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‘High-Skilled Good, Low-Skilled Bad?’ British, Polish and Romanian Attitudes Towards Low-Skilled EU Migration

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  • Alexandra Bulat

Abstract

A new skills-based immigration system, with a preference for the highly-skilled, is central to UK policy debates in the Brexit context, arguably responding to majority public opinion on migration. Through qualitative fieldwork with British, Polish and Romanian citizens living in two local authorities in England, this paper shows what participants understand by ‘low-skilled’ and how there is broad support of those who ‘contribute’, but are ‘controlled’ at the same time. Migrants’ narratives of downskilling also illustrate why the category of ‘low-skilled’ migration needs to be seen through a more critical lens in research and policymaking.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandra Bulat, 2019. "‘High-Skilled Good, Low-Skilled Bad?’ British, Polish and Romanian Attitudes Towards Low-Skilled EU Migration," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 248(1), pages 49-57, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:niesru:v:248:y:2019:i:1:p:r49-r57
    DOI: 10.1177/002795011924800113
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Braakmann Nils & Waqas Muhammad & Wildman John, 2017. "Are Immigrants in Favour of Immigration? Evidence from England and Wales," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Magdalena Nowicka, 2014. "Migrating skills, skilled migrants and migration skills: The influence of contexts on the validation of migrants’ skills," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 11(2), pages 171-186, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    migration policymaking; intra-EU migration; low-skilled; downskilling; Brexit;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies

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