Matching and Making Labour Demand and Supply: Agents in Polish Migrant Networks of Domestic Elderly Care in Germany and Italy

This paper explores the role of agents in migrant networks in the domestic elderly care sector. It is based on a study of female migrants from Poland who work in the sector in Germany and Italy. Using evidence gathered from qualitative interviews, we illustrate the importance of ties other than friends, families and communities in the migration process, including actors such as employers and recruitment agents. We also show that agents—in contrast to intermediaries—are significant actors in migrant networks and can be regarded as perpetuators of migration within these networks. Furthermore, we conclude that the role of agents in migrant networks has been underestimated. Rather than simply helping to match labour supply with labour demand, agents appear to offer migrants social and emotional support as well.