‘Life is better there’: the aspirations of former stay-behind children and their new ways of migration

For many years, thousands of children in Moldova had to stay behind while their parents migrated abroad for a better income. This article reflects on the impact of parental migration on young adults’ future aspirations and prospects. The research presented here is based on grounded theory research that includes interviews with former stay-behind children. The children’s plans for their future are not only shaped by the difficult conditions prevailing in the Moldovan labour market. In addition, they are influenced by their parents’ experience of strongly regulated migration and their hope to give their children a better life. Due to their parents’ support and their own educational performance, these young adults find easier conditions for migration and are able to shape their prospective family life in a way that avoids leaving their children behind.