Contextualising decision processes of migrant care workers in social care - the case of Norway

In the body of literature into the relationship between migration and long-term care services, it is has been suggested that countries like Norway – with generous welfare services and sustainable working conditions – may not need migrants in the long-term care sector, because this sector will attract the countries’ native workers. The aim of this paper is twofold. One aim is to document that migrants – in particular from EU countries – increasingly contribute to the long-term care sector in Norway. Another is to give insight into migrants’ active decision making processes regarding choosing Norway as their
destination country and working in the social care sector. The paper’s discussion will be based on mixed methods, combining national statistics about numbers of employed migrants (foreign born people) in the long-term care sector since
2008 with life story interviews of 20 migrant care workers. These life story interviews are part of a larger comparative Norwegian/British study about the intersection of biographies and historical time (Elder 1994) and with a focus on
migratory processes related to life projects (Christensen and Guldvik, 2014). Overall, the paper’s analysis shows how migrants of the long-term care sector – increasing in numbers – are shaping their decisions within the framework of
country specific characteristics at different levels. This includes macro structural levels, where the intersection of migration policies, labour market regulations and cultural values are crucial. And it includes micro levels, where the migrant’s
personal history, network, gender and resources are important. The analysis shows that Norway is not a top country choice, for different reasons, and that migrants encounter both options and barriers for living and working in the country. The overall Norwegian country context, however, provides options for building new capital (e.g. education) and being supported by the welfare state, making it attractive for some to stay. The paper’s discussion is a contribution to the further understanding of how ageing societies via country specific politics and regulations are contributing to the conditions for migrant care workers’ subjective decision making processes. The paper’s analysis points out the need for using a multilevel-analysis approach to understand the complex processes involved in migrants’ contribution to the long-term care sector.