was one of the driving forces behind youth migration, while mother-involved migration appeared to be strongly associated with youth labor migration, especially among males. There is, however, no evidence that return migration, whether parental or non-parental in the same household, was associated with an increased likelihood of youth labor migration. This study demonstrates the relative strength of network effects of household migration when compared to relay migration on youth migration. The findings also highlight the complexity of gender-based migration in the Thai context. This research contributes to the larger field of left-behind children and youth migration by establishing the transition between these two roles and illustrating different reasons for migration in sending countries.

Intergenerational Solidarity Revisited: Migrant Families in the Dilemma of Providing Family or Elderly Care in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic and its Challenges

The assumption that people live in one place with their lives guided by a singular set of national and cultural norms no longer holds true. The same applies for migrating due to various reasons with the aim of finding a better place to live. Instead, contemporary transnational migrants are accustomed to operating in several contexts of employment, leisure and political interests that extend beyond national borders. Yet, state borders still cut through the very core of the family life, forcing migrants to take difficult decisions about leaving, separation or arranging care of children and elderly, but also creating a certain degree of choice between two or more socio-political social and cultural contexts. Events of recent years have shaken established beliefs about the potential of transnational care networks. As the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, what once seemed to be enduring rules can be suspended for long periods of time.
 For Poland, one of the countries affected by intense mobility to and from the country, discussions about the effects of migration on care networks are of paramount importance. As a direct consequence of mobility, the expectations and obligations that migrants (especially women) have towards the family they leave behind may change, shift or even remain unrestricted in spite of living abroad. Yet, establishing family care strategies for elderly family members in ageing societies is also based on the assumption of availability of migrant labour. Drawing on two sets of data, this article asks how intergenerational obligations were negotiated during the Covid-19 pandemic and whether the associated long-term restrictions on crossing national borders caused changes in patterns of care provision.
 * This article belongs to a special issue on “Demographic Developments in Eastern and Western Europe Before and After the Transformation of Socialist Countries”.

Factors That Motivate and Militate Undocumented Migrants to Vaccinate Their Children in Sabah, Malaysia

BACKGROUND: Undocumented migrant families face many challenges in bringing their children for vaccination. The recent outbreak of poliomyelitis in Sabah among undocumented migrant children highlights the gap in vaccination coverage among these populations. AIM: This study aimed to determine the factors that influence undocumented migrants in Sabah to vaccinate their children. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire developed based on the findings from a qualitative study. This study was conducted in 15 districts of Sabah among the mothers of undocumented migrant children. Multiple Logistic Regression was done to find out the significant factors that influence undocumented migrants to vaccinate their children. RESULTS: A total of 942 responses were collected during the study. About 78.7% of the respondents attended health facilities to vaccinate their children. Only the legal status of the undocumented migrant (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.15 [95% CI: 0.52–0.43]) remains a significant militating factor for undocumented migrants to vaccinate their children. Two factors, parental trust in health-care providers and vaccines (aOR = 18.24 [95% CI: 8.42–39.51]) and good support system (aOR = 2.65 [95% CI: 1.77–3.97]), remain significant motivating factors that influence undocumented migrants to vaccinate their children. Those who had visited the health facilities for an antenatal check-up (aOR = 25.93 [95% CI: 17.07–39.39]) and delivery (aOR = 93.63 [95% CI: 34.77–257.81]), with income of more than RM 1000 (aOR = 6.09 [95% CI: 3.66–10.12]) have a higher prevalence to bring their children for vaccination. CONCLUSION: In the best interest of public health and to prevent the further re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Sabah, it is important to address these factors to improve vaccine uptake among undocumented migrant children.

Food Environments, Food Security, and Household Food Availability of Circular Migrant Families: A Mixed-Methods Study Among Brick Kiln Laborers in Bihar, India.

Circular migration is the dominant pattern of movement in India and is a livelihood strategy used by many food insecure rural households. Repeated shifts in food environments have important implications on household food security and dietary patterns but have not been studied. To explore differences in the food environment, food security, and food availability between home and destination spaces. Mixed-methods research was conducted among circular migrant families working and residing on brick kilns in the state of Bihar. Utilizing stratified cluster sampling, 2 rounds of cross-sectional data were collected from 2564 families. Additionally, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with circular migrant parents, kiln owners, and labor contractors. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale was validated for use in our study population. Bivariate analyses were conducted to estimate the association of food insecurity with sociodemographic variables. Qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive thematic methods. Seventy percent of respondents utilized at least one nonmarket source of food at the origin; at the destination, sources of food were limited to the private market. Despite higher food prices at the destination, perceived food affordability was higher during periods of migration, resulting in improved food security. Tubers, rice, and wheat were typically available in the household daily, whereas fruits, eggs, and dairy were typically unavailable during the week. Circular migration can enable short-term food security by improving food affordability. Policy frameworks must address the root causes of chronic food insecurity, especially among rural-to-rural circular migrant families.

Refugee secondary migration from small cities: evidence from Utica, New York

ABSTRACT Refugees in the US have increasingly been resettled in small cities, many of which have viewed refugee resettlement as a means of economic development. Using a unique geo-coded data set of almost 600 refugees from over 30 countries resettled in Utica, New York, our study offers primary evidence on the determinants of refugee intentions to migrate from their resettlement community. We find that human capital, co-ethnic enclaves, length of time in the US, and multigenerational integration play a key role in refugees’ intentions to migrate. While the neighbourhood density of refugees has no impact, increases in the density of co-ethnic enclaves have a strong negative effect on the intent to leave in the near future. This effect is particularly strong during refugees’ first five years in the US. Generation 1.5 refugees are significantly more likely to plan to move than those who arrived to their resettlement community at an older age. Our findings highlight the effects of country of origin, education, age, past family migration, and religious affiliation. For small-city governments and resettlement agencies seeking to retain resettled refugees, our results suggest a focus on building stronger co-ethnic enclaves over an emphasis on the diversity of the resettled refugee population.

Legal Assistance (Social Advocacy) on The Civil Rights of Indonesian Migrant Workers in The Sumber Gede Community

The phenomenon of migrant workers in Indonesia is one of the issues that often cause public unrest. Migrant workers are considered foreign exchange heroes for the country. However, often the problems that afflict these migrant workers are unknown and even untouched while still working or after working as a migrant workers. The purpose of the activity is to provide legal assistance (social advocacy) to the village government and migrant workers to ensure the fulfillment of the rights of migrant workers and increase the capacity of both knowledge and legal information for migrant workers and former migrant workers once a month, provide legal protection information and improve the competence of PMI families and increase the ability and competence of PMI candidates in Sumber Gede Village community every three months. The method used is the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method. It is carried out in Sumber Gede Village, East Lampung Regency, through the stages of problem identification, activity planning, coordination with partners, implementation of activities, and supervision and evaluation. The exercises are strengthening legal literacy through the socialization of the law. No. 18 of 2017 on the protection of Indonesian migrants and Sumber Gede Village Regulation No. 4 of 2021 on the protection of Indonesian migrants, Gender-responsive Case Management Training and Paralegal Training in case handling for women migrant workers. The result of this activity is to increase competence and knowledge for migrant workers, former migrant workers and migrant workers' families both in terms of regulatory knowledge, legal assistance, and improving entrepreneurial skills.

Integration Discourses, the Purification of Gender and Interventions in Family Migrations

ABSTRACT In a critique of integration, Schinkel (2018) highlights the purification of class and race which evacuates explanatory variables from studies of integration as a concept and practice. Surprisingly gendered purification is left out. This article argues that a range of gender issues presenting migrant women, especially from Muslim countries, as being deficient in modernity and contributing to poor social reproduction through their family practices and transnational ties, were at the forefront of political calls for intervention in family lives and the implementation of integration measures in the past two decades. In part this reflects an attempt to alter the class composition of family migrants and bring them closer to middle-class norms and values. Such reductionist and homogenizing representations continue despite the complexity of contemporary family migrations and practices, reinforcing the continuing purification and simplification of categories of analysis in discussions of racialized gender and classed integration in European societies.

Exploring familial factors in the migrant mortality advantage among domestic migrants in later life: Zeeland, the Netherlands, 1812–1962

Many historical and contemporary studies have shown that migrants enjoy survival advantages over non-migrants, even if they originate from higher mortality regimes and have a lower socio-economic and educational status compared to non-migrants in the destination area. This so-called migrant mortality advantage or healthy migrant effect is explained in various ways. One of the main explanations refers to selection effects in the area of origin in the sense that healthier individuals are more likely to move compared to less healthy individuals. So far life-course analysis on the healthy migrant effect were focused on the survival chances of individual migrants compared to non-migrants. However, kin members of migrants might also enjoy survival advantages, given that health and mortality are often clustered in families due to shared environments, behaviors, resources, and household dynamics. We study whether kin members of migrants within the Dutch province of Zeeland also enjoy survival advantages. Although we find a mortality advantage for the migrating men and women in our sample, we find no mortality advantage for their siblings or offspring. However, there was a gendered effect of familial migration in the sense that women, contrary to men, had higher mortality risks if their siblings and parents migrated.

The Quest for Lifestyle: Reverse Family Migration among Hong Kong Returnee Parents

Existing analyses of lifestyle in migration studies have focused on individual, rather than family, aspirations, while studies of Chinese transnational migration have focused on instrumentalism, rather than the quality-of-life factors, driving family migration. Moreover, these two fields of study have tended to center on the privileges of relatively affluent migrants, largely overlooking important familial and economic dimensions for middle- and upper-middle-class migrants. Drawing on 38 in-depth interviews with returnee parents from Hong Kong who have migrated back to their previous places of residence in the West or have plans to do so, this article addresses these gaps by examining reverse family migration considerations. We identify the aspiration for a better quality of life for the family, rather than for the self, as the dominant driver of migration. We find that returnee parents’ main frames of reference for considering how and where to live were shaped by interactions between their children's education, economic factors, transnational mobility, and imaginary and emotional aspects of migration. Our analysis shows the value of engaging with lifestyle in efforts to understand reverse migration among Chinese families. More broadly, this article contributes to better understanding of migration motivation by drawing attention to family-centered lifestyle aspirations and the coexistence of privilege and precarity among relatively affluent middling migrants, areas that have been insufficiently explored in research on Chinese transnational migration and lifestyle migration.

Birth of a virtual community: Supporting Turkish couples' migration duringCOVID‐19

AbstractObjectiveThis research aimed to understand legal and bureaucratic intricacies couples from Turkey and the Netherlands had to face in their marriage migration processes during the COVID‐19 pandemic by analyzing the role of a virtual community in developing coping strategies of multiple agents (partners, as well as lawyers and moderators as third parties).BackgroundThe restrictive requirements for family migration in the Netherlands, which reflect a nation‐state–centered point of view, had consequences on the marriage migration of Turks.MethodsLegal and policy analysis between the years 2004 and 2021 and a netnography covering March 2021 through April 2022 are used. Dutch and EU case law analysis, participant observation in the Facebook group “Hollanda Aile Birleşimi/Gezinshereniging” (The Netherlands Family Reunification), and semistructured interviews with the members of the group are employed.ResultsThe interactions in the Facebook group went beyond simple information dissemination and led to the emergence of a virtual community. It served for the development of intimacy and informal expertise and constituted a venue for developing strategies to cope with bureaucratic, legal, and personal hurdles.ConclusionDuring COVID‐19, the virtual community enabled individuals involved in marriage migration to counter the legal and policy framework.

Everyday Politics of Mobility: Translocal Livelihoods and Illegalisation in the Global South

AbstractThis article contributes to migration and livelihood scholarship by reflecting on global and political dimensions of livelihoods and experiences of illegalisation in Central America. Based on multi-sited ethnographic research with Nicaraguan families and their migrant family members in Costa Rica, the article adopts a translocal livelihood perspective and uses the notion of everyday politics to explore migrants’ mobility practices and nuance the role and reach of illegalisation in relatively accessible South–South migration. In conclusion, the article reinvigorates the notion of ‘everyday politics of mobility’ to incorporate the multi-sitedness, multi-dimensionality and multi-directionality of translocalising livelihoods, offering a lens for future comparison of illegalisation within and beyond the so-called Global South.

THE CONTENT OF THE PSYCHOLOGIST'S WORK WITH CHILDREN OF LABOR MIGRANTS

The article focuses on the fact that labor migration has become a socio-economic phenomenon, and the difficulties caused by the fact that children left in migrant families miss their loved ones and do not feel their love. The work of a psychologist of educational institutions to help these children is highlighted.

Development of a complex intervention (safe and secure) to support non-western migrant patients with palliative care needs and their families.

International evidence supports the benefits of early use of palliative care, although the best use of services is often under-utilised among Danish migrants. The study aims to develop a theoretically informed, evidence-based intervention to increase support in palliative care service provision among non-western migrant patients with a life-threatening disease and their families in Denmark. The overall approach was guided by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions by involving stakeholders for example patients, family caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The intervention was developed iteratively by incorporating theory and evidence. Evidence was synthesized from a systematic review, semi-structured interviews, and group discussions with patients (n=8), family caregivers (n=11), healthcare professionals (n=10); and three workshops with migrants (n=5), social and healthcare professionals (n=6). The study took place in six different settings in two regions across Denmark. The safe and secure complex intervention is a healthcare professional (e.g. nurse, physiotherapist, or occupational therapist) led patient-centred palliative care intervention at the basic level. The final intervention consists of three components 1. Education and training sessions, 2. Consultations with the healthcare professional, and 3. Coordination of care. This study describes the development of a supportive palliative care intervention for non-western migrant patients with palliative care needs and their families, followed by a transparent and systematic reporting process. A palliative care intervention combining multiple components targeting different stakeholders, is expected that safe and secure is more suitable and well customized in increasing access and use of palliative care services for non-western migrant families in Denmark.

Four Novels of 1939: Ambition and Redemption; Ethnicity and Race

Four Novels of 1939: Ambition and Redemption; Ethnicity and Race

“Foreign Worker” Perspectives between German Trade Unions and Turkish Worker Organisations after the Recruitment Ban: Evidence from the Migrant Activism in Frankfurt

With the foreign worker recruitment ban in Federal Germany on 23 November 1973, the public featured one of the most controversial debates on how long the former guest workers would stay, and whether Federal Germany was a country of immigration. Between German trade unions and foreign workers these questions also remained contested during the 1970s. This paper looks into these contestations and explores conceptions of the former “guest workers” represented by the German trade unions and migrant organisations from the recruitment stop (1973) until the decade’s end. It discusses activities by Turkish worker organisations in Frankfurt, which were led by union functionaries and had charters promoting unionism, and compares them with the programmatic positions of the German Trade Union Confederation from the same timeframe. Although the period featured disagreements on the above questions, migrant activism at the local level suggests growing cooperation between trade unions and migrant groups as well as emerging agreements on the common migration issues, most importantly the foreign workers’ return option, their family migration and voting rights in German local elections.