The changing health status of economic migrants to the European Union in the aftermath of the economic crisis

摘要

Migration flows have changed in the European Union (EU) since the beginning of the worldwide economic crisis in 2008. Eurostat estimates indicate that net migration (statistically adjusted for total population growth) increased in the region throughout the 1990s and peaked in 2003. Since then, it has declined. During 2011, there were an estimated 1.7 million immigrants to the EU-27 member states from a country outside the region. Additionally, 1.3 million people previously residing in an EU-27 member state migrated to another member state. As a result, 16 out of the EU-27 member states reported more immigration than emigration in 2011, but in 11 out of the 27 member states emigrants outnumbered immigrants. Therefore, in total, compared with 2007, the year just before the economic crash, immigration into EU member states is estimated to have decreased by 6% and emigration to have increased by 13%.