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• Migration trajectories of irregular migrants evolve non-linearly. • Social network dynamics and critical events explain how migrant trajectories evolve. • A typology is proposed to understand the varying role of networks for migration. • Networks mediate how migrants deal with critical events. While social networks have been widely argued to shape migrants' trajectories, their presence and their roles are not self-evident, nor constant. Common conceptualisations of migrants' social networks refer to the linkages between people in origin and destination countries. This underlies a rather linear notion of migration trajectories as a straightforward move from one country to another, and does not pay attention to the networks migrants have elsewhere in the world and those formed en route. This paper investigates how various network members and changes in migrants' social networks are associated with the evolution of their migration trajectories. It is based on ethnographic fieldwork and longitudinal social network analysis among 40 sub-Saharan migrants, part of whose trajectories in Turkey and Greece were followed over time. The migration policy environment in both countries is rather volatile, which is manifested in migrants' daily lives through the experience of critical events. Findings show that social network dynamics explain how migrants act upon these events and shape their migration trajectory accordingly. The findings question common representations of non-linear migration trajectories as the mere consequence of onward moves interrupted by policy constraints. By demonstrating the importance of changes that take place in networks and the timing thereof, it ultimately contributes to a better understanding of how non-linear migration trajectories evolve over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Moldova, large-scale and rapidly feminised migration flows have inspired a wave of qualitative reports on children “left behind”. Despite this recent interest, few studies have empirically evaluated the effects of parental migration on the psychosocial health of such children. Using data collected from a nationally-representative household survey conducted in Moldova between September 2011 and February 2012, this paper analyses the psychosocial health outcomes of children of migrant parents by comparing them with children without migrant parents ( n = 1979). Child psychosocial health is measured through caregiver-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores. Multivariate regression analyses show that parental migration seldom corresponds to worse emotional symptoms outcomes but does correspond to increased conduct problems. Separate analyses for male and female children show significant gendered differences. The results partially contest the negative results that have been the subject of qualitative reports and, in particular, demonstrate that the migration of mothers infrequently results in worse psychosocial outcomes for children—contrary to what has been assumed in the discourse about parental migration in Moldova. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When parents migrate, leaving their children in the origin country, transnational families are formed. Transnational family studies on children who are “left behind” indicate that children suffer psychologically from parental migration. Many of the factors identified as affecting children's responses to parental migration however are not considered in child psychology and family sociology studies. This study aims to bridge these areas of knowledge by quantitatively investigating the association between transnational families and children's psychological well-being. It analyzes a survey conducted in three African countries in 2010–11 (Ghana N = 2760; Angola N = 2243; Nigeria N = 2168) amongst pupils of secondary schools. The study compares children in transnational families to those living with their parents in their country of origin. Children's psychological well-being is measured through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses reveal that children in transnational families fare worse than their counterparts living with both parents but not in Ghana where living conditions mediate this relationship. This paper also looks at four characteristics of transnational families and finds that specific characteristics of transnational families and country contexts matter: (1) changing caregivers is associated with poorer well-being in all countries; (2) which parent migrates does not make a difference in Ghana, when mothers migrate and fathers are caregivers results in poorer well-being in Nigeria, and both mother's and father's migration result in worse outcomes in Angola; (3) the kin relationship of the caregiver is not associated with poorer well-being in Ghana and Nigeria but is in Angola; (4) children with parents who migrate internationally do not show different results than children whose parents migrate nationally in Ghana and Nigeria but in Angola international parental migration is associated with poorer psychological well-being. The study shows that broader characteristics in the population rather than parental migration per se are associated with decreased levels of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Few studies have researched the use of remittances in conflict-affected contexts. This study analyzes unique data from Burundi, testing three hypotheses: relative deprivation, investment, and insurance, derived from New Economics of Labor Migration studies, employing propensity score matching. Results show that remittances are common among wealthier households, rejecting the relative deprivation hypothesis. Remittances have strong effects on non-productive assets, such as living conditions and food security, and weak effects on productive assets, such as asset ownership. Poorer households invest mostly in non-productive assets, suggesting that remittances are insurance for the poor, whereas wealthier households seem largely unaffected by remittances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Risk pooling literature argues the need for geographic proximity to ensure the functioning of informal insurance arrangements. This paper investigates whether these arrangements exist between migrants and their network members back home and, if so, how they work in the absence of geographic proximity. Analysis of a simultaneous matched sample of migrants in the Netherlands and network members in Ghana reveals the existence of reverse remittances. These remittances show that there is risk pooling between migrants and network members. The paper elaborates on the institutional arrangements that make such a system possible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Moldova and Georgia, two post-Soviet countries with high emigration rates, there is little systematic empirical research on the school performance of children whose family members migrate. This study uses nationally representative data (Moldova, N = 814; Georgia, N = 655) and employs child- and caregiver-reports of school performance of children living in different transnational family configurations. We found similar assessments of school performance by children and caregivers in Georgia, but results do suggest some differing perceptions in the Moldovan reports. Overall, fathers’ migration, when mothers are caregivers, correspond to worsen education in Georgia. In Moldova, on the contrary, children with migrant fathers and cared for by mothers report improved school performance. Furthermore, in Moldova, better performance associates with parents being abroad, either together or divorced (child-reports) while decreased performance relates to the absence of remittances (caregiver-reports). The findings highlight the importance of considering different transnational characteristics and who makes the assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]