INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF POPULATION GEOGRAPHY

United Kingdom (Liverpool) 94

JUNE 1998 - VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2

International Retirement Migration in Europe

99.94.1 - English - Russell KING, School of European Studies, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QN (U.K.), Anthony M. WARNES, Centre for Ageing and Rehabilitation Studies, University of Sheffield (U.K.), and Allan M. WILLIAMS, Department of Geography, University of Exeter (U.K.)

International retirement migration in Europe (p. 91-111)

This paper presents a review and prospectus of international retirement migration (IRM), dealing mainly with European evidence but also referring to some analogous trends in North America. The paper is in three main parts. It first makes the case for regarding IRM as a significant aspect of population geography and of migration studies; in certain areas of Mediterranean Europe, IRM also has effects on regional economic geography. The second section of the paper discusses some of the early findings from a comparative study of British elderly residents in Tuscany, Malta, the Costa del Sol and the Algarve, based on questionnaire returns from 1066 respondents. Emphasising inter-destination differences, the analysis covers timing of the retirement migration flows, age and social class of the settlers, reasons for migration, geographical mobility patterns before and after retirement abroad, and integration. The final part of the article offers further reflections on why IRM is important -- for the individual migrants themselves, for the host communities, and for public policy. (EUROPE, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, RETIREMENT, PLACE OF DESTINATION)

99.94.2 - English - Anthony M. WARNES, Centre for Ageing and Rehabilitation Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S5 7AU (U.K.), and Guy PATTERSON, Sussex European Institute, University of Sussex (U.K.)

British retirees in Malta: Components of the cross-national relationship (p. 113-133)

The paper focuses on three aspects of the retirement of British citizens to Malta and Gozo: the evolution of the British settlement, four pathways to the islands, and the formation of the current demographic and household characteristics. The principal primary sources are the 1995 Maltese electoral roll of aliens, and a 1995-96 self-completion questionnaire survey of British residents aged at least 50 years administered as part of the ESRC-supported International Retirement Migration Study reported in this issue. In contrast to the study populations in Spain and Portugal, the Maltese settlers have had diverse connections with the local population and society, many through birth and by marriage. Maltese labour migration to the UK has made an important contribution to their formation, as have the former colonial and British armed forces connections. The immigration of British retirees to Malta has fluctuated in volume and character over the last 35 years, partly in response to changes in Maltese fiscal and residence policies, and partly reflecting the changing demand for overseas retirement settlement in the UK. The substantial contribution of intercommunal married couples to the British retired resident population and the buoyancy of both tourist visits and new arrivals suggests that its size will at least be stable or will grow slowly for many decades to come. (MALTA, UNITED KINGDOM, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, RETIREMENT)

99.94.3 - English - Allan M. WILLIAMS, Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ (U.K.), and Guy PATTERSON, Sussex European Institute, University of Sussex (U.K.)

"An empire lost but a province gained": A cohort analysis of British international retirement in the Algarve (p. 135-155)

The growth of international retirement in the Algarve has coincided with a number of changes in the international framework for population mobility as well as in the nature of the Algarve as a destination area. Tourism development, which is intimately linked to subsequent retirement migration, is particularly important in this. This paper considers the nature of the link between cycles of migration and of development in recipient areas, in the context of the remarkable and relatively late development of the Algarve as an area of tourism and retirement. The principal data sources for this study are 219 questionnaires completed by retired British nationals living in the Algarve, and a number of key informants. Cohort analysis of the questionnaires (in terms of arrival dates) provides the basis for an examination of changes over time in the socio-demographic profiles of the migrants, their motivations, their residential patterns and their integration. The results serve to underline the importance of an evolutionary perspective, and the need to disaggregate data on the international retirement populations living in the Algarve and other southern European countries. (PORTUGAL, UNITED KINGDOM, PROVINCES, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, RETIREMENT, INTEGRATION, TOURISM)

99.94.4 - English - Russell KING, School of European Studies, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QN (U.K.),et Guy PATTERSON, Sussex European Institute, University of Sussex (U.K.)

Diverse paths: The elderly British in Tuscany (p. 157-182)

This paper investigates the life, migration and retirement experiences of elderly British residents of Tuscany and its adjacent districts. Because of the long historical presence of the British in Tuscany and the variety of settings in which they live, it is very difficult to generalise about older British people in this region. Common features tend to be high levels of education and 'culture', and a history of prior international mobility. Many pathways have led the elderly British to Tuscany, only a minority have simply migrated from the UK on retirement. Four very different types of data are presented in this paper: historical material extending back to the Grand Tour, official statistics on the size and distribution of the British in Tuscany, questionnaire data from a survey carried out in late 1995, and selected depth interviews with individuals who are broadly representative of different life-histories and migration trajectories. Key themes explored include class background, reasons for migration to Tuscany, previous connections to Italy, post-retirement behaviour, integration and future plans. The findings challenge some commonly-held "expectations" about the nature of retirement migration. (ITALY, UNITED KINGDOM, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, RETIREMENT, MIGRATION HISTORY, INTEGRATION)

99.94.5 - English - Vicente RODRÍGUEZ, Gloria FERNÁNDEZ-MAYORALAS and Fermina ROJO, Departamento de Geografía, Instituto de Economía y Geografía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Pinar 25, 28006 Madrid (Spain)

E-mail : rodri@ieg.csic.es

European retirees on the Costa del Sol: A cross-national comparison (p. 183-200)

The Costa del Sol is one of the largest and most important regions in Europe receiving retirement migrants from other countries. This paper studies northern European retired immigrants, using data generated by a questionnaire survey of 300 respondents and in-depth interviews with 20 people in 13 municipalities. Reasons for moving to Spain, the advantages and disadvantages reported of living there, and the perceived impacts on the local region were analysed, paying particular attention to cross-national differences between British, German, Benelux and Nordic retirees. The results show that sociodemographic and economic features of the settlers tend to be quite similar, whilst reasons for moving, stated advantages and disadvantages, and consequences and impacts exhibit some cross-national differentiation. (SPAIN, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, RETIREMENT HOMES, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, PLACE OF ORIGIN)

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