Freedom of Movement

For all of you who read Swedish, do check out Almost Moldovan Lars’ blog this week on the visa requirements for Moldovans going to the EU and the consequences it has for everyday life in countries where boarders (as for all countries) are artificially drawn, without consideration of the people living there. Only yesterday, I suggested that Doina and Valeriu could come along with me and Jonas for a few days on our road trip this summer, and they said “Yes, sure, but to Ukraine in that case, because for Romania, we need visas”. And getting visas is not as smooth for Moldovans as it is for EU-citizens or Americans. It is time consuming and often costly. So we didn’t even discuss it.

Despite being the focal point for migration issues in in my office, I have not written anything about this here yet. I thought about it many times but I don’t really know where to start. But I will try. One thing that I can say though is that you get a very different view of this when you start being a migrant yourself and when most of your friends are/have migrated in one way or another. Living in a country where about 25% of the workforce is abroad also gives another perspective. Economically, free movement of labor is quite an easy issue but politically, it is often less so. As an insider, and given what I hear from behind the scenes, I am convinced that over the longer term we will see a change in the political agenda on migration, at least in the EU. Politically, this is difficult, but many politicians are already convinced that this is necessary. Ok, guess I have to pull myself together and really write something on migration now, to explain everything. So, to be continued…But do check out Lars’ blog meanwhile!