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Europe without internal frontiers and international migration
Population Bulletin of the United Nations
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Freedom of movement in the European Community (EC) has been established, but has not significantly increased intra-EC worker migration. While some member states saw a small rise in foreign workers, poorer states did not experience a notable outflow to richer ones.
Area of Science:
- Economics
- Sociology
- European Studies
Background:
- The European Community (EC) established freedom of movement for workers as a core principle.
- Understanding the impact of this policy on labor migration patterns is crucial for economic and social integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document the establishment of freedom of movement for workers within the European Community.
- To assess the effect of freedom of movement policies on intra-Community labor migration using flow and stock data.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the legislative and policy processes establishing worker mobility rights in the EC.
- Quantitative assessment of intra-Community migrant flows and stocks.
Main Results:
- Evidence indicates a modest increase in the presence of Community workers in recently admitted member states (e.g., UK, Greece, Portugal, Spain).
- The overall numbers of migrants involved in these shifts are relatively small.
- Freedom of movement provisions have not led to a significant increase in worker outflow from poorer to richer EC member states.
Conclusions:
- The implementation of freedom of movement has had a limited impact on large-scale intra-Community labor migration.
- Policy has not significantly altered established migration patterns from less affluent to more prosperous member states.