The Effects of the Economic Crisis and the Voluntary Return of immigrants in Portugal
Author
Reis, Margarida
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2012
Submitted on
2012-05-31
Pages
65
Abstract
Verden oplever den alvorligste økonomiske krise siden den Store Depression, og EU er ingen undtagelse. Portugal er blandt de mest berørte EU-lande: virksomheder lukker, arbejdsløsheden stiger, og forbruget er lavt. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan krisen påvirker indvandrere i Portugal, især fordi mange arbejder i sektorer, der er ramt hårdest. Mange statsborgere fra lande uden for EU (tredjelandsborgere) oplever alvorlige og uholdbare vanskeligheder. Støttetjenester melder om flere henvendelser fra indvandrere om mad, bolig, tøj, hjælp til gæld og jobsøgning. Uden arbejde bliver det sværere at forny opholdstilladelsen, og nogle risikerer at blive irregulære. Belastningerne øger også risikoen for psykiske problemer som depression og for afhængighed, fx alkohol. Samtidig vælger mange at vende tilbage til hjemlandet, fordi forholdene i Portugal er blevet uholdbare. Afhandlingen har særlig fokus på dem, der ønsker at rejse gennem Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) – et program drevet af International Organization for Migration (IOM) i Portugal. Undersøgelsen bygger på forfatterens erfaring som frivillig i Jesuit Refugee Service, en NGO der hjælper migranter med integration, og den tager udgangspunkt i økonomiske push- og pull-teorier, som forklarer, hvordan dårlige vilkår kan skubbe mennesker væk, mens bedre muligheder trækker dem andre steder hen.
The world is facing its most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the EU is no exception. Portugal is among the EU countries most affected: businesses have closed, unemployment has risen, and consumption is low. This thesis examines how the crisis affects immigrants in Portugal, especially because many worked in sectors hit hardest. Many third-country nationals (people from outside the EU) face serious and unsustainable hardship. Support services report more requests from immigrants for food, housing, clothing, help with debts, and job search. Without work, it is harder to renew residence permits, and some risk becoming irregular. These stresses also increase the risk of mental health problems such as depression and of dependence, for example on alcohol. At the same time, many immigrants are choosing to return to their countries of origin because conditions in Portugal have become unsustainable. The thesis focuses in particular on those seeking to return through Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR), a program run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Portugal. The research draws on the author’s volunteer experience with the Jesuit Refugee Service, a non-governmental organization that supports migrant integration, and is framed by economic push-and-pull theories, which explain how adverse conditions can push people away while better prospects pull them elsewhere.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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