European migration from East to West: present patterns and future directions

"Present-day migration control is largely a social and political construction; it cannot explain the patterns and processes of East-West migration. Western anxieties have been misleading, and are used as a substitute for the fears of the Cold War period. In reality, the rich countries of Western Europe have largely been able to control their borders and define the sort of immigration they want to accept. Most of the migrants from Eastern Europe have come in an arranged form, particularly the ethnic migrants. Uncontrolled immigration is concentrated in those sectors of the economy where regulation is weak, and internal forces are operating in favour of unregistered immigration."