Migration from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe: Past Developments, Current Status and Future Potentials

• Other Authors: Bommes, Michael (Editor), Fassman, Heinz (Editor), Sievers, Wiebke (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam University Press 2014
• Subjects: Migration, immigration & emigration; middle east; european union; migration; north africa
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

One of the most important challenges concerning the future of the European Union is the demographic reproduction of the European population. Decreasing birth-rates and the retirement of the baby boomers will dramatically reduce the labour force in the EU, which will entail not only a lack of manpower but also lower contributions to European social systems. It seems clear that the EU will have to counterbalance this population decrease by immigration in the coming years. <i>Migration Between the Middle East, North Africa and Europe</i> takes this challenge as a point of departure for analysing the MENA region, in particular Morocco, Egypt and Turkey, as a possible source of future migration to the European Union. At the same time, it illustrates the uncertainties implied in such calculations, especially at a time of radical political changes, such as those brought about by the Arab Uprising.