When Opportunity Fails: A Qualitative Exploration of Pathways to Homelessness among Central and Eastern European Labor Migrants in the Netherlands

Homelessness among people with Central and Eastern European (CEE) migratory backgrounds is a concern in several Western European countries, including the Netherlands, where migration from other EU countries is often motivated by perceived employment opportunities. This study aimed to better understand the emergence of CEE labor migrants’ homelessness. Based on interviews with 42 Polish and Romanian labor migrants, we explored patterns of events and situations they described in relation to becoming homeless in the Netherlands. We identified five unique pathways to homelessness, named based on what appeared to be key events and situations: 1) Loss of work as a singular event, 2) Prior vulnerabilities and multiproblem situations, 3) Dissolution from a romantic relationship and loss of work, 4) Homelessness upon arrival and 5) Serious health problems. These pathways and the underlying experiences can inform policy in several ways. Implications include providing more information about living and working in the host country, more thorough recruitment processes, reconsidering combined contracts (work and housing), providing timely support to people who become unemployed, and sheltering and supporting people in cases of homelessness.