The implications of Turkey’s accession to the European Union for the flows of labor

Abstract

Analyzing the course of accession negotiations of Turkey to the European Union and taking into an account the experience of previous enlargements, the issue of free movement of persons appears to be one of the most difficult and controversial subject. EU members societies report concerns about job losses and reduced wages in the case of immigration of cheaper labor. In addition, ethnic prejudices and cultural, religious, social and language differences in the European Union hold the demand for foreign workers. Based on the theory and analysis of current migration flows of the Turkish population to European Union countries, it appears that the most important factors influencing decisions to migrate, and thus also on its size, there are differences in income. An important factor is also the presence of a number of Turkish minorities in European countries. In order to balance the benefits and losses associated with Turkish migration will be analyzed the trends in Turkish immigrants participation in the European Union and Germany.