The diversity and welfare of older migrants in Europe

Abstract

This paper sets the scene and provides a conceptual framework for the articles in this special issue. They present the findings of research on European residents who have reached or are on the threshold of old age and whose current circumstances have been strongly influenced by a migration across an international border. Such ‘older migrants’ are scattered throughout Europe and they have especially diverse characteristics. They include some of the most deprived and socially excluded, and some of the most affluent and accomplished, but all to a greater or lesser extent are disadvantaged through an interaction between social policies and their ‘otherness’ by living in a foreign country. Some claim attention through the severity of their unmet health and welfare needs and poor capacity to access advice and treatment, while the affluent groups are of great interest to social gerontology because of their enterprising, developmental and positive approaches to old age. They include among the most innovative of the latest generation of older people, who pursue new combinations of family responsibilities, leisure pursuits and income generation. The paper proposes that the concept ‘human capital’ summarises variations in preparedness for old age, that is, the resources by which people cope with demands for income, roles, treatment, care and support. A typology of the ‘welfare position’ of international migrants in contemporary Europe is presented.

Transnational Aging

“…This view is in line with the phenomenon of "sunset, lifestyle, amenity-seeking and retirement migration" (Huber & O'Reilly, 2004;King et al, 2000;Warnes et al, 2004): European retirees migrating to the south of the continent or American seniors to the Sun Belt states, looking for new lifestyles, coastal resorts and spas (Casado-Díaz et al, 2004;Warnes & Williams, 2006), wonderful landscapes like the Costa del Sol and Tuscany (King et al, 2000), but far from reality for the majority of the older labor migrants (Božić, 2006), who differ economically, physically and socially from Western countries' retirees and who often belong to the pool of the "most disadvantaged and socially-excluded of western Europe's older people" (Warnes & Williams, 2006: 7). In addition, although most of the pendular migrants of the older first generations, including our respondents, go to their homeland for social and environmental reasons (Cela & Fokkema, 2014;Weltevrede et al, 2013;Witter, 2011), some nuances of their stay should be mentioned.…”

Negotiating the Challenges of Aging as a British Migrant in Spain

“…British retirement migration to Spanish coastal resorts (costas) has been well documented (see Ahmed 2011;2015a;Hall, 2011;Hall and Hardill, 2014;Oliver, 2008;O'Reilly, 2000;2003; and is in part attributed to enabling upper structural forces (O'Reilly, 2012) such as globalisation, economic growth, EU enlargement post the 1992 Maastricht Treaty (Huete and Mantecon, 2012;Janoshka, 2011;Warnes, Friedrich, Kellaher & Torres, 2004 ), and more proximate structural layers like speculative housing development, established tourist infrastructures and transport links (O'Reilly, 2012). No longer limited to an elite group (Ahmed, 2015a;Huete & Mantecon, 2012), retirement migration to Spain escalated dramatically during the late 20 th and early 21 st centuries as a result of early retirement 1 and longer life expectancy, changing aspirations, increased affluence and mobility among the older population alongside positive constructions of early old age (Casado Diaz, 2006;King, Warnes & Williams, 1998;Rodriguez et al, 1998;Warnes et al, 2004).…”

“…No longer limited to an elite group (Ahmed, 2015a;Huete & Mantecon, 2012), retirement migration to Spain escalated dramatically during the late 20 th and early 21 st centuries as a result of early retirement 1 and longer life expectancy, changing aspirations, increased affluence and mobility among the older population alongside positive constructions of early old age (Casado Diaz, 2006;King, Warnes & Williams, 1998;Rodriguez et al, 1998;Warnes et al, 2004). Retired British people move to Spain to enjoy the Mediterranean climate, available amenities, relaxed pace of life, lower cost of living and the fact that English is widely spoken (see Ahmed, 2015a;Huete and Mantecon, 2012;King et al, 1998;King, Warnes & Williams, 2000;O'Reilly, 2003;Rodriguez, Fernandez-Mayoralas, & Rojo, 1998).…”

Healthy and unhealthy migrant effect on the mortality of immigrants from wealthy countries residing in Spain

“…In wealthy countries many persons retire from the labour force because they develop diseases that make it impossible to work. [10][11] Since this disability leads to reduced income, some people move to other countries where the cost of living is lower and the quality of life is similar to that of their country of origin. In these cases, any attempt to explain the mortality of immigrants from wealthy countries should consider the possibility that they are less healthy than the population in their country of origin.…”