Some 536,000 children– nearly a quarter of Romanian children– have had at least one parent going abroad to work, according to a study carried out by the organization Save the Children Romania.
For women, the top destinations are Italy (21%), Spain (17%), and Austria (12%), while for men, Germany (24%), Italy (22%), and the United Kingdom (14%).
Between June 2021-June 2022, „13.8% of children had at least one of their parents working abroad, according to the research conducted by the Save the Children Romania Organization.
Of the total children surveyed who have or have ever had parents working abroad, 61.5% said that only the father (about 587,000 children) left, while 20.4% only the mother (approx. 194,000 children). Some 173,000 children reported both parents went abroad for work.
At the same time, more than half of the children (57%) said that they were either not asked by their parents whether or not they agreed, or they didn’t want their parents to go and work in another country.
According to the study, mothers leaves on the average for the first time when the child is 6 years and 11 months old and has been away, on average, 3.2 years out of the 4.5 years in which the child has faced mother migration. Of the mothers who went to work abroad, 58% return to the country every year, the study shows.
At the same time, out of the total number of children aged between 15 and 17 years – teenagers – who have at least one parent left the country, 1 in 5 (20%) talk to them weekly or less often. Most communicate via video (77%).
The study also reveals that the main areas in which mothers of children who have gone abroad work are cleaning (23%), care of the elderly (23%), agriculture (20%), housekeeping (12%), hotel (9%). In the case of fathers who left to work abroad, the most common areas are driver/ taxi/ transport (28%), construction (27%), agriculture (19%), hotel (9%), industry (4%).
Between June 2021 and June 2022, 184,000 children were totally deprived of the direct care of their parents, having either both parents or the sole parent supporting the family working abroad, according to Save the Children Organization.
The majority of parents (87%) sent money to their relatives and children in Romania.
Among the reasons behind the parents’ decision to go to work abroad are:
- Some (36% of mothers reported low income, while 32% of fathers cited this as the reason;
- To improve the family’s welfare was the reason given by fathers (33%) compared to mothers (26%).
- To earn money for their children’s education was given by 11% of mothers and 5% pf fathers.
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