Abstract:
The free movement of workers within the European Union does not place a burden on labor markets or social services. This is the conclusion of a recent study on the development and effects of east-to-west migration in the wake of EU enlargement in 2004 and 2007. In this light, Germany's restrictive immigration policy received poor marks. Recent measures-such as Germany's labor migration regulation law, which is intended to ease the immigration of highly qualified foreigners-are certainly steps in the right direction. However, they still do too little to enable Germany to exploit the opportunities offered by immigration.