Blessing and Curse of Intra-EU Mobility: Free Labour Movement in Spain, Germany, and the UK

283 Pages·2021·5.477 MB·English

by  Christiane Heimann

Studien zur Migrations- und Integrationspolitik
Christiane Heimann
Blessing and Curse of
Intra-EU Mobility
Free Labour Movement in Spain,
Germany, and the UK
Studien zur Migrations- und
Integrationspolitik
Reihe herausgegeben von
Danielle Gluns, Hildesheim, Deutschland
Uwe Hunger, Münster, Deutschland
Roswitha Pioch, Kiel, Deutschland
Ina Radtke, Potsdam, Deutschland
Stefan Rother, Freiburg, Deutschland
Migration ist eines der zentralen Globalisierungsphänomene des 21. Jahrhunderts.
Entsprechend groß ist das Interesse an Fragen der politischen Regulierung und
Gestaltung der weltweiten Migration, den Rechten von Migrantinnen und Migran­
ten und der Integration von der lokalen bis zur globalen Ebene. Die Buchreihe ist
interdisziplinär ausgerichtet und umfasst Monographien und Sammelwerke, die
sich theoretisch und empirisch mit den Inhalten, Strukturen und Prozessen loka­
ler, regionaler, nationaler und internationaler Migrations­ und Integrationspolitik
befassen. Sie richtet sich an Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler, Stu­
dierende der Geistes­, Sozial­, Wirtschafts­ und Rechtswissenschaften sowie an
Praktikerinnen und Praktiker aus Medien, Politik und Bildung.
Die Herausgeberinnen und Herausgeber werden in ihrer Arbeit durch einen wis­
senschaftlichen Beirat unterstützt, den die ehemaligen Sprecherinnen und
Sprecher des Arbeitskreises bilden: Prof. Dr. Sigrid Baringhorst, Universität Siegen,
Prof. Dr. Thomas Faist, Universität Bielefeld, Prof. Dr. Karen Schönwälder,
Max­Planck­Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multi­ethnischer
Gesellschaften, Göttingen, Apl. Prof. Dr. Axel Schulte i.R., Leibniz Universität
Hannover, Prof. em. Dr. Dietrich Thränhardt, Universität Münster.
Weitere Bände in der Reihe http://www.springer.com/series/11808
Christiane Heimann
Blessing and Curse of
Intra-EU Mobility
Free Labour Movement in Spain,
Germany, and the UK
Christiane Heimann
München, Germany
Dissertation, funded by Konrad­Adenauer­Stiftung and Bamberg Graduate School of
Social Sciences (BAGSS), Otto­Friedrich Universität Bamberg, 2019
ISSN 2567­3076 ISSN 2567­3157 (electronic)
Studien zur Migrations­ und Integrationspolitik
ISBN 978­3­658­31485­9 ISBN 978­3­658­31486­6 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978­3­658­31486­6
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Acknowledgement
First and foremost, I gratefully acknowledge the scientific guidance, support
of and discussions with my first supervisor Richard Münch from the very first
ideas to the printing of this book. As a member of the Bamberg Graduate School
of Social Sciences (BAGSS), the practical advice on scientific writing and career
planning of my second supervisor Ariadna Ripoll Servent became equally
important to me. Brigitte Münzel’s English language editing as well as her moral
and organizational support was indispensable to me. She helped me overcome
both linguistic and bureaucratic obstacles all the way through my PhD. I am also
very glad to be friends with my delightful colleagues Stephanie Beyer and Oliver
Wieczorek who brightened up my PhD days.
It was exciting to be a member of BAGSS and profit from all the resources it
provided. Therefore my thanks go to its director Thomas Saalfeld and Miriam
Schneider. Due to her strict regime, which I highly appreciated, I could always
rely on BAGSS. Last but not least, I would like to thank Daniel Odinius who was
a very likeable and intelligent office mate and made my office days more pleasant.
Surprisingly, I also left the building. So next to all the members of BAGSS, I
would like to thank the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Immigration at the
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, the Migration Research Group at the
University College, London, and the Institute for the Studies of Societal Issues at
the University of California, Berkeley, for having set the stage for very fruitful
encounters and discussions. During my research stays abroad, I thankfully
received the support of Michael Janoschka, Claire Dwyer, John Eade, Chris
Zepeda Millan, Deborah Freedman Lustig, Christine Trost and Martin Sanchez
Jankowsky. In particular, Ricard Zapata Barrero, John Salt and Aaron Cicourel
provided invaluable scientific guidance when I was a visiting scholar in Spain, the
UK, and the US. I hold their advice, encouragement, and hands-on assistance very
dear.
At the beginning of my PhD, Jürgen Deller of Leuphana University of
Lüneburg and Axel Klopprogge of Strategy For People helped me tremendously
getting acquainted with the matter.
Finally, without the willingness of my many interview partners to provide such
rich and insightful source material, this work would not have come to be.
Thank you!
For their generous support and funding, I gratefully acknowledge the Konrad‐
Adenauer‐Foundation, the German Excellence Initiative, IPID4all and Büro der
Frauenbeauftragten of the University of Bamberg, all of which allowed me to work
on my thesis, travel to inspiring places to converse with magnificent people, and
helped me survive while doing so.
VI Acknowledgement
It goes without saying that this entire project would not have been possible
without my parents Annerose and Jürgen Heimann who supported me
unconditionally during my PhD and, together with me, endured one or the other
strenuous stretch. In this context, I would like to apologize to my father for
increasing his blood pressure and bringing him closer to a heart attack by
postponing the submission, defence and publication of my dissertation. In contrast
and as calm as a clock, my trusted feline companion Mini patiently oversaw me
for hours, months, and years toiling on the family’s couch, helping me carry the
PhD burden. I must admit that she has a lot more “Sitzfleisch” than I. In retrospect,
certain people even suspect her to be more suited to do a PhD. Yet I may write
these lines today, for which I particularly thank my dear husband Kei Müller who
encouraged me, pushed me and forced me mercilessly to hand in this thesis and
publish this book.
Done! Thank God this PhD is over!
Christiane Heimann
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1
1.1 EU labour mobility in the aftermath of the financial crisis ........................1
1.2 Main research goals, contributions and structure of the study ...................3
2. Research Design .......................................................................................... 5
2.1 Overview: EU Polity and harmonisation....................................................6
2.2 Right place: relevant societal fields and their structure .............................9
2.3 Right circumstances: shaping the field of intra-EU mobility ...................12
2.3.1 Strategic action field of intra-EU labour mobility ........................... 13
2.3.2 Institutional isomorphism in different member states ...................... 16
2.3.3 Basis of institutional myths: perceptions and framings ................... 19
2.4 Right people: elite, adventurers or searching for a better life ..................21
2.5 Outlook on the empirical part and analysis ..............................................23
2.6 Qualitative Methodology ..........................................................................24
2.6.1 Case selection ................................................................................... 25
2.6.2 Interviews with institutional experts ................................................. 27
2.6.3 Interviews with migrants .................................................................. 29
3. Right places for intra-EU mobility ......................................................... 31
3.1 Status quo ante economic crisis in Spain .................................................31
3.1.1 Status quo ante crisis in the field of migration ................................. 31
3.1.2 Status quo ante crisis of the labour market ...................................... 36
3.1.3 Status quo ante crisis in the educational field .................................. 41
3.1.4 Destabilisation of the status quo on the Spanish labour market ...... 44
3.1.5 Structural analysis: financial crisis as an external shock ................ 46
3.2 Status quo ante demographic crisis in Germany ......................................48
3.2.1 Status quo ante crisis in the field of migration ................................. 48
3.2.2 Status quo ante crisis of the labour market ...................................... 53
3.2.3 Status quo ante crisis in the field of education ................................. 56
3.2.4 Internal crisis: demographic change in Germany ............................ 60
3.2.5 Germany as the right place for labour immigration ........................ 62
3.3 Status quo ante immigration crisis in the UK...........................................64
3.3.1 Status quo ante crisis in the field of migration ................................. 64
3.3.2 Status quo ante crisis of the labour market ...................................... 68
3.3.3 Status quo ante crisis in the field of education ................................. 72
3.3.4 Outlook: British immigration crisis.................................................. 75
VIII Table of Contents
3.3.5 Structural analysis: UK as the right place for labour mobility ........ 76
4. Creating the right circumstances in Spain ............................................. 81
4.1 Actions and Framings of recruitment in the field of mobility ..................81
4.1.1 Challengers of the status quo ........................................................... 81
4.1.2 Governance units: Ministries of Employment .................................. 84
4.1.3 Framing of intra-EU mobility as a chance ....................................... 87
4.1.4 Governance units: implementation of mobility structures ............... 87
4.1.5 Governance units: promoting new job search strategies ................. 92
4.2 Strategic actors: practices of the recruitment industry .............................93
4.2.1 Entrepreneurial actors: recruiters ................................................... 94
4.2.2 Incumbents of the field of labour migration ..................................... 96
4.2.3 Analysis of field changes: ways of job search and matching ......... 104
4.2.4 Creating the right circumstances for intra-EU mobility ................ 106
5. Creating the right circumstances in Germany .................................... 111
5.1 Actions and Framings of recruitment in the field of mobility ................111
5.1.1 Challengers of the status quo: employers ...................................... 111
5.1.2 Governance units: demographic strategy in Germany................... 113
5.1.3 Framings of demographic crisis and labour shortages ................. 117
5.2 Institutions creating the right circumstances for recruitment .................118
5.2.1 Governance units: public employment services ............................. 118
5.2.2 Entrepreneurial actors ................................................................... 123
5.2.3 Interim conclusion: status quo of labour recruitment .................... 126
5.3 Status quo of labour integration: developing a Recognition Culture .....128
5.3.1 Governance units: creation of a Recognition Culture ................... 129
5.3.2 IQ network: support for recognition and labour integration ......... 132
5.3.3 NARIC: evaluation of foreign degrees ........................................... 134
5.3.4 Incumbents: recognition of vocational training ............................. 135
5.3.5 Interim conclusion: status quo of the Recognition Culture ............ 138
5.4 Status quo of labour integration: Welcome Culture by incumbents ......140
5.4.1 Companies ...................................................................................... 140
5.4.2 Migrant organisations .................................................................... 142
5.4.3 Labour, trade and professional unions .......................................... 145
5.4.4 Interim conclusion: status quo in the field of labour integration ... 146
6. Removing the right circumstances in the UK ...................................... 149
6.1 Strategic actions: anti-EU-immigrant framings and perceptions ...........149
6.1.1 Challenger of the status quo: UKIP ............................................... 149
6.1.2 Governance units: reactions of the conservative party .................. 151
6.1.3 Framings of anti-immigration and Euroscepticism ....................... 155
6.2. Status quo in the field of recruitment ....................................................155
6.2.1 Governance units: public employment agencies ............................ 156
6.2.2 Incumbents: private recruitment agencies ..................................... 156
6.2.3 Status quo in the field of labour recruitment .................................. 160
Table of Contents IX
6.3 Status quo in the field of labour integration ...........................................161
6.3.1 Governance units in the field of labour integration: NARIC ......... 161
6.3.2 Incumbents in the field of labour integration ................................. 163
6.4 Analysis of the strategic action field: status quo of labour integration ..170
6.5 Right circumstances in the strategic action field of intra-EU mobility ..172
7. Right people: myth, motives and profiles ............................................. 175
7.1 Labour situation in Spain: motives, profiles and chances ......................176
7.1.1 Nurses: driven by opportunity ........................................................ 176
7.1.2 Engineers: driven by career advancement ..................................... 178
7.1.3 Technicians: driven by breadwinner duties ................................... 180
7.1.4 Humanists: driven by a diffuse wish for self-realisation ................ 182
7.1.5 Right people - myth, motives and chances ...................................... 185
7.2 Right people in Germany: myth, motives and chances ..........................187
7.2.1 Nurses: strongly demanded but not satisfied in Germany .............. 188
7.2.2 Engineers: seeking career advancement ........................................ 195
7.2.3 Technicians: integration as a long-term project ............................ 198
7.2.4 Humanists: subsidized low-key lifestyle mobility ........................... 201
7.2.5 Interim conclusion: right Spaniards in Germany ........................... 206
7.3 Right people in the UK: myth, motives and chances .............................209
7.3.1 Nurses: highly demanded in British hospitals ................................ 210
7.3.2 Engineers: attracting the best and the brightest ............................ 215
7.3.3 Technicians: sought-after and Polish ............................................. 217
7.3.4 Humanists: between adventure, independence and survival .......... 220
7.3.5 Interim conclusion: right Spaniards in the UK .............................. 222
8. Institutional Analysis ............................................................................. 225
8.1 Institutional analysis of the Spanish case ...............................................225
8.1.1 Spanish field of intra-EU labour mobility ...................................... 225
8.1.2 Spanish field of intra-EU labour integration ................................. 228
8.2 Institutional analysis of the German case ...............................................230
8.2.1 German field of intra-EU labour recruitment ................................ 230
8.2.2 German field of intra-EU labour integration ................................. 232
8.3 Institutional analysis of the British case .................................................234
8.3.1 British field of intra-EU labour recruitment .................................. 234
8.3.2 British field of intra-EU labour integration ................................... 236
8.4 Necessary institutional conditions versus favourable circumstances .....238
8.5 The three right factors ............................................................................239
8.5.1 Right place for the right people ...................................................... 239
8.5.2 Right circumstances for the right people ........................................ 241
8.5.3 Enhancing the scope of the three right factors ............................... 243
9. Conclusions and Outlook ....................................................................... 247
Literature .................................................................................................... 251