Migration research moves with the times
The Amsterdam Treaty, which entered into force in 1999, introduced a new EU policy on immigration and asylum. Its objectives were defined in Tampere and stressed the need for more efficient management of migration flows at all stages. In addition to the established immigration destinations, such as Germany, France, Austria and the United Kingdom, a number of new immigration countries have emerged in recent years. These include many EU Member States in the Mediterranean region and in eastern Europe. The 'Mediterranean and eastern European countries as new immigration destinations in the European Union' (IDEA) project, funded by the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), set out to map the experiences of these new members to the immigration club and compare them with older destinations. There were many parallels when in experiences of new immigration destinations in the Mediterranean were compared. For example, there is sizeable illegal, irregular or undocumented immigration in the region and ambivalence on the part of the state to control this phenomenon. Moreover, the policy tools of choice in the Mediterranean are programmes to regularise undocumented migrants. This investigation will prove beneficial to the research community by shedding light on the factors behind past and current migration trends. Sound scientific data as to how to improve immigration flows and subsequent integration will also act as useful tools for decision makers when formulating more effective migration policies.
