Emerging patterns of East - West migration in Europe: New patterns of mobility in a changing political landscape

Three phds have been submitted as part of the project. Jon Horgen Friberg defended his doctoral thesis in 2013. In the thesis he addresses labor migration between Poland and Norway, focusing on drivers and patterns of migration and new forms of social inequality and marginalization in the Norwegian labor market and society. Central to the analysis are the Polish migrants' own experiences, and their strategies and adaptations to work and family in Norway and in Poland. In the wake of increased migration, new forms of segmentation and inequality have emerged in migrant-intensive sectors. While some migrants gain access to regular employment, many face precarious conditions. Norwegian labour market regulations seems to have had some success in protecting basic rights of migrants, but has also had unforeseen consequences in other areas. The thesis explores the labour market dynamics which has contributed to increasing dualization and segmentation between native and foreign workers in parts of the labor market, and how the establishment of new flexible migrant-intensive job segments on the periphery of the otherwise regulated Norwegian labor market also have affected the welfare state. Friberg also analyzes migration decisions with respect to length of stay, transnational adaptations, settlement, family reunification and return migration. The migration process is conceptualized in three stages that many migrants go through, from short term work abroad, via open ended transnational commuting, to more permanent settlement. Many lead transnational lives in the sense that they simultaneously lead important parts of their lives in two different countries. However, because temporary labor migrants are mainly recruited to fill a permanent labor demand, and because family and social commitments set clear limitations on the viability of transnational adaptations over time, a considerable proportion of the Polish labor migrants end up settling long-term or permanently in Norway ? often despite their original intentions. Guri Tyldum submitted her doctoral thesis in May 2015. The thesis examines the relationship between perceptions of migration and migration practices. The social meanings of migration shape migration decisions, as migration is understood as for instance necessary or possible for people in specific roles in specific situations in life. In the thesis Tyldum analyses migration decisions taking as a starting point the perspectives that dominate in countries of origin for migration and shows how migration can be understood as part of cultural repertoires that affect how people develop strategies. Furthermore, she shows how social institutions, and in particular perceptions of responsibility and obligations within families, affect both who travels and how they travel. The study shows for instance, how lack of access to divorce, and absence of reasons to stay may explain migration flows. She also points out the need to recognize that women, when they are interviewed as mothers cannot always afford to talk about migration as something they do to improve their own lives. Tyldum shows how notions of when and how migration is a good idea varies, depending on factors such as gender, responsibility, and class. Thus, one can rarely say that actors in a society consider migration as either good or bad. Migration is rather understood as a possible response to a given situation for some groups. The Polish doctoral student, Joanna Napierala, got her doctoral thesis approved in 2014. In her thesis Napierala studies the relationship between social capital and unemployment, and discusses the importance of social networsk for the length of time a job seeker goes without work in Poland, and whether they seek work abroad. Such a relationship could neither be disproved nor confirmed. Aadne Aasland and Mikkel Berg at NIBR analyzed the new labor migration to Russia in light of Russia's critical demographic development. Labour migration policies have tried to deal with the tension between facilitating and stimulating the desired migration and restrict unwanted migration. The analysis looks at recent developments in Russian migration laws and their consequences for migrants, and discusses the resurgence of Russian xenophobia. Project homepage: http://www.fafo.no/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=6015&Itemid=1001&lang=nb

1 EU-utvidelsen har skapt nye rammebetingelser for mobilitet i Europa etter at lavkostland i det tidligere Øst-Europa har blitt med i det indre markedet, mens EU’s yttergrense har blitt flyttet østover til landene i det tidligere Sovjetunionen. Denne stud ien vil ta for seg økonomisk migrasjon og nye utfordringer og muligheter for avsender og mottakerland i forhold til regulering av migrasjonsstrømmer og arbeidsmarkeder. Fokuset vil ligge på sammenhengen mellom migrasjon inn i EU/EØS-området fra land på ut siden, og økende mobilitet internt i EU/EØS mellom nye og gamle medlemsland. Prosjektet vil inneholde to PhD studier. Den ene vil se på øst-vest migrasjon innenfor det utvidede EU/EØSområdet, med fokus på migrasjon fra Polen til Norge og andre vesteuropei ske land. Den andre vil ta for seg migrasjon til Norge og Polen fra Russland og Ukraina. Begge vil utforske mekanismene for økonomisk migrasjon på tilbudssiden og migrasjonens konsekvenser for avsenderlandene. Dette innebærer empiriske og analytiske tilnæ rminger som med utgangspunkt i omfattende surveyer og kvalitative data fokuserer på individuelle migranter og deres motiver, muligheter, valg og erfaringer, samt en kartlegging av hvilke konsekvenser økt migrasjon har for samfunnene i avsenderlandene. Tre prosjektledere vil med utgangspunkt i dataene som samles inn i PhD-studiene analysere de overgripende implikasjoner for politikkutforming og institusjonell utvikling i avsender- og mottakerland. Ved å sammenlikne mekanismer, effekter og politiske virkemi dler vil prosjektet frambringe kunnskap og analyser som kan anvendes i den politiske utformingen av regimene for migrasjons- og arbeidsmarkedsregulering på nasjonalt og europeisk nivå. Gjennom et tett samarbeid med Universitetet i Warzawa, vil studien vær e knyttet opp til et stort internasjonalt survey-basert forskningsprosjekt omkring migrasjon til og fra Polen. Dette vil muliggjøre videre komparative analyser.