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Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of migration-related humanitarian problems in the Turkish-Greek border region, this brief argues that civil society organisations (CSOs) have a key role to play in ameliorating the situation. Migrants and refugees clandestinely attempting to cross the Turkish-Greek border region suffer from a host of human rights violations. They are mistreated by smugglers, detained under intolerable conditions, and are at risk of being illegally pushed-back across the border to Turkey and deported. Since the actions of governments are at the core of the humanitarian problems, civil society organisations are virtually the only actors that can help to reduce the numbers of violations and to promote the humane treatment of migrants and refugees. However, the report shows that existing organisations in both Turkey and Greece are poorly positioned to take on such a role, as they lack staff and volunteers, access to funds and know-how. CSOs from regions that face fewer problems should thus support organisations active in the border region. CSOs should both assist and monitor state authorities. On the international level, local and international CSOs should continue to pressure European govern-ments to devise more constructive migration policies.

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (henceforth Afghanistan) is part of the wider region of South and Central Asia. It is a region with a long and complex history, not only politically but also in the area of migration, whereby the main characteristic is the mobility of tribes and nomadic populations between neighboring countries. For at least two decades (1980 and 1990), Afghanistan was known for its geopolitical importance, but also for being one of the leading countries in the production of refugees and migrant flows, heading primarily to Pakistan and Iran. The present report aims at framing the discussion around immigration from Afghanistan to Greece, the reasons for migrating, the push factors for their arrival and the composition of arrivals. The report begins with an overview of the geopolitical and historical context of Afghanistan, and recent developments that have shaped and continue to shape immigration today. A discussion of the two main destination countries- Pakistan and Iran- for Afghan immigrants follows, since current Afghan migratory flows are largely a result of the political changes in these countries and particularly the change towards the Afghan refugee population hosted until recently. Therefore their importance and role cannot be ignored. The report will close with an overview of Afghan immigration in Greece, the problems encountered and the particularities of the group.

The brief review shows that the overwhelming majority of Azerbaijani migrants works and stays regularly in other countries; they have poor communication with state agencies, which causes lots of problems for migrants and receiving countries. The same can be said about migrants staying in Azerbaijan. But the main thing is the lack of understanding over circular migration. This understanding can help reduce circular migration and puts irregular emigration and immigration into a legal framework.

Even though, due to Georgia’s geopolitical location and its demographic and economic development, the migration process management is one of the priorities in the country, no migration policy and legislation for the regulation of this field have yet been formed at the state level in Georgia. Local politicians are well aware of the major importance of the labour migration from Georgia for the overcoming of socio-economic crisis in our country. The regulation and management of migration has become a significant part of the international obligations undertaken by Georgia. One of the considerable achievements of the current authorities of Georgia is liberalization of the movement to EU countries and the support to the circular migration. However, unfortunately, bilateral interstate agreements with the main countries of immigration for the legalization of labour migration have not been completed so far. It is still not distinct yet when the work on signing an agreement1 on the residence of qualified professionals from Georgia and the circular migration with France having ongoing for the last few years, will be finalized. The proper assessment of the migration processes is not available because of the lack of the updated statistical database. Nevertheless, the state is taking major steps for regulating the registration of migration flows through the institutions and mechanisms established to serve this purpose. The gradual adoption of modern infrastructure provides for the efficient border monitoring, along with the already introduced secure identity and travel documents (the latest version of a biometric passport and a secure electronic identity card). Currently, the state is pursuing liberal visa policy for the achievement of sustainable economic development, the improvement of an infrastructure for tourism and the attraction of additional investments. Although, the potential challenges accompanying the growth of the number of migrants, should also be taken into account. This process shall be taken special care of, so as to transform it into an incentive factor for the social and economic development, and to avoid the negative consequences of uncontrolled migration, at the same time.

At the moment the legislation in force is limited to granting the right to stay for foreigners who enter the country and determines maintenance of this right based on the validity of a resident permit. When re-entering the country and/or re-applying for a residency right the authorities will check if the person fulfills the conditions for granting the respective right rather than the benefit for the country. For the Republic of Moldova circular migration, even as a concept, is something new and unexplored. Besides the Agreement and Protocol signed with Italy other bilateral agreements have a rather limited content, concentrating more on social aspects. At the same time the implementation of the Italian Agreement, based on circular migration schemes, is a challenge for the authorities. After all, the population who wanted to emigrate from Moldova is already settled out of the country or does not want to return. For the Republic of Moldova circular migration is a perspective for ?keeping? nationals in the country and for avoiding the negative impact of emigration and a way for stimulating nationals to invest in the country

Moldova’s newly gained independence has led to the population’s full-scale migration. Due to a difficult socio-economic situation and low life standards, migration has become a common practice. It is of two types: permanent and temporary emigration (international labor migration). Approximately 1 million Moldovan citizens were included in emigration processes, which had a negative impact on the country’s demographical safety and its socio-economic development. Moldova’s authorities are concerned about this, yet, the solution to the problem is in the democratic context – a freedom to enter and leave the country according to the migrant’s wishes. The migration policy is directed towards the regulation of migration processes; work with Moldovan Diasporas; development of policies that would stimulate the migrants’ desire to return home; interacting with different international organizations; creating a visa-free regime between Moldova and the European Union. This article analyzes the work of Moldovan authorities in this field, in the last 5 years.

During 2011 the visa-immigration legislation of Ukraine was radically changed. New decrees and laws of Ukraine were adopted, visa procedures as well as procedure of entry-exit were simplified. For instance, instead of twenty-two types of Ukrainian visas there are now three types (short and long stay, transit visa). In case a foreigner needs to prolong his/her stay in Ukraine (for instance his/her working contract has been prolonged) he/she may do it without leaving Ukraine with a view to applying for a new long-stay visa ?D? at Ukrainian consulate abroad. Members of migrant families of migrants that temporarily or permanently reside in Ukraine received a right to apply for a long stay. This new visa legislation should enhance the circular migration of foreign citizens in Ukraine. Ukrainian legislation protects migrant rights ? citizens of Ukraine working and residing abroad through national legislation and provisions of bilateral agreemants. At the same time there is the need to expand a network of bilateral agreemants in the field of social security and the protection of rights of Ukrainian citizens migrants residing and working abroad.

The current migration management model in the Republic of Armenia (RA)is decentralized, in the sense that various functions and operations ? such as control over entry, stay, residence and exit of foreigners, emigration of nationals, labour migration, asylum, etc. ? are performed by different governmental entities.

Two decades of observation of migration processes that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union allow identifying the general trends and direction thereof. Moreover, one gets a clear idea about the tasks and positions of various political actors who have an effect on migration dynamic. In this paper an attempt is made to identify the most important trends and place them in the context of key political actors’ positions.

Problems of immigrants in the post-Soviet Azerbaijan in the context of the issue of their integration in the host society till now has not been in the focus of researchers' attention. In the attempt to analyze this issue it makes sense to classify immigrants into three groups: 1) natives of Azerbaijan (re-emigrants) and their family members; 2) ethnic s from Georgia; 3) labor immigrants from different countries (EU, Turkey, India, Pakistan, etc.), who arrive to the country to look for a job or to open their own business. Conditional division into these three groups lets us describe major trends in this research area. Analysis suggested in this article is mostly based on a series of biographic interviews with immigrants from all three conditionally defined groups. The main research question in the author's opinion should be formulated as follows: what are the social resources and practices used by immigrants in Azerbaijan for integration in the host society, in the absence of any targeted state integration policy.

The paper focuses on the role of labor migration in Ukrainian development, particularly its impact upon demographics and the labor market. The author evaluates the real size and composition of the resident population of Ukraine. It is demonstrated that the de facto population is almost 1.5% smaller than its official size. The impact of external labor migration on the unemployment level is studied. It is demonstrated that without labor migration the unemployment level in Ukraine would be almost twice as high as the registered level. Special attention is paid to the entrepreneurial potential of labor migrants and its possible financial effects. It is proved that the main challenge associated with labor migration policy in the country is the underestimation of the possibility of using the entrepreneurial potential of labor migrants and their relatives staying in Ukraine. The potential financial benefits from the entrepreneurial activities of migrants and their relatives exceeds 1 billion hryvnias (around 100 million euros) as of 2010. It is demonstrated that in 10-12 years Ukraine will face a workforce deficit. Ukraine will need employable-age migrants up until 2061, namely 7.9 mln. people. The need to pursue a more proactive policy of immigrant integration is justified. Based on the analysis performed, recommendations for improvements in Ukrainian state policy are developed and justified, including measures in the field of emigration regulation, as well as the attraction and integration of immigrants.

The need to make travel more accessible, convenient and smooth and to improve visa procedures is paramount in both economic and bilateral relations contexts. Towards this end, the paper aims at assessing potential visa facilitation processes and visa waiver programs between the EU and India. To gain an understanding of current visa requirements and procedures for Indians to immigrate to European countries, it deals explicitly with the visa requirements and hurdles involved in getting visa clearance for both long-term and short stays. Through an in-depth study of current migration flows between these two regions, the implications of facilitating visas for citizens of India – one of the world’s fastest growing source markets – is analysed. While findings suggest that the EU is increasingly becoming a destination for tourists, students, professionals and immigrants, millions more were deterred from traveling by cost, waiting time and the difficulty of obtaining a visa. The author calls for priority to be given to facilitating travel as a means to boost economic growth and create jobs. Opening up the travel regime could create millions of additional jobs in the EU economies, generate additional international tourism receipts and may then become the next frontier in bi-lateral relations between these countries.

The Portuguese colonial era in India began in 1502 and ended in 1961 with the annexation of Goa by India. This long standing colonial relationship led to a deep-rooted historical, cultural and social relationship between Goa and Portugal. Migration from Goa to Portugal, over different periods, played an important part in forging this relationship. This paper examines the history of migration from Goa to Portugal, the characteristics of the Goan community in Portugal, and its engagement with Goa and with India, based on secondary and primary sources of information. Section 2 discusses the different waves of migration from Goa to Portugal. It finds that Goans migrated to Portugal during the colonial period in search of education, then following the annexation of Goa by India in 1961, and subsequently during the 1970s when Goans “twice migrated” to Portugal from Mozambique and Angola following their independence. In recent decades, Goans have been migrating to Portugal to seek access to the larger European market. Today, there is a sizeable Goan community residing in Portugal. Sections 3 and 4 explore the question of identity as perceived by this community in Portugal. The findings indicate that history, the causal factors underlying migration, and the heterogeneity within the community in terms of background, economic and social status have a major influence on the notion of identity. One section of the community does not consider itself as a diaspora group or as expatriates or migrants as it sees itself as fully integrated with Portuguese society. Their connection is with Goa, not with India. Another section of the community views itself as belonging to India and also Goa, realizing that they have a distinct identity within Portugal. For the twice migrated, the issue of identity is even more complex as they identify with a third country and many have never lived in Goa or India. Section 5 discusses how this issue of identity has in manifested itself in different ways, such as through the community’ position on issues of minority representation within Portuguese society, through diaspora associations and networks, and the extent to which the community has engaged with and contributed back to Goa and India. It finds that due to the dilemma over identity, the community has had very weak economic and philanthropic ties with the homeland. Section 6 highlights the growing engagement between the Goan community in Portugal and India in recent years and some initiatives at the government level to deepen this engagement. However, it finds that a long term strategic vision has been lacking on the part of both the Indian and the Portuguese governments. Section 7 concludes by calling for a forward looking approach to engaging with the Goan diaspora community in Portugal. It recommends that this community be strategically leveraged not only to strengthen economic and cultural relations with Portugal but also to serve India’s larger foreign policy and geopolitical objectives in the Lusophone countries of Latin America and Africa.

A hundred years ago, during colonial times, more than a hundred thousand migrants from Britain and Ireland worked in India, mostly as soldiers and administrators. In contrast, only around 4,000 Indians lived in Britain: 1,000 students and 2,500 persons working in navigation related activities. As a result, European countries were net recipients of migrants’ remittances from India. A century later, nearly a million emigrants from India live in the countries of the European Union (EU) and less than 10,000 EU expatriates work in India, making India a net recipient of migrants’ remittances from the EU. Considering the significantly large Indian emigrant base in the EU, few questions that emerge are: How much money flows from the EU to India by way of migrants’ remittances? What part of emigrant capital flows are sourced from the EU? And what are the country shares of these remittance flows? This paper attempts to address these questions basing its analysis on data compiled from numerous reports published by the Reserve Bank of India over the last three decades.

Turkey is not only a country of emigration, but also of immigration and return migration. It is a country, too, with a significant part of its population living abroad. In this paper, I take into account these various international migration patterns to provide an in-depth historical analysis of the Turkish State’s attitude towards migration and its immigrants, citizens residing abroad or returning to the country. The analysis is based on a detailed literature review, a summary of the most recent policies introduced regarding migration and in-depth interviews conducted with policy makers, government officials and academics. The analysis shows that Turkey’s socio-economic development, its economic and political expectations from migration, and contextual factors have significantly influenced its changing attitude towards migration. In conclusion, the paper draws attention to the importance of considering these factors and different migration patterns together for a more comprehensive understanding of a country’s perspective on international migration.

The objective of this critical and methodological survey is economic research on migration issues among European and more generally among Anglo-Saxon scholars and to focus on the themes which could be usefully expanded upon in analyses of migration from and to the CIS countries. The survey covers in a very unbalanced way the three main migration research areas: the migration choice, which attempt to answer the question: why people move; the effects of immigration in the country of destination and its implication for migration policies and the effect of emigration for the country of origin the most challenging and least developed of these three. For all areas the main economic approaches and the variables use, the methodoly and the main results are reported. More attention is devoted to the research field which seems most relevant for the CIS countries and the methodological focus is meaning to make the text as understandable as possible to all social scientists, not only to a small circle of econometric addicted.

Indian immigration to Germany has a century-long history. Today, the Indian population in Germany is a fully established and, despite its rather small size, highly influential ethnic group. From early 20th century freedom fighters and students to engineers and nurses to contemporary businessmen and IT-specialists Indians have played important roles in German history and society. They have become more and more visible through the founding of numerous associations, clubs, and societies, through cultural commitment and political success, and also through the establishment of prominent places for worship such as Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras. This study attempts to shed some light on one of the less prominent Indian communities. It deals with its history, its demographic characteristic, and its socio-economic profile. Furthermore, the paper will assess the legal framework in Germany and analyse the media perception of Indian migrants in the country. Additionally, there will be an overview over the most important religious centres and cultural associations. The study also discusses the sociocultural and political integration of the Indian population in Germany. Finally, some policy recommendations will be given.

According to destination country statistics there are nearly ten million emigrants from southern and eastern Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan CARIM countries and about four out of ten of these are women. As to immigration the United Nations estimates eleven million international migrants in CARIM-15 countries, of whom 48% are female. The female emigration rates in CARIM countries vary depending upon destination areas and motivations. In general, Europe and Northern America offer more opportunities for family reunification than the Gulf States which, unlike Western countries where female migration is confined to low-level jobs, give women opportunities in professional jobs like teaching and the health-related professions. Reports from national experts have highlighted how female migration is often related to local factors like the education level, whose rise has been noted almost everywhere and that it is considered an important push factor for the young. As to reasons for leaving the origin country and the decision to migrate more generally, national reports confirm that, while economic motives largely explain the migration of males, the reasons for female migration are more diverse. Work is increasingly important, but family reasons (mainly marriage and spouse reunification) still dominate female migration patterns. Partant des mouvements migratoires internationaux, un double constat essentiel ressort à l’appui des données statistiques enregistrées au sein des pays d’accueil. Investis à l’échelle d’une zone géographique partant de la Méditerranée méridionale et orientale à l’Afrique sub-saharienne, les pays membres du réseau CARIM enregistrent des quantifications de départ à hauteur de dix millions d’individus, comptant, en outre, en son sein une population de près de quatre millions de femmes. Le phénomène de l'immigration prend une ampleur toute aussi inédite : les estimations rapportées par l'ONU évaluent la présence de migrants internationaux dans les pays investis au sein du réseau CARIM-15 à hauteur de onze millions d’individus, comptant en son sein un profil de près de 48% de femmes. À ce titre, la difficulté liée à l’analyse de ce schéma de migration féminine reste largement tributaire de choix de destination et de motivations assez diverses. Le territoire européen et nord-américain constitue certes une destination de prédilection et un terreau d’opportunités en termes de regroupement familial pour ces dernières, par comparaison avec les pays du Golfe. Reste que, et contrairement aux pays occidentaux lesquels confinent la migration féminine à des secteurs professionnels peu qualifiés, les Etats du Golfe offrent de plus grandes opportunités à travers des secteurs qualifiés tels l'enseignement ou encore la santé. Un panel considérable d’experts nationaux pointe et conforte le lien d’association très fort existant entre le phénomène migratoire des femmes et la consistance des facteurs locaux tels que le niveau d'éducation identifié comme un facteur déterminant au départ, surtout parmi les jeunes. Le marché du travail représente, à cet égard, un incitant au départ au regard de la tendance qu’il soutient très souvent à maintenir des inégalités de genre, et à circonscrire l’autonomisation des femmes encore fortement annihilée par la conjoncture socio-culturelle du pays d’origine. Les rapports nationaux susmentionnés soutiennent dans une très large mesure ces constats, et confirment la double nature de ces motivations au départ. Si le motif économique constitue une motivation historiquement rapportée à la migration masculine, les motivations sous-jacents la migration féminine tendent à être plus diverses. En effet, outre la migration professionnelle, les motifs d’ordre familial tels que le mariage ou la réunification familiale tendent à revêtir une dimension inédite dans la configuration et l’assise de la migration féminine.