Migration to Germany: Is a middle class emerging among intra-European migrants?

Abstract

This article analyses intra-European migration on the basis of primary data gathered in Berlin in 2002 and 2003. The theoretical foundation of the contribution is mainly based on newer migration research and research on Europeanisation. The empirical results of the study show that the individual patterns of migration within Europe vary quite strongly. It can be hypothesized that inner-European migrants increasingly come from diverse social classes and possess education and work experience in varying degrees. Recent European migration seems to be, above all, a middle-class phenomenon.