Transnational mobility and welfare rights: are they compatible?

It is generally accepted that there is a tension between large scale immigration and welfare rights: not only from a financial but also from a cultural and political point of view. State authorities are thus faced with the challenge of finding a sustainable balance between the territorial admission of immigrants and their welfare entitlements. The European Union’s free movement regime is exceptional in that it combines open borders with non-discrimination of EU citizens, including equal access to welfare. After a brief discussion of the general topic, this chapter focuses on the real and perceived challenges to reconciling free movement and welfare in the EU. Our appraisal takes the perspectives of both countries of destination and countries of origin. Summarizing the most up-to-date research in the field, we show that incoming mobility has not led to the erosion of welfare states despite high levels of politicization, but that the adverse potential is especially pronounced in sending countries. We argue that transnational mobility and welfare rights are not programmatically incompatible as long as they are accompanied by adequate institutional and political buffers.