Fathering From Beyond the Border . . .: Exploring the Experiences of Deported Fathers in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Changes in immigration and border control legislations in metropolitan countries have led to an increase in the number of fathers deported to the Caribbean. By way of qualitative research, the author examined the experiences of 18 deported fathers whose children remained in the deporting country. The findings reveal the psychosocial effects of deportation on fathers and how fathering roles are challenged by stigma, costly transnational communication facilities and frozen personal assets. Deportation also leads to families adjusting gender roles and family structures. The findings support the family adjustment and adaptation response model by showing how deportation constitutes a stressor which overwhelms the family’s resources to cope and which results in a process of adjustment and adaptation. This study is significant in that it provides a deeper insight into the issues that affect deported fathers and underlines the need for policy interventions that support transnational family ties.