Romania-emigration`s impact on families and children

Abstract

After 1989, Romania was confronted with international migration, which resulted in a diminishment of the stable resident population. Between 1989 and 2012 the stable population of Romania decreased by more than 3.1 million. More than 77 % of the negative growth of the resident population (stable) during this period was due to migration. The migration phenomenon has stirred controversy not only in political circles, but also at societal level, at interpersonal level, causing physical and emotional fractures between communities, friends and families. The effects on the families were, among others, an imbalance between the importance given to some its fundamental functions: the economic function is valued above the social and educational function. Parents going abroad (in most cases due to economic factors) may have negative influences on children. Children left in the care of a guardian or worse, left home alone by parents who went to work, to seek a better life in another country will face social problems caused by joining entourages that will have a negative effect on their school results, sometimes culminating in dropping out of school. Based on these issues, in this paper we propose an analysis of works and studies on migration and its effects on families and the children left behind. From the methodological point of view, we chose to analyze reports of public or private institutions, studies and articles, so that we can better grasp the phenomenon and potentially lay down some conclusions and recommendations.