Managing migration effectively requires a flexible and dynamic system: CIVICA discusses how

The CIVICA alliance recently hosted its annual European Week, this year at the London School of Economics. With the week's focus on migration, students debated a topic of significant contemporary importance: migratory flows, which are currently highly prominent in European political discourse. While much of the public debate centers on problems, crises and regulations, our goal was to foster a more nuanced conversation that also considers the numerous opportunities migration presents.

It's important to note that migration policies often lean towards containment and border externalization, as well as development through cooperation with European countries. However, this approach is flawed for two main reasons:

Firstly, erecting more barriers to migration only pushes people toward riskier alternatives. The incentives for migration typically outweigh the obstacles. People move due to socioeconomic factors and job opportunities, driven by objectives that often supersede complicated immigration barriers. Therefore, it's essential to establish comprehensive regulations that create proper channels and opportunities for migration.

Secondly, the notion that cooperation and aid projects to help developing countries reduce migration is mistaken. Research by Michael Clemens has shown that, as per capita income grows in the poorest countries (up to $11,000 per year), the incentives for migration actually increase. Thus, the more these poor countries develop, the more migration occurs. Focusing solely on containment and origin-country development is misguided; it is essential to shift our attention to generating and managing migratory flows effectively.

We also discussed how to leverage these opportunities and the role of merit in migration. Merit isn't limited to qualifications that attract global talent in fields like technology or external disciplines; it can also encompass factors such as age. For example, The Bank of Spain has projected that the nation will need 25 million workers by 2053 to maintain and improve its economy, pension system and social insurance. Therefore, being young could be considered a merit for many jobs, as could family connections that facilitate integration.

Initiatives like the Labor Mobility Partnerships (LaMP) are crucial in this context. This global initiative explores various alternatives and showcases best practices for businesses, workers and governments. It's essential to highlight and discuss these cases. We also need a flexible and dynamic system to ensure effective migration corridors and to simplify procedures for recognizing migrants’ skills and qualifications, which are often unnecessarily complicated and cumbersome.

The week also prompted us to reflect on what it means to be European and its implications for migration.

Overall, the CIVICA European Week was a great success. It featured engaging discussion, scientific evidence and new research on migration, all while fostering human connections between students and contributing significantly to the European migration debate. We’re already looking forward to the next edition.