“They have better opportunities over there”
Rationalizing emigration of young family members by left-behind older family embers in south-east Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57947/qrp.v61i1.27Keywords:
migration, left behind older parents, social policies, social workers, south-east NigeriaAbstract
A significant trend in human mobility in recent times is an unbroken upward trend in the number of people that migrate to other countries daily. The increasing migration is as a result of globalization as well as technological improvement in recent times, especially in the areas of communication and transportation which have made movement easier, cheaper, and faster. International migration is therefore a reality of our contemporary world. About 272 million international migrants were recorded across the globe in the year 2019. In Nigeria also, the number of young persons living outside the shores of the country has increased greatly in recent years. With the increasing number of young Nigerians migrating to other countries and given the supportive roles they play in the life of older adults, one expects a more challenging future for the left-behind. Left-behind older family members are found to report cases of chronic diseases, presence of depressive symptoms, and self-perceived loneliness. The study therefore sought to ascertain the views of older adults on emigration of younger family members in South-east Nigeria. The New Economics of Labour Migration (NELM) Theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to generate data on a sample of (N = 58), left-behind older adults aged 60 years or older. The generated data were subjected to thematic analysis and the findings revealed that the young family members have more opportunities abroad than in Nigeria. The left-behind older family members indicated that they fully support the migration of their young family members because of the economic conditions of the country. The study therefore recommends functional policies that address proper well-being of these older adults. Further we recommend social work interventions aimed at ensuring the strengthening of family ties and maintaining adequate social support to left-behind older adults.
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