Europeans migrating abroad – and back

Migration has become Europe’s main concern following the large influx of refugees fleeing conflict in Syria. But while the focus has been on people coming to Europe, EU citizens are themselves migrating out of (and back into) the EU.

The migratory movements of Europeans demonstrate the existence of opportunities abroad, and lead to the continent losing some of its most highly-skilled citizens. At the same time, more circular, bi-directional migration patterns are emerging, which have the potential to turn traditional ‘brain drain’ into ‘brain exchange’.