Ageing and Migration in Europe

Ageing and migration have become key topics in Europe today, as a large number of first generation immigrants of the 1970s are currently approaching retirement age in many European countries. Although the idea of return migration might often be well present in the lives of ageing migrants, an actual permanent return to the country of origin seems to be enacted more seldom by today’s immigrants after retirement. This might be due to several reasons such as social aspects (e.g., family and friends), economic issues or health. It is therefore of prime importance to learn more about the particular needs and resources of older migrants and their families. Ageing migrants face undoubtedly a special situation: The acculturation situation may result in an increased need for social support due to fewer sociocultural resources in the host country; however, they may also have a smaller social network due to difficulties in adapting to the host country. Within migrant families, an acculturation gap between first and second generation might further lead to different expectations regarding intergenerational solidarity and support, and this can have negative effects on well-being of the different family members. Issues of assistance and care for aged migrants will thus be crucial both for the receiving society which has to address issues of diversity, integration and social cohesion, as well as for families which provide still the lion’s share of support for the aged. Policy makers and practitioners are conscious of the increasing importance of these issues, but more research is needed in order to improve the provisions of age-specific services and assistance for ageing migrants and their families. The present symposium aims to put issues of migration and ageing on the agenda and to raise the awareness of these hot topics in today’s society. It brings together leading researchers in the field of ageing and migration from four different European countries which are characterized by a large share of immigrants in their population, namely UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Contributions will focus on different, country specific immigrant (and national) groups, examining aspects of ethnic identity and multiculturalism, intergenerational relations, social networks, support and care as well as different aspects of well-being in the context of acculturation. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be applied. The presented studies will be discussed with respect to similarities and differences between immigrant groups and different acculturation contexts, and implications for policies regarding ageing and migration in Europe will be considered. Further, lacks in current knowledge will be addressed and suggestions for future research activities will be presented.