Immigration of highly skilled European professionals to Germany: intra-EU brain gain or brain circulation?

Abstract

This contribution aims to highlight the relevance of the concept of brain gain for intra-EU migration. For this purpose, I contrast brain gain and brain circulation as the two poles of a scale, aiming to explain disparities in the migration strategies of highly skilled intra-EU migrants that are related to their countries of origin. I apply this conceptualisation in the analysis of an original representative survey of non-German EU physicians working in Germany – one of the favourite EU destination countries of physicians. Intra-EU migrants working in the medical profession constitute a relevant case study, as this profession is the most mobile highly skilled profession within the EU and is characterised by an acute EU labour shortage. The analysis of the original migration motives and intended length of stay in Germany of the EU physicians surveyed confirms the relevance of the brain gain and brain circulation framework for understanding disparities related to the countries of origin in the migration patterns of highly skilled intra-EU migrants. Indeed, differences related to the EU physicians’ regions of origin in respect of the importance of economic migration reasons and the intention to immigrate on a permanent basis correlate with the magnitude of the economic differentials between Germany and the regions of origin.