European migration in the context of free movement of persons German migration flows to Switzerland prior to the First World War and after 2002 Ilka Steiner, Institute of Demographic and Life Course Studies (IDEMO), University of Geneva Ilka.Steiner@unige.ch DEMIG Conference 2014 The role of states and policies in migration processes: Historical approaches to the role of states 23-25 September Wolfson College, University of Oxford
Context Migration flows from Germany to Switzerland in the context of free movements of persons 1848-1914 2002-2010 at regional scale Swiss cantons German states Purchasing Power DE FR RO IT
1850 1854 1858 1862 1866 1870 1874 1878 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Number of residents GDP per capita (1990 int. GK$) Context 700000 600000 500000 Italian resident population German resident population GDP italy GDP Germany GDP Switzerland 1948: Bilateral agreement with IT (guestworkers) 2002: Bilateral agreement: Free movement of persons Recession CH 30000 25000 Oil crisis 20000 400000 Int. fin. crisis 15000 300000 200000 100000 1848: Foundation Switzerland <1914: Bilateral agreements: Free mouvement of persons WWI WWII 10000 5000 0 0 Source: 1850-1990 Census data (linear extrapolation for inter-decennial data), 1995-2009 PETRA, since 2010 STATPOP, GDP=New Maddison Project Database, Bolt and Zanden (2013) year
Context In the context of free movement of persons, can international migration be conceptualized as an extrapolation of internal migration and when for whom the national or the regional scale matters? The territorial state matters because of its power and its associated national social institutions (Ellis 2012) International migration brings in a political economical perspective (Zolberg 1989, zited by King and Skeldon 2010) is a distinctive social process because international migrants are moving into a different political entity with its own distinct legal system (King and Skeldon 2010) Macro-contextual level Dissolution or creation of borders (Skeldon 2006) Frontier-free Schengenland (Kind and Skeldon 2010) Geographical proximity, language and culture (Belot and Ederveen 2012) More complex migratory trajectories New more temporary and circular forms of migration (Faist 2008) -> Eurostars (Braun and Arsene 2009) New lifestyles, consumption, leisure, self-fulfilment, search for a healthier environment and better quality of life (Santacreu et al. 2009)
Where they live and where they come from Distribution in the cantons 1860 1910 Source: 1860/1910 = Urner (1976) Maps created with Philcarto, based on SFSO ThemKart 2010
Source: 1860/1910 = Urner (1976) Where they live and where they come from Population osmosis 1860/1910 Figure: Distribution of German residents in the Swiss cantons, by state of origin 100 100 80 80 60 60 40 40 20 20 0 Baden Württemberg Bayern 0 Baden Württemberg Bayern D border region D inland region total D border region D inland region total CH border region CH inland region, French speaking CH inland region CH border region CH inland region, French speaking CH inland region 1860 1910
Where they live and where they come from Distribution in the cantons 1990 2010 Source: 1860/1910 = Urner (1976) / 1990 and 2010 = SFSO online PETRA and STATPOP Maps created with Philcarto, based on SFSO ThemKart 2010
Where they move and where they come from Osmosis-settlement and economically motivated migration, 2010 Figure: Factors influencing the choice of a Swiss border region for German immigrants Border-Border: osmosis-settlement Inland migration: economically motivated, Eurostar-mobility Source: SFSO STATPOP, Longitudinal Data Base
Conclusions Immigration policy is decisive in the demographic evolution of the neighbouring European foreign population in Switzerland. The territorial state still matters but should rather be viewed as contingent in its definition of migration processes Opportunity structures (Haas 2011) for German migrants to Switzerland are determined by the linguistic, cultural as well as geographic proximity to the home country/regions are fostered within the framework of the free movement of persons have been established over a century ago have rendered the aspirations to move for whatever reason achievable: Osmosis-settlement along the Swiss-German border: to settle down in a culturally close environment Eurostar Mobility: work or study-related aspirations, short-term migration What will happen next, because the initiative Against mass immigration (09.02.2014) was accepted?
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Thank you Ilka Steiner Institute of Demographic and Life Course Studies, University of Geneva Ilka.Steiner@unige.ch