briefing papers for policy makers

Key Recommendations
The following recommendations were made:
1. A unified migration policy on the European level is required, since individual member countries are unable to
follow independent migration policies without potentially harming other members.
2. The results of the project suggest that a migration policy that selects migrants according to their skills is
beneficial for the receiving country because of the following reasons:
• Skilled migrants assimilate very quickly to the society and economy of the receiving country. A fast assimilation in turn
reduces the probability that migrants become dependent on social benefits.
• Immigration of selected workers reduces the possibility of negative effects of immigration on native employment as
well as wages and may even create gains in efficiency that also result in positive distributive effects, not only for capital
but also for native labour.
• A selective migration policy meets both political and economic objectives, since it reduces social tensions towards
migration among the native population and enhances the economic performance.
Therefore, a potential unified migration policy may consider implementing a policy similar to the point systems
used in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
3. The results of the research project further suggest that assimilation policies seem to be necessary to achieve a
fast economic assimilation of the migrants and to reduce the potential costs of immigration for the receiving
country. The studies on the assimilation of first- and second-generation immigrants as well as the determinants
of welfare dependence of migrants indicate that language skills are of particular importance.
The full title of the project is: Labour Demand, Education and the Dynamics of Social Exclusion
The Final Report and results of this project are available through the electronic version of this report at:
http://www.cordis.lu/citizens/publications.htm (under Reports)
Key Publications
The project published two conference volumes, six reports, two books, two journals and two journal special issues, 1998-1989.
The following discussion papers were produced throughout this project:
Abowd, Kramarz & Margolis, Minimum Wages and Employment in France and the United States.
Arellano & Bover, Learning About Migration Decisions from the Migrants: Using Complementary Datasets to Model Intra-
Regional Migrations in Spain.
Åslund, Edin & Fredriksson, Settlement Policies and the Economic Success of Immigrants.
Åslund, Edin & Fredriksson, Ethnic Enclaves and the Economic Success of Immigrants - Evidence from a Natural Experiment.
Barrett, Fitzgerald & Nolan, Earnings Inequality, Returns to Education and Immigration into Ireland.
Barrett & O'Connell, Is There A Wage Premium for Returning Irish Migrants?
Bauer & Haisken-DeNew, Employer Learning And The Returns To Schooling.
Bauer, Million, Rotte & Zimmermann, Immigrant Labour and Workplace Safety.
Bentolila & Ichino, Unemployment and Consumption: Are Job Losses Less Painful near the Mediterranean?
Bevelander, P., Declining Employment Assimilation of Immigrants in Sweden: Observed or Unobserved Characteristics?
Böheim & Taylor, Unemployment Duration and Exit States in Britain.
Booth & Bryan, The Union Membership Wage Premium Puzzle: Is There A Free-Rider Problem?
Booth & Zoega, Is Wage Compression a Necessary Condition for Firm-Financed General Training?
Booth & Zoega, Why Do Firms Invest in General Training? ‘Good' Firms and 'Bad' Firms as a Source of Monopsony Power.
Booth, Francesconi & Frank, Glass Ceilings or Sticky Floors?
Booth, Rancesconi & Zoega, Training, Rent-Sharing and Unions.
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