Marion Repetti et Toni Calasanti, (2023). Retirement Migration and Precarity in Later Life, Bristol, Policy Press, 2023, 151 pages

The trend of migratory flows has traditionally been characterized by a significant movement of young people leaving poorer countries for richer ones, a typical flow from countries of the Global South to the Global North. However, a closer analysis of the diverse aspects of migration reveals that there is a segment of the elderly population who are migrants and, more than that, experience migration later in life. Among these groups are the elderly – typically retirees – who decide to leave wealthy central countries to move to less developed countries than those where they were born. This phenomenon, known as retirement migration, is the subject of the book " Retirement Migration and Precarity in Later Life " by Marion Repetti and Toni Calasanti. Intrigued by the phenomenon that seems to "contradict" global trends, the authors question what motivates retirees to leave affluent nations such as the United States, England, and Switzerland to relocate to economically less prosperous countries like Spain, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Contrary to the notion often discussed in existing literature that this phenomenon serves merely as an avenue to further indulge in privileges, the authors examine the dimensions of precarity and uncertainty accompanying the migration decisions of this demographic. In the initial two introductory chapters, Marion Repetti and Toni Calasanti embrace the concepts of the Global North and Global South to scrutinize the migration phenomenon, thereby departing from conventional Western geographical boundaries and methodological nationalism (Anderson, 2019). The Global North comprises economically affluent regions characterized by substantial capital accumulation, advanced technologies, and significant international political influence, while the Global South is typified by regions with underdeveloped economies, low living costs, inexpensive labour, and limited international political influence. By using these concepts, the authors aim to highlight that, just as these dynamics of power, hierarchy, and inequality are constructed in these regions, the migration flows of the elderly also reinforce these dynamics. Two distinct trends characterize this migration phenomenon: one involves privileged retirees moving for former colonies, while the other, the more recent trend involves workers impacted by neoliberal policies. The authors focus their research on this latter type of migration, which entails retirees from the Global North relocating to less developed nations to gain enhanced access to healthcare, housing, food, and leisure opportunities. Despite facing precarity in their countries of origin, the authors delve into the complexity of the phenomenon in the initial chapters: while these immigrants are subject to austere social and economic policies at home, they leverage their Global North privileges to pursue improved lives in Global South destinations. Looking at five dimensions of precariousness - financial and labour market insecurity; lack of assistance in welfare state policies; age-related social status precariousness; health-related precariousness; and precariousness related to access to necessary assistance - in this book, the author interconnects aging, ageism, socioeconomic structure, social status, health status and assistance regimes. In this context, precarity emerges as a crucial concept, encapsulating the array of risks and uncertainties stemming from the challenge of accessing adequate resources for personal well-being. As the authors articulate, precarity encompasses both a structural dimension, - shaped by neoliberalism, globalization, and the volatile labour market -, and a social dimension, marked by the anxiety and uncertainty generated by these conditions. In the third chapter, it is highlighted the dichotomous phenomenon among the elderly in central-economy countries: having experienced the advance of social welfare policies in their youth and now having to deal with the decline of these policies, thus preventing them from enjoying the benefits promised for the future. The historical examination of social welfare policies in the studied countries (England, USA, and …