Intra-regional Migrant Flows: The case of the EU

Intra-regional Migrant Flows The case of the EU Learning Intention: To examine an example of an active Intra-regional migrant flow. 1. What are the contemporary patterns of global migration? Key Ideas Content 1a. Global Migration involves dynamic flows of people between countries, regions and continents. Current spatial patterns in the numbers, composition and direction of international migrant flows, including examples of both inter-regional and intra-regional. Intra-regional Migrant Flows The case of the EU

Link: The European Union What is it? What does it do? Link: The European Union

Intra-regional immigration in the EU, 2013

Intra-regional immigration in the EU, 2013 Task: Describe the spatial pattern of intra-regional immigration within the EU. Suggest reasons for this pattern. Outline one statistical mapping technique to represent the spatial pattern of EU intra-regional immigration and justify your choice.

Intra-regional immigration in the EU, 2012 This map shows: By choropleth, the % of foreigners in the population of any one country. By pie chart, the % of a country’s foreign population which is of EU origin (green) or non-EU origin (yellow)

What has determined the size of these migrations?

What has determined the size of these migration flows? The size of flows is explained by political factors such as: 1. The Schengen Agreement: This allows freedom of movement within most of the EU across its internal national borders. Read about this on the Migration and Home affairs page of the European Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm 2. Recent EU expansion: Including 13 new states in the 21 st century, most of which are Eastern Europe, has increased the potential number of migrants within the Schengen area. E.g: 2004- Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Cyprus, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. 2007- Romania and Bulgaria 2013-Croatia

What are the pull factors determining these migration flows? The main reasons for the intra-regional migrant flows are economic: Employment opportunities Higher wages Better standard of living Relative ease of return to the home country after a few years of higher wage earning. Socio-economic factors also add to the reasons for migration within the EU including: Retirement Family reunification education

The Contribution of recent migrants It is easy to understand policies that encourage immigration because of the benefits that migrants bring – especially to an ageing population. Quite simply – they cost less than the host British population – and contribute more. Recent migrants registering for work are 6O% less likely than UK-born residents to receive benefits and tax credits, and 58% less likely to live in social housing. They also contribute to tax revenues in proportion to their representation in the population, despite the fact that they often earn lower wages than UK-born workers. Read the article “is migration good for the economy?”

What are the push factors determining these migration flows? Friedmann’s core-periphery model is applicable at continental scale in Europe. The spatial socio-economic inequalities which it describes are partly responsible for the direction of migration flows within the EU. Peripheral areas such as Romania and Bulgaria in eastern Europe are places of origin of many economic migrants. Their migration is often to destinations in core areas like Germany and France. Read Friedmann’s model of “Core and Periphery”

Why Migrate within the EU? What political factors determine the size of the intra-regional migration flows within the EU? What are the motivations for Intra-regional migration to the UK for example? Define the type of migrants travelling intra-regionally. Summarise Friedmann’s “Core-Periphery” model. What are the benefits for the destination country (the host, e.g. UK) What are the benefits for the country of origin/source(migrants original country)?

The Poles are coming… In 2013 there were approximately 660, 000 Poles living in the UK. In 2013 also there was 40,000 UK migrants living in Poland. “Polish population in the UK soars from 75,000 to more than HALF A MILLION in eight years” The United States is no longer the only nation of immigrants.  The United Kingdom and many other European nations are seeing a major movement of peoples looking for a better life.

Times, 26th August 2016.

Homework: Watch the 7 BBC short videos ‘The Poles are coming’ on Youtube. Create a one/two page A4 case study on Polish Migration: An example of an Intra-regional migrant flow. What are the motivations for Polish Migrants? What sorts of jobs do they do? What are the benefits to the UK? What are the negatives to the UK? What effects has the migration had on Poland?

3. Read up about this and write a short paragraph.

Intra-regional Migrant Flows The case of the EU Learning Intention: To examine an example of an active Intra-regional migrant flow. 1. What are the contemporary patterns of global migration? Key Ideas Content 1a. Global Migration involves dynamic flows of people between countries, regions and continents. Current spatial patterns in the numbers, composition and direction of international migrant flows, including examples of both inter-regional and intra-regional. Intra-regional Migrant Flows The case of the EU