Abstract:

International migration is one of the key elements of global integration process together with international trade and foreign direct investment, but unlike the latter migration still hasn′t experienced liberalisation on a global level during the last few decades. At the same time, several shifts in global migration flows have occurred, consequently driving the European Union from net emigration area to net immigration area, with almost three folds larger share of international immigrants in total population in comparison to the global average. The eastern enlargements of the European Union in the early 2000s, which included post-transitional countries at different stages of development in comparison to old member states, significantly affected the stock of migrants in the European Union and, in addition, also the labour markets on both sides. The object of the paper is to examine the determinants of migration flows that followed the process of European Union enlargement since 2004, which was followed by the liberalisation of migration through removing restrictions to labour markets at different periods of time in different member states. The research will be conducted using the panel data analysis which includes several pull and push factors including economic, geographical, cultural and demographic determinants of migration flows from “new” European Union member states to “old” European Union member states, together with estimating the effects of changes in immigration policies within the accession period. The results of the analysis will enable better understanding of migration flows determinants, as an essential prerequisite for estimating future migration flows and their overall potential effects, together with effects on origin and destination countries.