Publisher's Synopsis
This work provides a study of current and possible future migration issues in Europe, within an historical and global context. It places the current debate within a comparative perspective, outlining broad trends in "economic" migration and providing some pointers to how these trends have affected Western Europe in recent decades. Collinson argues that present immigration flows should not be seen in isolation from past inflows, particularly when considering the reception and integration of migrants. Nor, it is argued, can international migration be separated from wider international political, economic and social processes operating between and within states. The study is not confined to the receiving country side of the equation, but devotes considerable attention to pressures operating in the sending countries. The author also raises questions about possible future responses to the migration challenge.;This edition has been substantially revised and updated.