The Pitfalls of a European Migration Policy

Key messages:

• A European migration policy is hampered by structural and institutional limits on cooperation between the Member States and between different policy fields at the European level.

• The divisive issues of today’s migration debate are fears of alleged “welfare shopping”, mixed flows of migration and the secondary movement of migrants, which are all situated in grey areas between the current institutional baskets.

• Policies should strengthen inter-institutional and cross-sectional cooperation, build public confidence, make better use of migrants’ skills and invest in migrants’ children.

References:

• Dalla Zuanna, G. (2014): Introduction, Presentation at the Population Europe Event: The Stranger Among Us. Immigration Policies and Social Cohesion in Europe, Rome, 30 October.
• Damas de Matos, A. and T. Liebig (2014): The qualifications of immigrants and their value in the labour market: A comparison of Europe and the United States, in: OECD and EU: Matching Economic Migration with Labour Market Needs, OECD Publishing, 187-227.
• Dumont, J.-C. (2014): General overview about migration flows to Europe, Presentation at the Population Europe Event: The Stranger Among Us. Immigration Policies and Social Cohesion in Europe, Rome, 30 October.
• European Commission (2015): Commission makes progress on a European Agenda on Migration. Press release, Brussels, March 2015.
• Falkingham, J. C., Héran, F. and J. W. Vaupel (2011): Europe’s Citizens should have a Choice Toward a New Policy of Life- Course Flexibility. Population & Policy Compact 01/2011.
• Henry, G. and F. Pastore (2014): The Governance of Migration, Mobility and Asylum in the EU: A Contentious Laboratory, in: N. Tocci (ed): Imagining Europe: Towards a More United and Effective EU, IAI Research Papers.
• Hein, C. (2014): Documented Migration, Presentation at the Population Europe Event: The Stranger Among Us. Immigration Policies and Social Cohesion in Europe, Rome, 30 October.
• OECD and EU (2014): Matching Economic Migration with Labour Market Needs in Europe. Policy Brief September 2014.
• Pastore, F. (2014): Towards a European Immigration Policy? Presentation at the Population Europe Event: The Stranger Among Us. Immigration Policies and Social Cohesion in Europe, Rome, 30 October.
• Teichgraber, M. (2015): Labour Market and Labour Force Survey (LFS) Statistics. Eurostat Statistics Explained.