In terms of expected impact,
we hope to (1) make an innovative contribution to theoretical and
empirical research in this area, and (2) provide a valuable input
into the policy debate on migration in European countries and at
EU level.
(1) Innovation. The project will promote
innovation in four senses. First, the multidisciplinary approach
applied in the research will be highly original. To be sure,
there have been a number of attempts to apply a range of multidisciplinary
approaches to the analysis of migration, but most have involved
synthesising the research results of these approaches to produce
common insights. This project will integrate interdisciplinary
theories and concepts from the outset, in our design of the
methodology for the empirical research.
A second important innovation will be the application and
development of recent US approaches to modelling meso-level
variables. This will include theoretical approaches to modelling
identity-based aspects of migrant decision-making, as well
as cutting-edge methodological approaches (e.g. experimental
interviews).
Third, the empirical research component will provide an original
contribution to knowledge on the impact of policy intervention
on migration. There is already extensive research on the impact
of migrant networks on mobility and integration, and a number
of more general historical works on the consequences of policy
interventions in the guest worker era. However, to our knowledge
there has been no systematic interview-based research on how
networks influence mobility or settlement patterns of specified
migrant networks, following the expansion of legal migration
programmes in Europe.
Fourth, the project will offer innovative analysis of the
political and sociological context of knowledge transfer in
migration policy. While there have been a number of contributions
on the institutional context of EU policy making on immigration,
none has addressed the specific question of patterns and constraints
to the transfer of scientific knowledge, as has been done for
other areas of European policy.
(2) Policy input. A number of demographic,
global economic, and domestic socio-economic trends suggest
that labour and skills shortages will become increasingly acute
in the coming years and decades. Many EU countries, and the
European Commission DG Justice and Home Affairs, have already
responded by developing legislation or proposals for expanded
labour migration programmes. However, current and future policy-making
and public debates could benefit from a wider knowledge base
on the possible (often unintended) consequences of expanded
labour migration programmes. We hope that one impact of our
project will be to contribute to this debate, through filling
knowledge gaps, promoting knowledge transfer to European policy-makers,
and generating more policy recommendations for minimising the
unintended consequences of labour migration policies. This
will be achieved, inter alia, through our series of policy
briefs, internet dissemination, and international conference
on the theme.
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