ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I present the main debates on emigration in contemporary Europe. I argue that emigration and diaspora studies addressing emigration of Europeans are rather limited and follow a strict West/East divide, with some outliers (such as Ireland). Scholars from the Western part of the continent tend to disregard emigration as a no-topic, while their Central and Eastern European colleagues have moved the field forward. In the context of the changing migration dynamics, I note that European policy makers have to face the reality of more mobile citizens, who do not necessarily reflect the century-old image of European emigrants leaving the continent for life. These changes require new solutions that the scholars of emigration and diaspora polices engage with.
