Suchergebnisse

In 2001 Germany and Austria became the last EU states to lift transnational controls restricting access to their labour markets for citizens of ex-communist countries. This book challenges anti-immigration discourses to show that given the high percentage of skilled immigrants, it is the sending rather than the receiving countries who lose out

Prior to the first EU 'eastward enlargement' in 2004, many economists warned of the impact of East₆West migration on the sustainability of social protection schemes in Western Europe. Very critical voices came from Germany, which restricted access to its labour market for as long as possible under EU legislation. Other countries such as Ireland opened their borders to Central and Eastern European migrants from day one of accession. A decade later, the critical voices remain silent. Central and East European Migrants' Contributions to Social Protection explains how misperceptions of East₆West migration and of the impact of EU legislation contributed to an overestimation of the impact of migration on social protection. Through case studies of Germany, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, Maatsch shows the mechanisms at work and the amplitude of effects.