Migrantization of long-term care provision in Europe. A comparative analysis of Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Poland

Since the 1990s, many countries in the world have been experiencing a process of migrantization of the long-term care workforce, defined as the incorporation of migrant workers into formal and/or family care. Previous research has identified two models of migrantization (the migrant-in-the-family model and the migrantin- formal-care model), depending on migrant carers’ working place. However, cross-country variations in the intensity of migrantization and in its loci (in the family, within formal provision or both?) need more thorough investigation.
This working paper describes, compares and explains the migrantization of long-term care in four European countries, representing different welfare state types: Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden. The findings are based on secondary literature, document analysis, national statistics and expert interviews. The four countries show different patterns of migrantization, that we explain variations in their care, gender, labour and migration regimes. Sweden is characterized by the migrant-in-formal-care model, Italy and Poland by the migrant-in-the-family model, while Germany combines both models. Despite these differences, migrant workers are now needed in all four examined countries. Such transnational care dependencies have to be taken into account when designing and reforming national care, labour market and migration policies.