The Social Security Rights of Older International Migrants in the European Union

Abstract

Union. AbstractEurope is now home to a significant and diverse population of older international migrants. Social and demographic changes have forced the issue of social security in old age onto the European social policy agenda in the last decade. In spite of an increased interest in the financial wellbeing of older people, many retired international migrants who are legally resident in the European Union face structured disadvantages. It is argued that four linked factors are of particular importance in shaping the pension rights and levels of financial provision available to individual older migrants; migration history, socio-legal status, past relationship to the paid labour market and location within a particular EU Member State. Building on a typology of older migrants originally outlined by Warnes et al (2004) the paper outlines the ways in which policy at both the European Union and Member State levels serves to diminish rather than enhance the social security rights of certain older international. migrants.

Late-life Asian immigrants managing wellness through contributing to socially embedded networks

“…It seems that any immigrant health advantage, observed when good migrant health is a host-country pre-requisite, is off-set by evidence of late-life immigrants' risks for a rapid decline in health, the longer they stay in the host country (Rote & Markides, 2014). In essence, people's age and migration history (Shin, Han, & Kim, 2007), including the countries of origin and destination, and duration of resettlement, intersect to shape late-life immigrants' well-being, and may act to systematically disadvantage them (Dwyer & Papadimitriou, 2006). However, strong relationships within socially embedded networks seem to be an important mediator for late-life immigrants' psychological well-being.…”

Population, Migration, Ageing and Health: A Survey

“…In particular, economically inactive individuals' right to reside in the host country is constrained by a 'resources requirement' 20 according to which migrants must provide proof that they have sufficient resources not to become a burden on the host country welfare state. At the same time, elderly migrants' decision to return home after some time spent in the host country may not entitle them to the rights they could have enjoyed in their origin country before departure, since entitlement to specific benefits may require proof of habitual residence (Dwyer and Papadimitriou, 2006). This translates into large numbers of migrant retirees who do not regularize their position since they fear there might be difficulties if at some point they decide to migrate back to their origin country.…”

“…The existing arrangements imply that international migrants who move for work reasons and then decide to retire in the host country have their portability rights more clearly regulated and are in a better position than those who decide to migrate after retirement (see e.g., Ackers andDwyer, 2004, Dwyer andPapadimitriou, 2006). Under EU regulation, migrants' social status and rights to claim welfare benefits in the host country strongly depend on their relations with the host country labour market.…”

Transnational aging: toward a transnational perspective in old age research

“…The majority of studies on aging migrant populations focuses on their vulnerabilities originating from the risks of migration and the accumulation of disadvantages through their life course (Dwyer and Papadimitriou 2006). Accordingly, these studies tend to examine the stressors older migrants encounter in their country of residence and to analyze the relationships between ethnicity and social disadvantages (Baykara-Krumme et al 2012).…”