Eastern European migration to Portugal: similarities and differences between immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and Moldavia

José Marques, Colégio de S. Jerónimo
Pedro Góis, Colégio de S. Jerónimo

Eastern European migration to Portugal is a sudden and intense phenomenon that drastically changed the composition and the outlook of the immigrant population in the country. The fact that the main determinants usually referred to in the literature - post-colonial relations, direct recruitment, state sponsored migration, bilateral agreements, strong historical, cultural or economic links, existent migratory networks - are all absent in this migratory flow makes it particularly interesting. This presentation discusses the main determinants behind this sudden and intense migratory movement. Based on a national survey of migrants from Ukraine, Russia, and Moldavia it describes the main social and demographic characteristics of these migratory groups, the migratory process they followed, and their main modes of economic insertion.