specific needs of children and elderly left behind as a ... - IOM Moldova

The perception of labour migration
At the same time, on the background of an initial acceptance, most elderly
would like to have their children at home: “we never agreed, but they asked me
and I said it was ok. You ask me why – well, because it is the biggest spiritual and
bodily pain to part with your children and I lay my head down on my pillow but
my mind is far in America, Portugal and Spain and I keep thinking that I gave
them birth, I raised them as a true Christians but they had to leave to be able to
survive...” (III_E_5). They wish their children to have a traditional family.
We can conclude that the level of acceptance of children’s labour migration
depends on the social status of the elderly. The lower it is, the deeper the feeling
of uselessness and abandonment of the elderly becomes. The attempt to justify
the migration of their children as well as their abandonment without leaving
any money or leaving them in residential institutions seems to be governed
by the hope of the elderly to change things. The necessity to take care of their
grandchildren does not generally cause difficulties in accepting their children’s
migration, this being determined by the regaining of some social roles as well
as traditions related to autonomous families. The study reveals a dependency
between the age of the elderly, their capacity to take care of themselves and the
level of accepting their children’s departure abroad. The compliance of the elderly,
including those that are institutionalized and those that take care of their
grandchildren, within a situation where they have to accept their children’s migration,
sits within the context of a background of disapproval and is linked to
the disintegrated family lifestyle. They wished that their children would have a
more traditional family.
• Explaining the reasons for their children’s migration
• Children’s labour migration is explained by elderly, first of all, by financial
or survival reasons: ”gaining 800 lei per month was not enough for
her and she decided to leave for Moscow” (III_E_3). Still, the economic
factor, even if important, is not the only one that determines the decision
to migrate. The interviewed named several reasons for their leaving
abroad for work:
• The liquidation of factories, plants: ”in Hîncesti 830 people left abroad.
They had no jobs – the plant was closed.”; “...there were no jobs – the kolkhoz
was liquidated” (FG_E_4_rural_asylum);
• The lack of opportunities to get a job, unemployment, sharp economic
crisis: “their financial situation was bad. Their children were little and they
had no jobs. He was receiving 300-400 lei, what could he do for his family with
that? Although she was a governess she couldn’t find a job” (III_E_19); “my
girls left because they couldn’t find a job here...” (FG_E_4_rural_asylum);
• Unattractive labour market, the search of better-paid jobs: “Yes, she
had to go. Teachers were always paid badly. She worked as a teacher for 20
33