Exploring pull migration drivers to the European Union: A systematic literature review and future research agenda

Although migration research has frequently centred on particular sending countries or migrant groups, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of the diverse conditions that attract migrants to the European Union (EU). This study aims to synthesise and structure scientific articles on migration pull drivers to the EU and to outline a future research agenda to address prevailing gaps. A hybrid domain-based literature review was conducted by integrating bibliometric and structured reviews, spanning publications from 2004 to 2023 to identify and classify migration drivers. Nearly 150 migration pull drivers were identified and classified into three levels. The reviewed literature mentioned economic factors, particularly job opportunities, as the most frequent pull drivers at macro level. Political stability and favourable migration policies significantly attract migrants. Social networks and education systems are important social drivers, while environmental drivers, although less frequently mentioned, include ecological safety and climate conditions. Meso-level drivers emphasise career development and training opportunities, reflecting migrants’ desire to improve their professional skills and job satisfaction. Micro-level drivers underline the significance of personal fulfilment, family reasons, and financial gains. This study contributes to the migration literature by not only identifying a wide range of pull factors but also systematically evaluating frequency of their appearance in the scientific literature, thus offering a clearer view of which drivers are most emphasized and potentially most influential in migration decisions to the EU. The study also identifies calls for future studies to adopt a more comprehensive approach, including mixed methods and a broader geographical scope.