Labor migration in Europe within the context of demographic challenges

Download
2004
İlkserim, Ayselin Yıldız
Today, it is a very crucial problem that many European countries are encountering demographic challenges stemming from the population decline and aging and according to many studies and future projections, this demographic trend will reach more critical levels for the next 50 years. The most prominent impact of this demographic situation will be on social security systems that the functioning and sustainability of pension and health care systems will be severely damaged with regard to the rapidly increasing number of elderly and the decline in number of young labor force resulting from the low births rates all over Europe. In this context, labor migration that received significant attention, has risen up to the agenda of Europe to serve as a policy option to mitigate the adverse consequences of demographic challenges. Taking its impetus from the mentioned demographic problem, this thesis aims to analyze the discussions over labor migration as a foreseen policy option to compensate the shortage of labor force in Europe. It also intents to bring relevant data and current debates together to generate a ground in order to open this critical issue to discussion and to elaborate the feasibility of labor migration need for Europe. In this regard, the thesis scrutinizes the reactions of European states regarding their reluctance to open their borders again for أmass influxؤ and examines briefly the other preferred and enforced policies that exclude migration option, such as aiming to increase fertility rates, ameliorate social security systems or encourage the native labor force participation. By taking all these into account, this thesis aspires to attract attention to this urgent problem and evaluates the labor migration need in Europe by presenting the relevant reactions and appraisals shaping the migration policies both at the nation state and EU level. Finally, this

Suggestions

Asylum harmonization process and its impacts within the context of the EU enlargement
Alp, Çiğdem; Okyayuz, Mehmet; Department of European Studies (2005)
Since 1980s, a number of factors caused an overall enhancement in the number of persons applying for asylum in Europe. This rapid increase in asylum applications and the end of the ideological gains towards refugees with the end of the politicized Cold War environment, necessitated European countries to re-focus on their immigration and asylum policies in a more systematic manner, especially after the ratification of the ءSingle European Act̕. Following the transfer of competencies in asylum and migration t...
Democratic deficit in the European Union
Birben, Ayşegül; Kahraman, Sevilay; Department of European Studies (2005)
This thesis analyzes the democratic deficit problem inherent in the European Union since the initial stages. In the study, the two dimensions of the problem is studied and within this context, the decision making procedures in the European Union, the functioning of the European Union institutions, the European Parliament elections are discussed in detail. Moreover, issues related to Europeanness and European identity are referred to and the improvements achieved by European Union concerning institutional st...
Dynamics and evolution of European Union's Middle East policy
Dersan, Duygu; Kibaroğlu, Ayşegül; Department of Middle East Studies (2006)
This thesis aims to analyze the development of the collective policies of the European Union towards the Middle East by focusing on the reasons behind the formulation of these policies, and the degree of success, failure and prospects of these policies. The general success of the European Community in the 1970s created a desire for European states to form a coordinated European foreign policy. Since the 1970s, the Community started to show willingness to shape international events and to strengthen its inte...
The Social character of the European Union : flexible work arrangements
Fidanay, Nilüfer İlhan; Gitmez, Ali; Department of European Studies (2004)
In this study, the way how the new challenges faced in the post-Fordist period affected labour work arrangements and European social policy making is analyzed. In this regard, the formation of flexible work arrangements and forms of flexibility are examined. The attempts of the European Union to produce effective strategies to connect economic developments to social progress are discussed.
Impacts of urban renewal policies : the case of Tarlabaşı-İstanbul
Sakızlıoğlu, Nur Bahar; Rittersberger Tılıç, Helga İda; Department of Sociology (2007)
Istanbul of 2000s has experienced a shift in urban policy approach from leading and maneuvering uneven, excessive and speculative urban growth, towards managing ‘urban transformation’ that has been put implementation with urban (re)development / renewal / regeneration / revitalization initiatives. To examine the rise of these new policies for ‘urban transformation’ in Istanbul of the 2000s for the entire restructuring of the city is the first and comprehensive aim of this study. In this respect, the politic...
Citation Formats
A. Y. İlkserim, “Labor migration in Europe within the context of demographic challenges,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2004.