Types of migration: the motivations, composition, and early integration patterns of ‘new migrants’ in Europe

Summary

Applying latent class analysis to a unique data source of 3,500 Polish migrants in Western Europe, we develop a new typology of Polish migrants under “free movement” following the 2004 expansion of the European Union. We characterize these diverse migrant types in terms of their pre-migration characteristics and link them to varied early social and economic integration outcomes. We show that alongside traditional circular and temporary labour migration, EU expansion has given rise to new migrant types who are less driven by purely economic concerns, resulting in a more complex relationship between their economic and social integration in destination countries.