Topic of thesis: Selective Migration Policy in EU countries: patterns and causes. In my project, I will analyse migration policy in European countries. Since at least a decade, the new paradigm of managing migration has taken place in Europe. This means that the state takes an active responsibility for designing migration policy, favouring certain types of 'wanted' migrants (notably, high-skilled migrants, investors, international students) and limiting other types of less 'desired' third-countries nationals (low-skilled workers, family members, asylum seekers). This selective approach toward migration has an economic and political ground: one the one hand, certain migrants are in general more likely to foster the competitiveness of the national economy; on the other hand, they are politically more acceptable by the electorate. The EU has been following the same paradigm, and has devised two distinct directives for low-skilled and high-skilled migrant workers. I want to inquiry into the consequences of this novel approach at the national level: within this general scenario of convergence towards more favourable policies for high-skilled workers and less favourable for low-skilled migrants, I expect convergence among European countries' policies in the degree of openness. The question is: is there a decoupling effect between the policies covering these two categories or is there a spill-over effect, by which open policy for one type of migrants are associated with open policy for other types of migrants? In which countries these phenomena can be seen? And which are the determinant factors of such more or less selective migration policies? To answer to these questions, I will firstly measure the openness of migration policy in EU countries for different categories. I will draw upon the existing literature on the indicators to measure migration policy. The comparative analysis will present a limited variety of typologies and decoupling effects, for which I will seek causal explanations. Secondly, in order to analyse the determinants of migration policies and explain emerging patterns, I will refer to the political economy literature and to the 'states-imperatives' literature and I will include both structural factors and labour market actors' preferences.
Research interests: migration, European Union, comparative research
Graduated from: University of East Anglia (Norwich) and University of Pisa
Degree: Master's in Philosophy, Politics and Economics of Public Choice, Master's in Philosophy
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