1.a. Intra-regional migration

Question 1

What is intra-regional migration?

Answer 1

Migrants moving within regions (e.g. within Europe)

Question 2

What is the EU?
(Case Study: European Union)

Answer 2

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states located in Europe. It was established in 1993 and aims to promote peace, economic prosperity and social progress among its member states. The EU has a common market, a single currency (the euro) and a common foreign and security policy.

Question 3

How does the EU function?
(Case Study: European Union)

Answer 3

• European Council: Consists of the heads of state or government of the EU member states, meeting at least twice a year. It sets the EU’s overall political direction and priorities
• European Commission: The EU’s executive arm, responsible for proposing legislation and managing the EU’s budget. It consists of one commissioner from each member state
• European Parliament: The directly elected parliament of the EU, representing the citizens of member states. It shares legislative power with the Council and can veto legislation
• Council of the European Union: Consists of ministers from each member state, depending on the policy area being discussed. It shares legislative power with Parliament

Question 4

What is the Schengen Agreement?
(Case Study: European Union)

Answer 4

• As of 2015, nearly 20 million, or 4% of the EU’s birth population lived in a European country in which they were not born.
• The size of these migrants is largely explained by the Schengen Agreement which allows freedom of movement across most of the EU’s internal border
• Not all EU countries are Schengen Area Countries and some countries are not members of the EU but are members of the Schengen Area

Question 5

How does the Schengen Agreement influence migrant flows within Europe?
(Case Study: European Union)

Answer 5

• The Schengen Agreement has increased the scale of intra-regional migration within Europe due to the fact that intervening obstacles are reduced (no passport check etc)
• The recent EU expansion also explains the large numbers of people migrating within the EU-27
• These countries have a large working age population and move within Europe to seek employment. They are particularly attracted to the countries with high wages (e.g. Germany and France)

Question 6

How has the EU expansion influenced the flows of migrants within Europe?
(Case Study: European Union)

Answer 6

• As new member states have joined the EU (2004 - Czech Republic, Poland. 2007 - Romania, Bulgaria. 2013 - Croatia), there has been an increase in economic migration from these countries to more prosperous EU nations.
  E.g. After 2004 enlargement, there was significant migration from countries like Poland, Hungary and the Baltic States to the UK, Ireland and other Western European countries
  Workers from newer member states often move to countries with stronger economies in search of better job opportunities and higher wages

Question 7

Describe the type of migrants travelling intra-regionally.

Answer 7

A significant proportion of intra-European migrants are young adults, often in their 20s and 30s. This age group is particularly mobile due to opportunities for employment, education or lifestyle changes
A large proportion of migrants move for employment reasons. This includes both low-skilled workers filling labor shortages and high-skilled professionals seeking better career prospects