Internal Migration and Social Policy: Implications for ‘Social Europe’’

• In Event: Internal Migration Politics and Policy

Abstract

Literature on free movement and social policy in Europe has predominantly focused on welfare states’ loss of sovereignty; fiscal implications for countries of destination; mobile EU citizens’ access to benefit is the country of destination; and resulting new social inequalities. Meanwhile, the social policy implications of de facto depopulation and human capital loss in Eastern Europe following emigration sparked by imbalances in labour markets and living standards are rarely discussed. Yet from this follows significant immediate and long-term consequences for social services and social security. Not only is this a problem for certain member states, it also creates structural impediment to the form of social harmonisation sought by the EU. Moreover, it raises challenging normative questions for a Union that increasingly defines itself as a shared social space with civilised welfare states. This paper sets out to address this neglected issue and set out a new agenda for research. Drawing on political and legal theory on solidarity and justice in the EU, the paper first argues for why these issues cannot be neglected in a social Union. Following this, existing research on intra-EU movement and social policy implications is reviewed, looking for example at brain drain and remittances, and policy responses in net-emigration and net-immigration countries. A final section outlines an agenda for further research.

Author

• Cecilia Bruzelius, University of Tübingen