Another Family: Mutual Aid, Friendship, and Charities Amongst European Retired Migrants in Spain

Social policies in Spain are still dominated by a family-based approach within what is known as the Mediterranean welfare state, i.e., a welfare system that places the responsibility of care for dependents (children, elderly, disabled people) in the hands of the family. Senior Europeans living in Spain challenge this approach: they live far from their children, and they do not expect their families to care for them in the same way as Spanish elders do. These Europeans are part of a generation that has placed a high value on independence and a do-it-yourself approach, creating a new age-script around the processes of aging and retirement (Coe & Alber, Anthropology & Aging, 39(1), 1–17, 2018; Gambold, Anthropology & Aging, 39(1), 82–93, 2018). But this age-script does not lead to an individualist framework. In the absence of the family and facing a welfare system that assumes it should be the main carer, retirement migrants construct peer support networks to solve their care needs when required. They also rely on charities. This chapter presents a study on the support networks and charities for retirement migrants. It is based on more than 30 in-depth interviews with migrants, social services and health professionals, and representatives of charities. It is complemented by a focus group with senior Europeans and another with social services professionals. Particular attention is paid to the case of the Balearic Islands. The chapter emphasises the importance of the experience of senior Europeans as a model for Spanish ones (as care in the family is becoming more difficult). It also stresses the need for better cooperation between Spanish public social services and these charities to ensure retirement migrants’ right to care provision.