Six out of ten people (62%) in the European Union view geographical mobility as a ‘good thing’, according to Eurofound research. Most people also believe it to be good for the labour market and the economy generally, as well as for the individual. More importantly, nine out of ten people who have moved country or region see positive results in one way or another: more than one third report better housing conditions, one quarter have a higher income and a better job situation for themselves or their partner, and 15% report a better quality of work and a better local quality of life.
What do people view as the main barriers to move to another country? Almost 60% of respondents say that the main barrier is the lack of language skills, 30% say it is the difficulty in finding employment in the new country and nearly a quarter say it is adapting to another culture.
Migration is a trade-off between personal economic gains in terms of higher income, better job and career combined with a better lifestyle on the one hand and the concerns of losing social contacts, support from family and friends combined with the cost of moving (acquiring another language and adjusting to another culture) on the other hand.
‘To ensure the long-term success of mobility in Europe it is imperative to strike the right balance between economic gains and social integration, and mobility and stability,’ says Hubert Krieger, research manager at Eurofound. ‘Local authorities spearheading effective and preventive urban integration policy would provide an important contribution to better mobility in Europe.’
Eurofound’s research rejects the notion of a migration exodus, a European-wide mobility landslide. The intention of Europeans to move to another country in the next five years is relatively low and hardly spectacular: only below 3% of all Europeans expect to move to another European country and around 7% to another region. Also, not all people stating that they intend to move will do so. Existing social ties and socio-cultural differences are major barriers to cross-border migration, although less so in new Member States. Eurofound estimates that about one third to one half of people stating they would like to move will actually move. This means that overall between 1% and 1.5% of Europeans will move to another EU country in the next five years and between 2.8% to 3.5% to another region.
