Freedom of Movement in the Common Market and Its Effects in the Country of Origin – Win-win Situation or Dependency?

Abstract

Where people live has a fundamental impact on their life chances. Against this background, processes of international migration are at the center of interest in social science and economics. While migration ethics and neoclassical economics are two disciplines that pursue a liberal-individualist approach to migration processes, they fail to take into account the consequences of emigration in the countries of origin. Using the example of the free movement of persons in the European Union, we show that such a narrow approach neglects the effects of emigration in the countries of origin. In contrast, we recommend an approach informed by dependency theory, which views migration as a phenomenon that affects countries of origin, host countries, and migrants alike.