ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book reviews the size of irregular migration, the features of irregular migrant populations, the processes by which people become irregular migrants and also how a considerable part of them exit this status and become legal. It also reviews the policies adopted to combat irregular migration at the European Union (EU) level and at the national level seeking to assess their objectives and results and the coverage of the topic in media debates. A realistic assessment of the size and structure of irregular migrant populations is particularly relevant for inclusive policies. Political actors and NGOs who lobby for the effective inclusion of undocumented migrants in basic social systems such as health care, schooling or legal assistance are confronted with the question how many persons are concerned, as this has major implications with regard to costs and organization.
