Contemporary European migration

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the extent of the migration of workers in Europe in terms of magnitude and direction of migratory flows, as well as to delineate the social and economic implications of this migration. An attempt will be made to examine whether economic policies can be designed to provide for greater social and economic welfare. The first part of the paper seeks to provide a theoretical analysis of the economic and sociological effects of migration. In Chapter One, the nature of migration and immigrant absorption is examined as a sociopsychological process. Chapter Two, first examines the effect of immigration on national output in static and dynamic conditions, and then contrasts the conflicting theories which advocates of immigration on the one hand and critics on the other, present. Chapter Three, on the Economic impact of Emigration, deals with the adverse effects of the outflow of manpower from underdeveloped regions or countries. The second part of the paper provides a descriptive account of the Euopean migration scene with the stress being on the EEC countries. Chapter Four is a statistical analysis of the volume, destination and origin of migrants as a whole, and workers in particular. Chapter Five portrays the social conditions of the foreign worker. The third part tries to formulate a policy on unemployment and emigration in developing countries. Chapter Six shows the need to reform the prevailing Industrial and Trade Policies between the EEC and the developing countries of the Mediterrenean. Chapter Seven first presents the theoretical merits of shifting the location of Industry, and then applies the theory in the context of aiding the development of the Mediterrenean countries. The chapter on the absorption of immigrants relies heavily on S. N. Eisenstadt's contribution to studies in this field. In trying to assess the economic impact of immigration and emigration, this paper has outlined some of the theories on the economic effects of migration. Among the theorists cited are Mishan and Needleman, Jones and Smith, Reder, Kindleberger and Kaldor. The statistics documenting migration in Europe in the last decade, are mostly derived from EEC records because these tend to be the most embracing, systematic and reliable. Information on the social conditions of the foreign worker in Europe, is derived from Commission reports and articles by some socialist labour theorists as S. Castles, G. Kosack and P. Ginanni As a partial solution to the emigration problem, this paper presents a case for a policy of shifting the location of industry. This policy is based on the product cycle theory.