Introduction: Understanding the Causes, Consequences and Possible Responses to Global Migration Flows

The past two decades have seen a dramatic shift in the composition of the workforce as a result of an increase in global migration flows. This shift has led to national and international debates about migrants in the labour force. Today, the topic is high on the policy agenda in many countries, for several reasons. First, labour market integration is arguably the most important condition for ensuring full and autonomous participation by immigrants in the society. However, the scale of migration and racial, ethnic, and religious differences of migrants raise new challenges. Second, in the context of demographic ageing, many countries are experiencing labour and skills shortages. To tackle this, it has become important to better value the existing skills of some immigrants, and to find ways to upgrade the skills of others. The transferability and recognition of qualifications and work experience that were acquired in different contexts in the countries of origin thus become a relevant issue. Third, there is a persistent perception that migrants compete with native workers, especially those from less advantaged groups. Finally, immigrants have been among the groups hardest hit by the difficult labour market situation following the economic downturn of 2008-09. This is particularly true in western economies that are major destinations for international migrants. All of this makes migran