Publication details
The EU enlargement and the Slovak au pair migration to the UK
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Au pairing combines elements of paid domestic work undertaken by temporary migrants, cultural exchange defined by national and international law (European Agreement on Au Pair Placement 1969, Immigration Directorates’ Instructions 2003), and basic living arrangements. Drawing on broader ethnographic research concerning au pair institution and particularly experience of Slovak au pairs living in London, this paper examines consequences of the EU enlargement for Slovak au pair migration. Before entering the EU, au pairing was one of few possibilities enabling young Slovaks to get British visas for a longer stay in the UK. Indeed, Great Britain has been the main destination of Slovak au pairs, where they belong to the most numerous groups in absolute numbers. However, even after the opening of the British labour market for the new EU countries the numbers of Slovak au pairs do not decrease. The first part of the paper will reveal why au pairing is still an attractive option for many Slovak migrants. The second part of the paper will analyse changes the EU enlargement brought to the lives of the Slovak au pair migrants, in particular I will focus on increasingly informal character of the migration, different power relation between the au pairs and employers, relationships (especially with men) outside the host households, Slovak community in London. |