Monthly Report No. 10/2021

Chart of the Month Non-EU immigrants and COVID-19 – Integration interrupted but not reversed by Sebastian Leitner Opinion Corner Thoughts on the EU’s migration and asylum policies by Michael Landesmann EU policy is developing increasingly in the direction of ‘Fortress Europe’, with the emphasis on external border management plus attempts to cooperate with the countries of origin and transit countries in stemming migrant and refugee flows. Instead, migration policy should be embedded in a more holistic approach that supports and nurtures the development potential of the EU’s neighbouring regions. It should also recognise that the demographic complementarity between an ‘ageing Europe’ and a population-rich and ‘young South’ could be exploited to mutual benefit. COVID-19 and remittances the case of Central Europe and the Western Balkans by Isilda Mara The dynamics of remittances in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have been highly uneven across countries. In Central Europe, where incomes are relatively high and there are many cross-border commuters, the inflow of remittances generally declined last year. In contrast, in some Western Balkan countries, where dependence on remittances was much higher to start with and a large share of emigrants are permanently settled in some of the wealthiest European countries, remittances surged, providing a lifeline to many households affected by the pandemic. Russia and the European gas crisis by Andrei Belyi The current European gas crisis has resulted from the market cycles which are inherent to commodities. In recent years, LNG inflows have allowed the development of a competitive market, but reduced supplies in the wake of the pandemic have conditioned a sharp hike in gas prices. Although Gazprom has not been directly behind the crisis, it has taken advantage of it mostly by reducing gas flows via Ukraine. Meanwhile, Gazprom continues to fulfil its commitments under long-term oil-indexed contracts, which have existed in parallel with the competitive gas hubs. Hence, recent EU appeals to Russia to increase gas supplies are seen in Moscow as a step towards a partial return to long-term oil-indexed contracts and an opportunity to strengthen Russia’s geopolitical standing in Europe. Monthly and quarterly statistics for Central, East and Southeast Europe