Children and Migration in the CEE/CIS countries July 2007, Sofie.
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Transcript of Children and Migration in the CEE/CIS countries July 2007, Sofie.
Children and Migration in the CEE/CIS countries
July 2007, Sofie
Impact of remittances and migration on children, families and communities in Albania
Institute for Economy, Finance and Business
February , 2007
Country context
2005________________________________________________
Population (in million) 3.142
Children under 15 years old (in thousand) 820
GDP per capita (current USD) 2,664
Unemployment rate (%) 14.1
Poverty rate (%) $ PPP 2.15/day 18.5
Estimated number of migrants abroad
(in thousand) 750
Remittances (as % of GDP) 14
_________________________________________________
Goal of the study:
Understanding social impact that migration and remittances have on children left behind
Objectives: - analyze and describe the impact of remittances and
migration on child well-being (physical and emotional)
- providing of policy recommendations vis a vis the improvement of social assistance and social care system
Methodological Tools
- Desk review of existing documents on migration for
Albania and other countries
- Conduction of focus group discussions with children aged 10-14 years old
- Conduction of focus group discussions and in depth interviews with care givers (mostly mothers), schoolteachers, community health practitioners, social administrators and local leaders.
Geographical coverage:
Selection of 14 municipality /communes in
north, south and center with high level of
migration abroad.
Consult draft report with key stakeholders
Main findings
Patterns of external migration
Massive external migration within a short period –
750,000 Albanians or 1/5 of total population has left
country and is living abroad
Migration is a survival strategy against poverty and
unemployment
Economic 74 percent,
Social-cultural, politic, other reasons 26 percent
Patterns of external migration
Migrants are mostly male of age group 20-40 years
According geographical areas: migration abroad is
phenomenon concentrated in poor mountain areas, rural
areas and border areas with Greece.
Migration is high among unemployed people, rural
people and high skilled workers (77 percent) as they find
jobs in accordance with their qualification.
At household level: Poverty reduction.
LSMS Study in 2002
Income poverty incidence among household with migrant member is lower that other households 12 percent compare to 31 percent)
Remittances represent 13 percent of total income
Economic impact of external migration
Economic impact of external migration
At national level: Remittances play an important role in Albanian economy Remittances made the largest source of foreign exchange, constituting 14 percent of GDP that was greater than combined value of exports and foreign direct investments in that year. Improved employment as remittances are invested in starting new businessesIncreased human capital as migrants learn new skills and work practices
Impact of external migration on children left behind –a neglected issue
- Information gaps
- Insufficient policy responses
What we know about children left behind in AlbaniaNumber of children left behind has decreased thanks to
improvements on migration policies (legalization of
illegal emigrants, reconciliation’s of migrant families
and creation of conditions for migration of the entire
family)
- in 1990 - 3 percent of migrants, migrated with family,
- in 1995 - 31 percent of migrants abroad live with their - family,
- in 2006 – 58 percent
Mho migrates, father, mother or both? Who cares for children?
Migration of one parent is dominant form – mostly fathers
migrate
However there are children whose both parents have
migrated.
Most of migrant’s children live with their mothers; less
with grandparents, even less with relatives (uncle, aunts,
cousins) and very few in childcare institutions.
Does migration of parents have impact on children well-being?
Positive impact: Reduction of income poverty
Income poverty incidence among household with
migrant member is lower that other households
(group discussions)
Economic difficulties are reduced thanks to the
remittances received. Improved consumption
patterns
Positive impact on physical well-being of children
Improvement in food consumption patters, housing
condition and access to basic services (such running
water and sanitation), have improved data on
malnourishment and child diseases.
Community health practitioners state that in families with
a migrant member the incidence of malnourishment,
diarrhea, and chronic respiratory diseases is lower.
Positive impact on child education
Schoolteachers and caregiver state that remittances have improved access to better education for longer and have reduced child labor. School abandonment rate in obligatory school is low (about 2 percent) and is higher among poor children.
Chance for attending education beyond obligatory school is higher among migrants’ children – many of them participate in private courses improving knowledge in difficult school subjects like math, learn foreign languages or improve computer skills.
Negative impacts
Divorces has increased
Girls migrate to escape domestic violence
Girls migrate for a better life without having the rights information, being risked of exploitation and prostitution
Cases of homicide due to honor
There are migrant children that work and has abandon the school - in households where remittances either are inexistent or insufficient to guarantee the basic living conditions.
We do not know how many they are? Where they live? What help them stop working and be back to school?
Are all migrants' children lucky?
Are all migrants’ children lucky?
Migrant children left in child care institutions – suffer
severe emotional problems.
Small number of institutionalized children is due to
strong family ties or insufficient capacities in child
care institutions?
Parent migration produce emotional crises on children left behind
Character of child, child age, substitute care, frequency of communication with migrant parent - are determinants that affect social and emotional well -being of children left behind.
Does mother or extended family fill the vacuum left by migrant parents?
Teachers and care givers (in group discussions) report some emotional and behavioral changes. Some migrant children feel angry, confused, lonely and unloved. No study tackle that problem.
Do children left behind enjoy child rights
Children have the right to grow up with their parentsand keep personal relations - this is difficult for migrant children.
Admistrative barriers for family reconciliation's preventmany children from this right. Number of family reconciliation have increased, but still many children are in waiting lists.
Different difficulties in communication with family left behind is producing family breakdown. There are migrant parents who disregard obligations toward their children (including phone communication and personal contacts)
Policy responsesA. Social Policy mechanism: Children left behind are not yet considered as a vulnerable group. No social policy or strategy to protect them exists.
Actual social assistance legislation do not support children left behind with economic difficulties
Lack of structures and expertise at community level to tackle emotional problems of families and children left behind
Lack of facilities to increase frequency of communication with internet or email.
Policy responses
B, Migration Policy
Legalization procedures
Labor migration
Family reunification
Critical issues
Bridging agendas among institutions (donors and government)
Capacity development of research institutions
Raising awareness of media on the critical issues related to migration
Budget?