Clandestine Labour Migration from Poland to Greece, Spain and Italy: Anthropological Perspectives

Abstract

Labour migrations are nothing new in Europe; they have accompanied its history for the past century and more. The only change has been in the regions of origin and destination. The general cessation of foreign labour recruitment in Western European countries since 1974, the European unification process, the re-patterning of economic development, and the collapse of the Soviet bloc have undoubtedly been the key factors to account for the recent alterations of labour migratory movements on the continent. As we saw in Chapter 1, the Mediterranean flank of Europe has witnessed some of the biggest migratory changes. The former out-migration countries of Southern Europe have now become the destination of professional and managerial people from Northern EU countries and of so-called 'illegals' originating from North Africa and Eastern Europe. Immigration policies are the primary cause of illegal immigrations, since illegal immigrants are those who do not possess the necessary permits or no longer meet the conditions imposed upon them by national legislation. The connection between changing entry policies and illegal immigration is well illustrated in the European experience, especially over the past two decades. During the economic boom years of the 1960s when most EEC countries recruited or encouraged the entry of foreign workers, illegal migration was not an issue given the ease with which permits could be obtained.KeywordsHost CountryLabour MigrationForeign WorkerIllegal ImmigrationMigration StudyThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.