Circular Migration as (New) Strategy in Migration Policy? Lessons from Historical and Sociological Migration Research

Abstract

In the context of economic, cultural, social and political globalisation as well as unbalanced economic and demographic development, migration is of increasing importance in almost all parts of the world. There seems to exist a worldwide iron law that people must try to improve their situation and living conditions—if necessary by moving from one place to another. In 2013, some 232 million people lived in a country other than that of their birth. Additionally, 740 million internal migrants have been estimated by the International Organization for Migration (UN 2013; UNDP 2009, pp. 1ff.). Only China has more than 200 million internal migrants, which is equivalent to the total amount of international migration. In China (as a result of the so-called hukou system), but also in other large countries and the continents of the world, internal migration could lead to a fundamental shift in climatic and living conditions as well as in civic and social status and rights (Jijiao 2013). Because of this, internal migration within countries could be as important as, or even more important than, some forms of international migration. For example, a move from the Netherlands to Germany or from Italy to Switzerland, say, where cultural, linguistic, climatic and social differences might be minor compared to a situation of internal migration from Tibet to Shanghai.