Since the pandemic, many major economies like the United Kingdom have tightened restrictions on visas. Migrant health care workers from Zimbabwe struggle as they must live apart from their children and spouses.
When Tanya moved to Ireland for care work in 2022, she was certain of three things: Her family would join her soon. Her husband would find work. And her children would attend a good school. Initially, her move was smooth. Visas and permits were no problem. But once in Ireland, reality proved harsh for Tanya, a Zimbabwean who asked Global Press Journal to use her middle name for fear of jeopardizing her visa status.
Her story is common in a global economy increasingly reliant on migrant workers, who now constitute 4.9% of the global workforce. The demand has risen steadily since 2013 and surged during the pandemic. But as demand increases, so do restrictions on visa policies regarding family members who want to move to be with their spouses or parents in the world's biggest economies.
Some countries, including Switzerland, the UK, Australia and Denmark, relaxed their visa requirements during the pandemic but have since reverted to previous policies, says Godfrey Kanyenze, director of the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe, a research think tank. The policy also increased the salary threshold -- or the minimum amount of money one must earn to qualify for the visa -- for all migrant workers by close to 50%. Now, migrant workers need to earn at least 38,700 British pounds per year to retain their visa status.
Senzeni Chiutsi, a psychologist based in Harare, says that while migration allows parents a chance to support their families economically, the children they leave behind are prone to stress and trauma.
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