Intra‐Household Conflicts in Migration Decisionmaking: Return and Pendulum Migration in Morocco

Abstract

By analyzing the migration behavior and transnational residential strategies of first-generation, aging migrants from a particular Moroccan sending region, this study contributes to a conceptual critique of migration theories that identify the household as the most relevant decisionmaking unit. It highlights the role of intra-household power inequalities and conflicts in migration decisionmaking as well as the effects of migration decisions for intra-household power relations. Many labor migrants who left Morocco to work in Europe in the 1960s and 1970s did not realize their wish to return but instead ended up reunifying their families at the destination. An increasing proportion adopts a pendulum migration strategy to reconcile their own wish to retain strong ties with Morocco with the reluctance of children and spouses to return. Migrants who unilaterally decided not to reunify their families usually return after their active working life. However, this unilateral decision also blocks legal entry into Europe for their children, which has generated considerable intergenerational tensions.

Returning ‘home’ after retirement? The role of gender in return migration decisions of Spanish and Turkish migrants

“…De Haas and Fokkema (2010) found, similarly, that sons of Moroccan return migrants tend to resent their fathers' decision to return since it blocks their own chances of gaining admission to Europe.…”

“…Although retirement migration in general is increasingly studied, the experiences of post-retirement returnees are still largely under-researched, especially from a gender lens (exceptions include Ackers and Dwyer, 2002;Balkır and Böcker, 2015;Bolzman et al, 2006;De Coulon and Wolff, 2010;De Haas and Fokkema, 2010;Hunter, 2011;Krumme, 2004). Earlier studies on return migration to the Mediterranean region have focussed mainly on the return of working-age migrants and do not incorporate the experiences of post-retirement returnees in their analysis.…”

Transnational Aging

“…The qualitative study of De Haas and Fokkema (2010) on older Moroccan pendular and return migrants is an excellent example in showing that the two migrant groups differ mainly with respect to the location of their family members: while pendular migrants generally brought over their wives and children in the 1970s and 1980s, most return migrants decided to leave their family in the country of origin. Several quantitative studies have also shown that, besides economic ties (e.g.…”

“…Key reasons to stay include living close to children and grandchildren, retaining pension rights and residence permits, and having access to good quality of healthcare services and social security (Bolzman et al, 2006;De Haas & Fokkema, 2010;Ganga, 2006;White, 2006). Making the decision to maintain official residence in Europe does not mean, however, that older migrants cut or loosen the ties with their country of origin.…”

“…Moreover, although official statistics are not available, an increasing number of older migrants seem to have adopted pendular strategies, that is, traveling back and forth and spending several months per year in their country of origin (Baldassar & Merla, 2013;Baykara-Krumme, 2013;De Haas & Fokkema, 2010;Ganga, 2006;Hunter, 2011;Warnes & Williams, 2006). A Dutch survey among the largest groups of older migrants, carried out in 2003, showed that 17% of the Surinamese, 28% of the Turkish and 30% of the Moroccan respondents aged 65 and over had been in their home country in the previous year for more than three consecutive months (Schellingerhout, 2004a).…”