Internal mobility of international migrants in Europe: A critical literature review and research agenda

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature on the internal mobility of international migrants and their descendants in Europe from an interdisciplinary perspective. Europe is becoming increasingly diverse. Where international migrants live and move to after arriving in their destination country influences both individual life courses and macro-level population compositions. So far, a comprehensive overview of internal mobility patterns and drivers among migrants is missing. The aim of this paper is threefold: first, to discuss the development of the field across disciplines; second, to present and reflect on the current state of knowledge of internal mobility of migrants in Europe, and third, to conclude by setting an agenda for future research. This paper stresses the importance of studying the internal mobility of migrant populations over their life courses, testing theories across migrant generations, doing more justice to population diversity, strengthening the link between the literature on internal and international migration, and finally, emphasises the need for comparative research.