Out of the Labour Market: Intra-EU Return and Retirement Migration

Abstract

The post-1990 era witnessed complex, diverse, and dynamic human migration flows created by the realities of globalization, liberalization, and flexibility. Contemporary migration has considerably reduced the dichotomous distinctions between ‘migration’ and ‘mobility,’ between ‘temporary’ and ‘permanent,’ and between ‘home’ and ‘away’ (King 2002). Recent enlargements of the European Union (EU, refer to Table 11.1) and implementation of the Schengen Agreement have generated multifaceted transnational mobility flows that include the permanent return of former guest-workers, the repeated return of circular migrants, and the frequent return of expatriate retirees. Intra-EU return migration and circular migration have gained renewed and increasing importance. Since the 1980s, return migration has been on the national policy agendas of numerous EU Member States. Indeed, it has “emerged as a critical element of many governments’ migration policy” (International Organization for Migration 2004, 7). Retirement migration is demographically and spatially focused. The ability of mobile pensioners to adeptly exercise, manipulate, and exploit their EU citizenship rights pose a considerable challenge for social security and welfare systems at various spatial scales, especially at the local/municipal level within the receiving countries (Coldron and Ackers 2009). Issues of accessibility, delivery, reciprocity, and funding have arisen due to increasingly mobile (and nested) populations of contributors, recipients, and claimants. Consequently, intra-EU return and retirement migration have (re)gained importance among academics and politicians, especially since these streams involve mutual migration among EU Member States (e.g. Dustmann et al. 1996; Hall and Müller 2004; Klinthäll 2006; Constant and Zimmermann 2007; Smallwood et al. 2008; Fassmann et al. 2009; Kahnec and Zimmermann 2009; Kahnec et al. 2009).

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

Assisted Voluntary Return: Return migration undertakenwith the assistance of government agencies and/or implementing partners, and withfinancial assistance for reintegration.

Back from the Coast: The sparsely populated “rural hinterland adjacent to [a] coastal strip” (King et al. 1998, 107).

Circular Migration (or Temporary Migration): Continual movement between two places, often involving temporary labour migration.

Expatriates: Permanent residents identifying with their new domicile.

Multilocal Adaptation: A strong degree of attachment to several places with a stronger degree of cultural adaptation.

Non-National EU Citizens: Individuals holding the citizenship of an EU Member State other than that to which they are migrating.

Post-Retirement Migrants: Individuals who retired at home and then subsequently moved abroad.

Residents: Seasonal residents visiting their home country for 2–5 months.

Return Migration: The permanent movementof first generation migrants back to their country of origin, after having passed a significant time-span abroad.

Returnees: Irregular visitors making multiple trips annually (and often owners of second homes).

Returning Community Workers: Individuals who moved (as workers) and retired abroad and then returned home.

Returning Nationals: Individuals returning to their country of citizenship after having previously lived abroad.

Routinised Sojourning: Minimal or no attachment to several places (i.e. neither ‘here’ nor ‘there’).

Seasonal Visitors: Temporary residents living in their home country for 2–6 months.

Translocal Normality: A moderate degree of attachment to several places with a weaker degree of cultural adaptation.

Voluntary Return Migration: Return migration undertaken freely and informally, without the assistance of government agencies and/or implementing partners, and without financial assistance for reintegration.