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Family Strategies in Hungary: The Role of Undocumented Migrants in Eldercare

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Abstract

In Hungary until recently there are no research data on undocumented migrants working in the field of eldercare. Qualitative research conducted in 2009–2011 examined this ‘invisible’ segment working in long-term care. One of the target groups this study was families employing undocumented migrants including ethnic Hungarians from neighbouring Romania (Transylvania) and Ukraine (Subcarpathia). The paper explores this data to address where the employment of invisible migrants appears in the long-term eldercare strategies of Hungarian families. In addition, this paper examines the role of Hungarian non-migrant carers who are also present on the illegal (black) labour market providing eldercare. Based on analysis of macro data and empirical research, the paper identifies several care strategies utilised by families caring for older people in Hungary: 1. Active family carer; 2. Inactive family carer; 3. Family carer receiving a care allowance; 4. Family care with shared responsibility; 5. Family employing legal carer; 6. Family employing undocumented non-migrant carer; 7. Family carer also with earnings on the black market; and 8. Family employing undocumented migrant carer. This paper also highlights that a decline in the trend of migration in the near future will bring an erosion of the existing care source that has not been anticipated by policy related to eldercare. The increase in the retirement age causes women’s later exit from the labour market, aggravating the problem of balancing care and work. This increase in the retirement age, considered to be essential for ensuring the sustainability of the pension system, will inevitably result in a shortage of services with all its financial and structural implications. As women will no longer be able to perform care tasks, the formal care system will be unable to cope with the extra demand.

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Notes

  1. In some other countries the family was an important care resource as well. In Poland, for example, the cohabiting family has played a major role in organizing support for the elderly (Bledowski et al. 2006).

  2. Migrants have been in the focus of researchers and studies for a long time (e.g. NORFACE 2005–2007; Socci et al. 2003 9–13; Lamura et al. 2009; Leeson 2004; Lutz 2008; Lamura et al. 2009; Österle and Bauer 2011; Hoff 2011; FEMAGE 2011) including invisible migration. An interesting ongoing research is examining the invisible elder migrant carers from Eastern Europe in Swiss eldercare (Schilliger 2011).

  3. Migrant carers going from Hungary to other countries are not discussed in this paper.

  4. E.g. the migrants’ interpersonal relations, the reasons for their migration, the way they are seen in the sending and receiving country, etc. It is not possible within the given frames to analyse all the rich material collected.

  5. An 11 year longitudinal study (in a random sample of 6,000 persons in 1983, 21,000 in 1988, 18,000 in 1994–95 and 12,600 in the first half of 2002) found a connection between chronic stress detrimental to the health and the mortality rate, causing a high incidence of cardiovascular diseases and cancer especially among the economically active, only 40 % of which could be attributed to traditional risk factors (smoking, heavy drinking, unhealthy diet). A high degree of risk was found especially for men over 50 (up to the age of 65). The main risk factor for men was unemployment followed by disintegration of the wider social net (including their workplace contacts). Women’s strong social net and other tasks (e.g. family tasks) and religiosity also served as protective factors (Kopp 2003).

  6. Family Code, Poland; Constitution and Civil Code, Lithuania; Marriage and Family Relations, Slovenia (CDCS 2001: 33).

  7. Percentage of persons over 60 using basic services in 2001: 5 % home help, 3 % home help and meals on wheels together, 12 % meals on wheels (KSH 2003: 92).

  8. In Slovenia the retirement age was 53 years.

  9. Six times lower than in Denmark (23.5 %), Belgium (23.2 %), Germany (26 %) and ten times lower than in the Netherlands (Eurostat 2007b/21 4).

  10. Spouse, partner, first-degree relative, spouse of first degree relative, first-degree relative or sibling of spouse, adopted, step- or foster child, step- or foster parent, sibling or spouse of sibling.

  11. In 2011 23,600 HUF/approx. 80 EURO vs. 78,000 HUF/270 EUR.

  12. E.g. in the UK, following amendment of the Social Welfare Act 2009, municipalities are obliged to support carers, including the right to assess their own needs.

  13. Men participate in care in both the old and the new member countries but in the EU15 there is a bigger difference between the genders in care given in daily elder/sick care. The EQLS survey found that in the EU15 3 % of men and 9 % of women perform care tasks, while in the NMS12 the corresponding figures are 5 % for men and 8 % for women (Anderson et al. 2009). The majority of carers in Hungary were women, daughters caring for a parent, but sons also took part in providing care and their role in this direction has not changed over the years (Utasi 2002).

  14. In 2011 217,000 HUF/800 EUR.

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  1. Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Sociology, Országház u.30, 1014, Budapest, Hungary

    Zsuzsa Szeman

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Szeman, Z. Family Strategies in Hungary: The Role of Undocumented Migrants in Eldercare. Population Ageing 5, 97–118 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-012-9060-1

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