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Transnational Health Insurances as Social Remittances: The Case of Congolese Immigrants in Belgium

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Migration and Social Remittances in a Global Europe

Part of the book series: Europe in a Global Context ((EGC))

Abstract

There are different ways by which immigrants can help relatives to access health care in the homeland. Beyond financial remittances, this chapter looks at “transnational health insurances” (THIs) as a specific form of social remittances. THIs are insurance schemes set up by immigrants in cooperation with public and private actors in the home and host societies in order to provide health coverage to relatives across borders. Looking at the creation and implementation of THIs in the Belgian-Congolese postcolonial context, the authors discuss the nature of such remittances, the drivers of immigrant transnational engagement and its impact on communities in origin countries. The data used in this chapter was collected during extensive multi-sited fieldwork in Belgium and the DR Congo between January 2012 and August 2013.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Liege, Liege, Belgium

    Jean-Michel Lafleur & Olivier Lizin

Authors
  1. Jean-Michel Lafleur
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  2. Olivier Lizin
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Magdalena Nowicka

  2. Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Vojin Šerbedžija

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Lafleur, JM., Lizin, O. (2016). Transnational Health Insurances as Social Remittances: The Case of Congolese Immigrants in Belgium. In: Nowicka, M., Šerbedžija, V. (eds) Migration and Social Remittances in a Global Europe. Europe in a Global Context. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60126-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60126-1_10

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-60125-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-60126-1

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