Laura Galbersanini (NASP-CCA)

Work in Progress Seminars

The Selection of Intra-EU Migrants Before and After the 2008 Events

Abstract: Geographical mobility is a highly studied topic in social sciences, not least because it challenges the role of the State as one of the key traditional units of analysis of political and socio-economic dynamics. Concerning the European context, the gradual dismantling of internal borders has led to the definition of a “frontier-free Schengenland” (King & Skeldon 2010) in which migrant workers have become EU movers (Favell & Recchi 2009). This brand- new geopolitical framework may question the relevance of immigrants’ characteristics in their country of origin as determinant factors in enhancing their propensity to move and their returns. By merging the ESS waves from 2002 to 2020, we try to test whether the positive self-selection hypothesis can still be applied to the geopolitical novelty introduced by the European Union. We look at would-be migrants’ pre-migration characteristics with a specific focus on gender differences. We also compare pre- and post-2008 periods using difference-in-differences methodology by comparing old and new member states (referring to the Eastern enlargement) and analyse their (expected) different migratory behaviours.