The Impact of Migration and Remittances on Communities, Families and Children in Moldova

Document type: Paper

The aim of this paper is to arrive at a better understanding of the impact of migration on children and families left behind in selected countries. The emotional impact of migration on children has been given scant attention in analyses and discussions on the topic. This paper reviews existing documentation on erosion of family structures and relationships, psychological distress, adoption of risky behaviour and increased vulnerability to violence, abuse and exploitation. These issues illustrate the importance of designing public policies both in countries of origin and receiving countries to address the impact of migration on child welfare. However, there are a number of gaps in knowledge and data, and more work needs to be done to fully understand the impact of migration on children to better guide public policy.