Study finds higher poverty risk for non-EU migrants
Migrants from outside of the EU are more likely to live in poverty in the EU than the indigenous population, researchers from the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research have found. The study, led by policy analyst Orsolya Lelkes, looked at poverty levels among migrants in 14 European countries as part of a project funded by the European Commission's Employment and Social Affairs Directorate-General. The team not only found more poverty among non-EU migrants, but also that EU and non-EU migrants form two distinct groups in terms of their exposure to poverty. 'Poverty' was defined using the Laeken indicator, which dictates that if someone's income is below 60% of the national median income, he or she is living in poverty. 'The poverty risk of migrants from European Union countries varies greatly by country, but it is clearly favourable to other migrants, or at times even to non-migrants. The 'EU/non-EU' gap among migrants is particularly marked in Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Norway,' writes Dr Lelkes. Meanwhile, EU migrants experience lower (or about the same) poverty levels than the national average in Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Norway and Portugal. Austria is unique in that poverty among migrants born in the EU tends to be nearly twice as high as among non-migrants. Dr Lelkes explains the difference in poverty risk between EU and non-EU migrants in terms of the two groups' characteristics. Migrants from EU countries tend to have participated in education for longer than those from non-EU countries; sometimes their educational attainment is higher than the average in the host country. Employment is also higher among EU migrants than those from outside of the EU. According to Dr Lelkes, the results of the study point to a threat to social rights in some sections of society. Relative disadvantage could also lead to social tension both between migrants and the indigenous population, and within the migrant population.