Chain Migration: Pros and Cons in Terms of Ukrainian Migrants in Spain

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Chain Migration: Pros and Cons in Terms of Ukrainian Migrants in Spain

Journal Title: Демографія та соціальна економіка - Year 2014, Vol 21, Issue

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show the subjective evaluation of migration project made by Ukrainian immigrants to Spain. To explore this topic the research material of the PhD thesis on «Integration of Ukrainian Immigrants into the Spanish Society: A Case Study of the Basque Country» has been used that includes 41 in-depth interviews with Ukrainian immigrants in Spain. This subjective evaluation of migration project is done, first of all, through recommendations of Spain as destination country for friends and relatives of respondents. Research outcomes demonstrate that more than a half of research participants would recommend migration project to Spain to their friends and relatives. This fact illustrates positive evaluation of migration experience by Ukrainian labor workers. However, at the same time, a significant group of people (a third of research participants) is observed that does not advice migration project start in Spain. And this negative answer of respondents was not influenced by the negative experience faced in Spain, but by responsibilities that immigrants have to take inviting their relatives or friends to the host country. This situation shows that the migration project of Ukrainians in Spain has been based and still exists on the ground of the social capital and social network of interviewees. As this type of mobility unites people in both the host and home country, it can be found in the literature also as «chain migration». The main peculiarities of this type of migration consist in the principles that make it live: they are familism and patronage. So, it can be concluded that a third of research participants are not ready for patronage function. As research field work was conducted in the time of the economic crisis (June 16 – September 22, 2010), interviewees put an emphasis on the difficulties that will be faced by newcomers in the job search. Furthermore, situation of newcomers will also be complicated by the lack of the regular status (residence and work permit) and fluency of the Spanish language command. Nevertheless, majority of respondents stressed that they would recommend chain migration experience to their friends and relatives as a tool for fighting poverty.

Authors and Affiliations

G. Gorodetska

Keywords

poverty chain migration social network subjective evaluation of migration experience made by Ukrainian migrants.

EP ID EP287190
DOI 10.15407/dse2014.01.203
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