Towards Incomplete Migration: Estonian Migration to Finland

Abstract. For a comprehensive understanding of the changing and complex migration patterns in Europe, both quantitative and qualitative analyses are needed. In this paper we complement the studies on migration patterns of East-West migration by qualitatively analysing Estonian migration to Finland. The aim of the paper is to analyse the migration histories of Estonian migrants in Finland with a focus on the meaning and consequences of these patterns on an individual level but also on the effect of geographical proximity on migration patterns. The results bring forth the individual level gains and losses of migration and show that geographical proximity between the home and host country is conducive to more incomplete migration patterns. Our results also suggest that incomplete migration may have a positive effect for the home country as migrants continue to be consumers in their home country and relieve the pressure on its social system. Keywords: migration patterns, East-West migration, incomplete migration, transnational commuters, Estonia, Finland 1. Introduction The central and eastern European (henceforward the CEE) countries have become a hotbed of the new European migration, changing its nature in several aspects. First, there is an increase of temporary migrants (Fihel et al. 2006), the so-called European citizens who do not know in which country they are going to live in, for example, two or three years. This has been facilitated by the opening of the free labour market for the citizens of the new member states of the EU since 2004. Second, the new technologies as well as accessible and cheap international transportation allow migrants to retain strong ties with the country of origin while building their lives in the host country (Horst 2006, Jordan and Duvell 2003). Third, the concurrence of the former and the latter, e.g. the decreasing restrictions on the free movement of people and progress in technology and transportation have helped increase transnational commuting in Europe. It is becoming less unusual that if people spend their workweek in one country and for the weekend they go back to their families in another. The free movement of people, a distinctive feature of the EU, has significantly changed and diversified the migration patterns of the East-West migrants (Krings et al. 2013). There are several studies on migration patterns of the East-West migrants primarily considering migrants' ties with the country of origin and with the host country, and their intentions to return (Duvell and Vogel 2006, Engbersen et al. 2013). However, less attention has been given to understanding what conditions make migrants follow one or another migration pattern and what the personal costs of migration are. Migration patterns and conditions affecting them differ between migrants originating from the different CEE countries. For example, the study of Engbersen et al. (2013) confirms differences in the most preferred migration patterns between Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian migrants in the Netherlands where Poles are more likely to follow temporary migration patterns and Bulgarians and Romanians more permanent migration patterns. Engbersen et al. (2013) suggest that geographical distance between the origin and destination countries might be behind these differences with migrants from countries closer to wealthier destination countries preferring more temporary migration patterns. Due to Estonia's geographical proximity to Finland and Sweden, Estonian migrants may prefer to follow migration patterns specific to the CEE countries that border wealthier countries. The most popular host country for Estonian migrants is Finland which has been a destination for more than a half of all Estonian migrants (Statistics Estonia 2015). The short distance between the two countries--only 80 km or two hours by ferry--allows commuting and regular, tight contacts with the country of origin. …