Implementing the EU's Circular Migration Approach: Legal and Migrant Perspectives on Entry and Re-Entry Conditions in Bulgaria and Poland

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the implementation of the EU’s circular migration approach and its impact on entry and re-entry conditions for migrant workers from the Eastern partnership countries and Russia. The paper adopts a migrant perspective and analyses to what extent the implementation of EU and national instruments falling under the EU circular migration umbrella foster circularity and comply with international and regional human rights standards and soft law principles. The paper is an implementation study based on comparative legal empirical research. It provides policy and legal analysis of the developed EU and national circular migration instruments by taking Bulgaria and Poland as case studies. The empirical data is gathered through semi-structured interviews with policy-makers at EU and national level, and focus groups with low - and highly skilled labour migrants.