Description:
Migration has become a significant economic and social policy issue in the European Union. This report provides a timely contribution to the debate on migration and mobility by presenting new data on the potential extent and shape of future migration from the acceding and candidate countries towards the EU. It is based on data from European Commission Eurobarometer surveys, taking into account the views and experiences of citizens of both the acceding and candidate countries as well as current Member States of the EU. It analyses people's declared motives for migrating and looks at the influence of economic factors such as low income and poverty. It sketches the profile of the typical migrant and highlights the increasing feminisation of migration as a new phenomenon. The report concludes that while the volume of migrants towards the European Union is likely to be much lower than expected, the risk of a potential 'youth and brain drain' westwards is a genuine concern for the 'new' Member States.