TIME TO MOVE ON - A comparative study into gender, migration and counselling in Europe - COMPARATIVE REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES

According to Eurostat statistics, a total of 3.8 million people immigrated to one of the EU-28 Member States during 2014, while at least 2.8 million emigrants were reported to have left an EU Member State. Germany reported the largest total number of immigrants (884.9 thousand) in 2014, followed by the United Kingdom (632.0 thousand), Spain (305.5 thousand) and Italy (277.6 thousand). Poland reported a total number of 222.3 thousand, while the respective number for Greece was 59 thousand. Regarding the gender distribution of immigrants to the EU Member States in 2014, there were slightly more men than women (53 % compared with 47 %). Immigrants face persistent issues impacting on their integration and employment. Very often, newly arrived migrants struggle to find a decent job, while they are faced with a number of integration issues including gender inequality and cultural bias. Furthermore, many experience long periods of inactivity, unemployment, or long tenures in the so-called 3Ds job: Dirty, Dangerous and Demanding and are often not adequately paid or regularly insured. Moreover, when migrants are skilled and qualified in their country of origin, they experience “brain waste”, face difficulties in putting their qualification to good use and therefore are at risk of frustration and demotivation. On the other hand, not being able to fully profit of the skills and capacities of migrants is also an unnecessary waste for the countries of destination, who are not in measure to fruitfully build on the competences of their migrant workers.