Living abroad on a temporary basis. The economic migration of Romanians: 1990-2006

Dumitru Sandu, Vlad Grigoraș, Georgiana Toth, Alexandru Toth, Ana Bleahu, Cerasela Radu, Cosmin Radu

November, 2006, Bucharest

Report, Survey

Romanian

It is a research report, realized by the Soros Foundation; about the evolution of migration of the Romanian workforce in the period 1989-2006.The data have been collected using a national survey which was administered to a number of 1400 Romanian adults and also to a number of 400 households from two micro areas in Romania: Vrancea and Teleorman.
The study focuses on:
− number- how many leave and how many return;
− social profile – what social typology are people who migrate
− the way things happen – the leaving, the hiring, integration in the new social medium
− the space – where are they going from(regional migration), where to
− motivation and consequences
− time – variations in terms of stages of emigration
To go and work abroad was an innovation for the Romanian society after 1989, and had an initial period, followed by a maximum of social contagiousness. First stage: 1990 -1995: the rates of annual emigration for the period did not overpass the level of 5‰. The second stage: 1996-2001 – the emigration rate reaches 6-7‰.
After 2002 (the right to have access to the Schengen space) working abroad becomes a mass-phenomenon, with an emigration rate between 10‰ and 28‰. Over one third of Romania's households, approximately two and a half million citizens, have had at least one member abroad since 1989. 12% of 18 to 59 year old Romanians have worked abroad after 1989.
At the beginning of the 90's Israel and Turkey were the main centers of attraction for work. Italy, Germany and Hungary had a second place. Almost 1/5 of the total amounts of departures were towards Israel. Afterwards, from 1996 to 2001 Italy becomes leader of attraction for the Romanians who want to work abroad. Israel goes to a second place. During the third period, starting with 2002, there is an amount of departures of 50% towards Italy and towards Spain 25%.

It tells us something about the causes and consequences of the migratory phenomenon. It is a multi faceted phenomenon: it can be good for some people, for some time, at a certain point – it means the decrease of poverty and unemployment, it means a car, a house, a better job, a better education, multiple opportunities; but it can also be bad for others – it means family and community dysfunctions: divorces, monoparental families, infractionality, drugs, traffic in human beings, ageing population. People in the communities which were exposed to migration discovered the well fare of their neighbors and the microbe spread easily due to the improvement in the way of life of the people who experienced migration or the families of these people.
The future of migration from Romania is influenced by three aspects CHANGE, WELL FARE AND EDUCATION.

http://www.osf.ro/en/fisier_acord_articole.php?document=27

Victor Balaniuc

`Carmen Sylva` Pedagogical High school, Timisoara, Romania

Pupil - researcher