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

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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?