Work in Progress
Migration, Integration & the
European Labour Market

By Mikel Azurmendi, et al.
Edited by Helen Disney
August 2003
CIVITAS
ISBN: 1-903-386-28-4
102 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"
$14.95 Paper Original

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Globalisation has created a host of benefits, not least the freer movement of goods and services needed to bring greater economic prosperity to the world. But along with the freer movement of goods and services comes a greater demand for other types of freedom, including a desire to share in the benefits of economic prosperity by migrating to countries where jobs and other benefits are more plentiful. Since the relaxation of its national borders, migration into and between the countries of the European Union has become far more common and has begun to raise an urgent series of policy dilemmas. How can immigrants be better integrated into society? Is the labour market flexible enough to accommodate all those who want to come here to work? What will be the impact of greater diversity on our national identity? Should we be limiting the influx of newcomers into our countries and, if so, how strict do we need to be? This collection of essays shows that the process of dealing with increasing migration into Europe and its impact on our welfare states and labour markets is still very much a work in progress. Policy experts are divided on whether we need more immigrants to deal with Europe's ageing population or whether this is merely an economic myth. They are also divided on how severe the social impact of absorbing so many new cultures will be. If we wish to glory in the benefits that immigration can bring we must also accept that such a radical change in our social structure has the potential to cause problems. Unless we are sensible about dealing with them now, both Europe and those many people who wish to make a new life here will only be the poorer.

Economics

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