Immigration, Labour Mobility and EU Enlargement

University of Kent Department of Economics Discussion Paper No. 0209

21 Pages Posted: 20 Mar 2003

See all articles by Matloob Piracha

Matloob Piracha

University of Kent - Department of Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Roger Vickerman

University of Kent, Canterbury

Date Written: December 2002

Abstract

Immigration has once again become an important and contentious issue in the European Union. This paper, therefore, contributes to the debate by analysing different dimensions of the problem in the context of EU enlargement, using a consistent model of migration. This recognises that, within Europe, most migration is not permanent, but part of a process of mobility in which both return and serial migration are natural economic responses to a dynamic economy. We show that there are beneficial effects of migration, on both the home (origin) and host (destination) regions. We also bring forward some evidence to suggest that there is little difference in the preferences of migrants and non- migrants and, more importantly, between those moving legally and illegally. This leads us to some observations on the development of a more efficient policy towards migration both within and into the EU.

Keywords: migration, EU, CEEC, labour markets

JEL Classification: J61

Suggested Citation

Piracha, Matloob and Vickerman, Roger, Immigration, Labour Mobility and EU Enlargement (December 2002). University of Kent Department of Economics Discussion Paper No. 0209, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=375100 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.375100

Matloob Piracha (Contact Author)

University of Kent - Department of Economics ( email )

Keynes College
Kent, CT2 7NP
United Kingdom

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Roger Vickerman

University of Kent, Canterbury

Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ
United Kingdom

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
648
Abstract Views
3,194
Rank
75,207
PlumX Metrics