Contextual factors of family reunification and social adaptation

Purpose – to present contextual factors of destination country and discuss about their role and potential impact for family reunification and family migrants’ social adaptation. Design/methodology/approach – secondary data analysis and qualitative research. Findings – Sociological analysis of ethnic minorities’ and migrants’ social adaptation suggests taking into account the relevance of social context of the receiving society. In order to explain the concept of social context, it is suggested to apply segmented assimilation theory. According to the theory social context of the receiving society consists of three items: migration and migrants’ integration policies implemented by the host country’s government; receiving society’s attitudes and prejudices about immigrants; co- ethnic communities of immigrants and their resources to support newcomers. This paper discusses about the role and potential impact of the first item – migration and migrants’ integration policy for family migrants’ social adaptation. Migration policy is one of the most important contextual factors as it is the first one that migrants face and continually have to deal with their entire life in the destination country. Empirical data of the research, which aim was to reveal patterns of social adaptation of persons reunified with their family members in Lithuania (family migrants), confirms that social context of the host country has an impact for migrants’ social adaptation into receiving society. The analysis of national policies in the context of family reunification and secondary data analysis of the study MIPEX suggest that conditions for family reunification in Lithuania are ‘halfway favourable’, but the status of family migrants is extremely vulnerable. Migration policy and its measures applied for family reunification in Lithuania can be ascribed to the governmental response of ‘passive acceptance’ – there is a possibility to reunify with the family in Lithuania, but the process to receive residence permit is very bureaucratic and long-lasting, and, consequently, limiting migrants’ social adaptation. Research limitations/implications – This study broadens the knowledge of the phenomenon of family reunification in Lithuania and suggests a theoretical insight to study social adaptation of family migrants taking into account the impact of contextual factors of the receiving society by applying the segmented assimilation theory. Originality/Value – The study focuses on the phenomenon of family reunification, which is methodologically and empirically, marginalized in the context of migration research both on national and international level. Besides, it suggests a theoretical insight to study family migrants’ social adaptation taking into account the impact of contextual factors of the receiving society by applying segmented assimilation theory. Keywords: immigration; family reunification, social adaptation, contextual factors, migration policy. Research type: research paper JEL classification: J6 - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers K37 - Immigration Law