International Migration in Europe in the First Decade of the 21st Century

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of international migration in Europe over the past decade from the perspective of 'old' versus 'new' receiving countries in western Europe (EU15 countries plus Norway and Switzerland). Special attention is placed on the migration flows originating in Central and Eastern Europe, highlighting the weight taken on by east-south and east-north flows, which often occur within the borders of the EU. In this framework, the receiving countries of southern (Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal) and northern Europe (namely the UK and Ireland) are the main focus of the analysis, since in the past few years they have been the main centres of attraction for migration flows originating in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the least developed countries in the rest of the world. A detailed analysis of the statistics available made it possible to draw a realistic picture of recent trends, highlighting the elements of continuity and disconti-nuity with international migration in the past.