Recent migration trends

European Commission Eurostat

Description

Citizens of EU-27 Member States become ever more mobile while EU remains attractive to non-EU citizens
Population and social conditions
Target audience: Specialised/Technical

Sujets

• Immigration
• Migration humaine
• Foreign national
• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-EUROSTAT
• Nombre de lectures: 41
• Langue: English

Extrait

Population and social conditions Author: Anne HERM

S t a t i s t i c s i n f o c u s 98/2008

Recent migration trends: citizens of EU27 Member States become ever more mobile while EU remains attractive to nonEU citizens

International migration plays an increasing role Compared with the small increase in total in most Member States. Immigration brings immigration, more citizens of EU27 Member both economic and social opportunities and States were migrating: the number of EU27 challenges to countries receiving immigrants. citizens migrating to Member States other than At the same time, immigration is now at the their own country of citizenship increased by 10% forefront of European and national policy per year. agendas. Spain, Germany and UK received more than half of This issue looks at three categories of all immigrants in the EU27. While the vast majority immigrants in the EU27 Member States (see of immigrants in the EU27 settled in the big the glossary at the end): nationals, citizens of Member States, the scale of immigration was other EU27 countries (including Bulgaria and greater for smaller countries. Romania, which joined the EU on 1 January There were relatively more nonEU than EU 2007), and nonEU citizens, with particular citizens among immigrants: of some 3 million non regard to their age, sex and country of national immigrants to the EU27, more than 1.8 citizenship, as of 2006. Analysis of the figures million were not citizens of EU27 countries. Poles shows the overall picture of immigration in the and Romanians were the most numerous EU27 and the different patterns of immigration immigrants among citizens of EU27 countries in the Member States. while Moroccans ranked first among nonEU citizens. Highlights Half of all immigrants were younger than 29 years old. Immigrants who were not EU citizens were In 2006 about 3.5 million persons settled in a new younger than those who were EU27 citizens country of residence in the EU27, according to (including nationals). There were more men than Eurostat estimates. After rather rapid growth in women among immigrants and the women were 2003 compared with 2002, the rise in immigration younger than the men. Compared with other slowed in the last few years. The biggest rise in countries women are more frequent among immigration was in Ireland and Spain. immigrants in the south of the EU. Figure 1. Relative change in immigration by citizenship group, EU27. 2002=100% % 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006  All im migrants Nationals Other EU27 citizens NonEU citizens Source: Eurostat estimates