摘要
Issues specific to older migrants moving country are not yet fully understood as there are few studies on this age group. These migrants are most likely to be caught in attending to the needs of their children or their elderly parents, both requiring support. Over a period of two years, 35 older Polish migrants were interviewed and they told their stories of the migration experience. It was found that they had to make choices and were faced with quite difficult decisions on whether they were going to leave children or parents in Poland while they were forced into a position where they had to find work outside their own country due to age discrimination. Both men and women expressed feelings of guilt at leaving sick parents, and at not being able to afford to travel back to Poland more regularly to be with their families. Without effective cost or free digital technology, these families would not be able to sustain communication channels and relationships would break down. Consequently both the economic and emotional costs to these families and the communities in which they live could be very high.
