Non profit
The psychology of abandonment
Conference in Brussels raises awareness of impact of migration on children left behind by parents working abroad
di Staff
A conference being held on March 2 at the European Parliament in Brussels by Italian NGO L’Albero della Vita aims to raise awareness of the plight of the 500 thousand children who are “left behind” by the migration abroad of one or both parents.
Romania, the Baltic states and Poland are among the countries most affected by the phenomenon, which is driven by economic hardship and by hopes of a better life elsewhere, mainly countries like Italy, Spain, France and the UK.
Interviews carried out with Romanian parents who have been separated from their children by migration, indicated that 66 per cent of parents felt their economic conditions had improved since migrating abroad and that this meant better opportunities for their children: higher standards of life allowed to provide more goods such as clothing, shoes and toys. However, 31 per cent of those interviewed said that migration had not brought better living conditions and that their children had to be looked after by members of the extended family or friends.
Separating children from their parents often has very serious psychological and sociological implications. Children are more likely to be aggressive and violent and become involved in petty criminality. In Romania, a study carried out in 2008found that out of the 338 children reported to have committed a crime, 250 were children “left behind” by migration. The lack of parental care is extremely noticeable in education and schooling: 2 per cent of children left behind have dropped out of school.
These and other problems will be discussed among different actors including political leaders, NGOs and academics during the Conference “Left Behind – The impact of economic migration on children left behind and their families” to be held in Brussels on 2 March. The morning session, which will be held at the Leopold Hotel, will showcase the situation of the countries of origin most affected by migration such as Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, but also of the countries of destination of migrants: Italy, Spain, France, UK. In the afternoon session, in the European Parliament, morning conclusions will be discussed with MEPs and representatives of the European Commission and Council of Europe.
The conference is promoted by L’Albero della Vita, an Italian NGO that has worked for 14 years to protect children in Italy and overseas; by the educational partner Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti and the European Network Eurochild. The event will be hosted by Vice-President MEP Roberta Angelilli (Italy), MEP Rovana Plumb (Romania) and member of the EP’s Bureau MEP Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedemberg (Poland). The debate among high level personalities, MEPs and Mr Patrizio Paoletti, president of the two foundations promoters of the event, aims to raise awareness and design coordinated actions to tackle the issue.
