Migrants’ Access to Welfare in the EU: Comparing Social Protection Regimes for Immigrants and Emigrants

What kind of social benefits can migrants access in their countries of residence and what kind of social protection entitlements can they export from their countries of origin? Do some groups of non-resident nationals and non-national residents benefit from an easier formal access to welfare benefits than others? Furthermore, are there any cross-country variations in the levels of inclusiveness that European welfare systems show towards individuals in situation of international mobility? In this paper, we argue that existing typologies of immigrant social protection regimes do not adequately answer these questions as they fail to capture the distinction operated by welfare states between residence-based and nationality-based entitlements to social benefits. The paper aims to propose a new index that allows for the development of a comprehensive comparison of the social protection regimes that EU Member States offer to immigrants and emigrants alike. Drawing on data collected in the framework of the MiTSoPro project, the paper will seek to rank EU countries according to their levels of inclusiveness in the conditions of access of mobile individuals to different types of social benefits (pensions, healthcare, guaranteed minimum resources, unemployment benefits and family benefits).