Amsterdam University Press Migration from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe: Past Developments, Current Status and Future Potentials (IMISCOE Research)

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. Migration Between the Middle East, North Africa and Europe 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. Review Fast-growing nations of the Middle East and North Africa have a surplus of young workers, while shrinking European countries having ever fewer youth entering the labor force. These fundamental push and pull factors combine with policies, politics, and climate change and other factors to shape one of the world's most complex migration corridors. -- Philip Martin, University of California, Davis [A] very well edited publication which addresses an extremely topical subject from an important perspective. Many of the chapters are by internationally recognised experts in the field, presenting new analysis. -- Michael Collyer, University of Sussex From the Inside Flap 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. Migration Between the Middle East, North Africa and Europe 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. From the Back Cover 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. Migration Between the Middle East, North Africa and Europe 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. About the Author is professor at the Institute of Geography and Regional Research of the University of Vienna and director of the Austrian Academy of Science's Institute for Urban and Regional Research. (¿ 2010) was professor of sociology at the University of Osnabrück. is researcher at the Institute for Urban and Regional Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.