ABSTRACT
In a historical perspective, demographic differentials, if not the most important causes of migration, are certainly counted among them. However, Cem Behar challenged the idea of a “complementarity” between a “young” Turkey and an “older” Europe. This, he demonstrated, was due to two simple facts: young immigrants required to prevent ageing and population decline would have to make up an unreal-istically large flow—and the immigrant population itself would be ageing in the host country. Nevertheless, studying the demographic trends Behar argued that managing migration would soon become a European priority—rather than trying to prevent it. Europe will have to consider these temporary demographic differentials an advantage and make migration a socially and politically acceptable issue. In fact, many EU countries are embarking upon a revision of their immigration policies in the face of acute labor shortages in areas such as health care and IT services.
