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Long‐Term Care Crisis in The Netherlands and Migration of Live‐in Care Workers: Transnational Trajectories, Coping Strategies and Motivation Mixes
Author(s) -
BruquetasCallejo María
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international migration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.681
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1468-2435
pISSN - 0020-7985
DOI - 10.1111/imig.12628
Subject(s) - coping (psychology) , agency (philosophy) , welfare state , care work , financial crisis , sociology , work (physics) , political science , business , economic growth , public relations , psychology , economics , politics , social science , psychiatry , law , mechanical engineering , macroeconomics , engineering
Abstract The crisis of the welfare state has generated a powerful pulling effect for contemporary intra‐European migration flows. This article focuses on the migration of live‐in care workers from Central and East European countries to the Netherlands, following the Dutch care reform. It explores the motivations and strategies of live‐in migrant carers (LIMC) engaging in transnational mobility, aiming to understand how their agency is structured in multiple contexts. I am especially interested in transnational coping strategies and in how migrants pursue specific motivation mixes combining need and self‐realization. The article draws on in‐depth interviews with LIMC workers, triangulated with data from LIMC providers, family carers and other stakeholders. Participants use the LIMC jobs to cope with home and host country constraints, reconcile work and private life, and keep family ties. Continuous mobility is a strategic choice, which makes tough working conditions bearable and enables the achievement of long‐term goals.