European Policy Analysis
information to find new employers in Germany and can replace live-ins within days , after a former client has passed away . This high level of management also leads to what Vertovec ( 2007 ) suspected would happen in circular programs , the low social mobility among migrants .
This study indicates that the dichotomy between regulated and spontaneous definitions of circular migration might not do justice to those circular movements , which are highly regulated and navigate within the set of given rules , but without direct state involvement .
This study examined the circularity of live-ins in Germany and what consequences this type of mobility has on the employment situation and the working conditions of the labor migrants . The freedom to provide services within the EU enables the temporary placement of informal carers and has given rise to an employment model , which is based on circular movements and the repeated employment of workers in other EU countries . The circularity is supported by the legal framework but also by the separation of private and professional lives in two geographical spheres . The system is built in such a way , that in order for live-ins to have free time , they have to go back to their countries of origin . This change between private and professional time supports the circularity and enables the extraordinary working conditions . While the live-ins are employed in Germany , they provide around-the-clock care and when they are exhausted and need time for themselves they go to their home countries . Without this distinction in two spheres and the circularity , the employees would probably demand more free time and better working conditions for their placements in Germany .
The results of this study have further shown that this type of migration enables a segmentation of the labor market because circularity inhibits social mobility and the possibilities to integrate into local labor markets . Their positions meet local labor shortages in the elderly care sector in receiving societies , because as Piore explained , they take on jobs , which are not interesting for the native population . The interviews of this study have also pointed to a higher degree of emancipation in Germany which in turn increases the shortage of labor in this sector because of the ability of woman to choose from a wider range of opportunities apart from the traditional role of the carer of the family .
The results further indicate that agencies in the sending countries have an influential position in this setting . One reason for this dependence is because they are the legal employer and live-ins are bound to them by contract . Furthermore , the agencies possess the information , which is needed for the placement and last but not least , the whole legal grounds of the placement is based on the foreign employment by the agencies . Even though the 24-hour care arrangements are illegal , the grey area is utilized to offer a service , which would not be possible if the live-ins were employed in Germany . This increases the dependability of liveins on the agencies abroad .
Another interesting insight of the analysis is that existing definitions of circular migration do not fully capture the phenomenon . In order to understand
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