Labour migration is entering a new phase. Labour reserves in traditional European recruiting countries are depleting – and there, too, the ageing of the population is very acute. Economic migration from outside the European Union is becoming more and more visible. However, different rules apply there. Due to legislation and regulations, this must be a regulated process in which professional qualification is carefully checked and the return to the country of origin is clearly marked. In short, the key words are regulation, functionality and circularity.

The number of people working in Europe is clearly decreasing. This applies not only to countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal but also to Germany and France. The Netherlands is in the middle at European level, with countries such as Romania and Poland experiencing the biggest drops; the latter is even leading the way in Europe. The European average old-age dependency ratio (i.e. the number of people aged 65 and over per working person) is currently 35%. In the coming years this percentage will rise to 50% in the Netherlands and to 70% in Poland; Poland is therefore no longer a recruiting country. Not surprisingly, countries outside Europe are already being considered for specific jobs, but then things will have to be organised differently and better.

Labour migration is more than just a benefit to the host society. It is time to abandon this one-sided approach and look at things from a broader perspective. Labour migration is also beneficial for international workers themselves as well as for their country of origin. So it is a win-win situation for all parties. The figures show that economic migration makes an important contribution to the economy of the country of origin: firstly, because foreign workers transfer money to their families but, above all, because they return with the knowledge and skills they have acquired: it is not a brain drain, but a gain.