Vast majority of Romanian children with parents abroad have no perspective of reuniting

A survey by Save the Children revealed that 21,276 Romanian children have both parents working abroad. For 79% of them, there is no prospect of being reunited with their parents in foreign countries.

"According to official statistics, 21,276 Romanian children have both parents working abroad or come from families where the sole breadwinner parent is working abroad. However, unofficially, the actual number is much higher. The intention to bring the child to join the parent(s) abroad is only present in 7% of the cases of children surveyed by Save the Children Romania. For the vast majority of cases (79%), such a prospect does not exist," the organization says in a press release cited by Agerpres.

Many of the parents working abroad do not intend to return permanently to Romania (41%). Roughly 38% want to return, and the rest have not made a decision yet.

The most frequently cited factor that could contribute to a decision to return permanently to the country is the job market (employment opportunities, salary conditions - 39%), followed by improvements in the healthcare system (24%) and the overall social/political climate (20%).

The phenomenon of children left behind in the country while their parents work abroad is widespread and characteristic of post-communist Romania, according to Save the Children.

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