Politics and Policies of Emigration

This in-depth book highlights the pressing need for greater research on emigration politics, presenting an empirically and theoretically rich investigation of emigration in the EU.The Politics and Policies of Emigration explores 20 years of party political discourse on emigration, including key policy developments which are supported by interviews and document analysis. Utilising cleavage theory, Roos conducted research in Poland, Portugal and Romania, three countries which share the experience of large-scale emigration, both as EU members and before joining the EU. Roos argues that measures for citizen return and retention, alongside the compensation of population loss at a national and EU level, must find equilibrium against the right to exit and EU freedom of movement. The book captures the predicament for EU countries who face the emigration conundrum, balancing openness with political demands and the adoption of measures mitigating migration and its effects.The analysis presented in this book will benefit scholars and students of political sociology, international politics, European politics and policy, migration studies, demography and human geography. It is also a valuable resource for policy makers and professionals working on migration, freedom of movement, and economic and social living conditions.