Proliferation of Migration Transition

PROLIFERATION OF MIGRATION TRANSITION Selected New EU Member States Proliferation of Migration Transition Selected New EU Member States Edited by Felicita Medved © 2014 European Liberal Forum. All rights reserved Published by the European Liberal Forum asbl with the support of NOVUM Institute and FORES. Co-funded by the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum asbl are responsible for the content of this publication, or for any use that may be made of it. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) alone. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the European Parliament and/or the European Liberal Forum asbl. European Liberal Forum The European Liberal Forum (ELF) is the foundation of the European Liberal Democrats, the ALDE Party. A core aspect of our work consists in issuing publications on Liberalism and European public policy issues. We also provide a space for the discussion of European politics, and offer training for liberal-minded citizens. Our aim is to promote active citizenship in all of this. Our foundation is made up of a number of European think tanks, political foundations and institutes. The diversity of our membership provides us with a wealth of knowledge and is a constant source of innovation. In turn, we provide our members with the opportunity to cooperate on European projects under the ELF umbrella. We work throughout Europe as well as in the EU Neighbourhood countries. The youthful and dynamic nature of ELF allows us to be at the forefront in promoting active citizenship, getting the citizen involved with European issues and building an open, Liberal Europe. NOVUM Institute The NOVUM Institute is a non-profit, educational and policy research organization established in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Its aims include support to political decision-making, democracy promotion, to foster public dialogue, communicating new policy ideas and developing new methods and approaches in political advertising. The Institute pursues high standard of research and discourse. Through its activities which range from conceptual studies, public education, to administrative and technical assistance, the Institute contributes to the stock of knowledge available to political parties, policy-makers and the interested public in Slovenia and abroad. We promote and protect liberal values which include democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect for and protection of human rights, economic and social development, and sustainable development. The Institute disseminates its research findings through its web site, the media, publications, seminars, round tables, workshops, forums and conferences. The Institute is registered as an NGO under the Slovenian law. Its board consists of 13 members with economic, political, public and scientific background, which makes Novum a powerful advocacy group. Fores - the green and liberal think tank Fores - Forum for Reforms, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability - is a green and liberal think tank. We want to renew the debate in Sweden with belief in entrepreneurship and opportunities for people to shape their own lives. Market-based solutions to climate change and other environmental challenges, the long-term benefits of migration and a welcoming society, the gains of increased levels of entrepreneurship, the need for modernization of the welfare sector and the challenges of the rapidly changing digital society – these are some of the issues we focus on. We hold seminars and roundtable discussions in town halls, parliaments and board rooms, we publish reports, books and policy papers, we put together and chair reference groups around policy issues, we participate in the media debates, and we support policy makers with relevant facts. We act as a link between curious citizens, opinion makers, entrepreneurs, policymakers and researchers, always striving for an open-minded, inclusive and thought provoking dialogue. Table of Contents 5 Table of Contents Editor’s Introduction ............................................................................06 Hungary ................................................................................................19 Czech Republic: Towards a Restrictive Migration Policy ...................50 Poland – a Country of Enduring Emigration ........................................84 Slovenia: Towards a Circular Migration Concept ..............................116 Croatia – Diversity of Migration Trends and Policies .......................152 Bulgarian Migration Profile ...............................................................189 Malta: At the crossroads of irregular immigration .............................212 Synthesis and Reflections ...................................................................238 About the Authors ..............................................................................279 Editor’s Introduction 6 Things of this world are in so constant a flux, that nothing remains long in the same state. John Locke Editor’s Introduction There are few issues that are of such significance to civilisation or so consistently present on international, European, state and local agendas as migration. International migration – either voluntary or forced – has become a very complex issue, not only in terms of the number of international migrants, but above all in terms of the their multifaceted demographic, economic, social and cultural dynamics. Migration thus plays a significant role in the evolution of societies in countries of destination and origin alike. As part of a transnational shift, which is reshaping societies and politics around the globe, migration has clear benefits that could be enhanced and disadvantages that could be minimised. Castles and his colleagues (2013) claim that we are, once again, living in the midst of an age of migration. Some would say that does not mean much, since migration has been a major activity of human beings throughout human history. However, if it is possible to say that migration was occurring in each and every age of humanity, it is critical to note that reasons driving people to move at any one time are largely related to the distinct features of each age under consideration. Never in human history was the number of international migrants greater than now. According to the United Nations (UN), the total number of international migrants, usually defined as people living outside the country of birth for a year, increased from an estimated 175 million in 2000 to 232 million persons today. This appears to be a large figure, but actually represents merely 3.18 per cent of the world’s 7,28 billion people as of December 2014. Thus, international migration has remained stable in relative terms, while the number of international migrants has grown only slightly more rapidly than the overall global population. However, due to improved infrastructure and possibilities of travel, non-migratory forms of mobility, such as tourism, business trips and commuting, have rapidly increased in the past fifty years. Still, most people remain in their home territories and internal movement is far higher than international migration; it is estimated at 740 million people and is closely linked to international migration and driven by the same transformation processes (Bell & Muhidin 2009). In response to these processes that manifest themselves in economic, political and cultural changes, but also in violent conflicts, new flows of migration are developing in parallel with long-standing Editor’s Introduction 7 migratory patterns and their newly emerging forms. However, despite their diversity, there are certain general tendencies in contemporary migrations throughout the world, as identified by Castels et al. (2013: 16-17). Firstly, migration is becoming ever more globalised, as more countries are affected by international migration. Since the array of source countries of migrants is increasingly diverse, most countries of immigration host immigrants from a broad spectrum of economic, social and cultural backgrounds. Secondly, dominant migration flows are changing direction. In Europe, the long-standing outward movement aimed at conquering, colonising and settling foreign lands around the globe, reversed after the Second World War. Thus, for a continent that some 59 million people left between 1846 and 1939, immigration is a relatively new phenomenon. Thirdly, traditional countries of emigration become countries of immigration. The prelude to becoming a predominantly immigration country is often found in a growing transit migration. However, the proliferation of migration transition may also be reversed, as countries change from immigration to emigration. After 1945, virtually all countries of Western and Northern Europe became areas of labour immigration and subsequent settlement. Since the 1980s, Southern European countries, such as Greece, Italy and Spain, have also become immigration areas, although emigration has recently been increasing in response to the global economic crisis. More recently, Central and Eastern European states are experiencing significant emigration and immigration. Fourthly, most countries experience a whole range of types of migration and are increasingly less dominated by a single type of migration, such as labour migration, family reunion, refugee movement or permanent settlement. Differentiation of migration is reinforced by migratory chains, as one type of migration often continues with other forms despite – or often particularly due to – Government

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