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Who Migrates in a Setting of Free Mobility? Assessing the Reason for Migration and Integration Patterns using Cross-national Register Data from Finland and Sweden

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posted on 2020-04-16, 08:09 authored by Rosa WeberRosa Weber, Jan SaarelaJan Saarela
Free mobility provides greater diversity in migration motives and settlement intentions by opening up migration as an opportunity to a wider range of individuals. This paper identifies migration motives by using pre- and post-migration information available in linked Finnish and Swedish register data covering the period 1988–2005. Finland and Sweden have been part of the Nordic common labour market since 1954 allowing Nordic citizens to move without barriers. Results reveal substantial diversity in temporary migration and labour market integration by the reason for migration. Migrants who are classified as student migrants have a high prevalence of return migration and circulation. Individuals classified as labour migrants often return migrate, but they are less likely to circulate than student and family migrants. Findings on economic integration show that the majority of labour migrants enter employment within the first two years after immigration. Student and family migrants enter the labour market in a step-wise fashion, but student migrants’ income surpasses that of labour migrants about five years after immigration. The results underscore that focusing solely on one country provides only a partial understanding of the dynamics underlying migration and integration.

Funding

Högskolestiftelsen i Österbotten

Aktiastiftelsen i Vasa

Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland

Department of Sociology, Stockholm University

the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life and Welfare [2016 07105]

the Swedish Initiative for Research on Microdata in Social Science and Medical Sciences: Stockholm University SIMSAM Node for Demographic Research [340-2013-5164]

the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland [293103]

History

ISSN

2002-617X

Original title

Who Migrates in a Setting of Free Mobility? Assessing the Reason for Migration and Integration Patterns using Cross-national Register Data from Finland and Sweden

Original language

  • English

Publication date

2020-04-16