International migration in later life: social care and policy implications

An increasing number of older people are international migrants. Even where older people have not been migrants themselves, it is increasingly likely that international migration will touch their personal lives, either through significant family members or through their own decisions to resettle in later life. Despite the growing importance of long-distance travel and resettlement in other countries, however, the relationship between migration and ageing is a relatively neglected topic in gerontology. Using the examples of migrants in minority ethnic communities, this paper proposes a typology or scheme with which to relate (a) the principal reasons for migration earlier in the lifecourse to (b) the range of possibilities for migration which may face older people in later life. Conclusions about care needs and identity are discussed with reference to older migrants in ethnic minorities in Britain. It is argued that the 'minority migrant' example (while a distinctive experience in each community) has important lessons for, and applications to, understanding general patterns of international migration in later life.