Stay or Leave the Country: The New Brain Drain Migrants

Nowadays, people more often cross borders to study, and/or work abroad. Especially in the South of Europe, economical crisis has had an important impact on graduate students professional future expectatives. For instance, Spanish actual unemployment has increased, and 16.7% of the population is unemployed (Eurostat, 2017). Due to this fact, young professionals search for a job in other European countries as Germany or UK. However, how countries receive these ‘new migrants’? Is Europe welcoming these brain drained workers? Do they have the same barriers as migrants coming from non European Union?

Previous research has shown that people in different contexts abroad developed intercultural competencies and managed more effectively intercultural situations than others (Van der Zee & Van Oudenhoven, 2000, 2001, 2013), learned language skills and had better culture adaptation (Behrnd & Porzelt, 2012; Carmona, Van der Zee, & Van Oudenhoven, 2013). However, fewer studies (e.g., Doyle, Gendall, Meyer, Hoek, Tait, McKenzie, & Loorparg, 2010) have examined from a qualitative perspective, which are the barriers, the process of acculturation of what are nominated as ‘new migrants” high qualified and coming from countries inside Europe.

Results collected from 12 Spanish migrants working in Germany and 15 Spanish migrants working in UK indicate indicated that barriers are quite similar to other migrant groups however the acculturation process differs, and the role of specific competences are key aspects to be successful in the new culture.

In conclusion, key competencies are necessary for personal fulfilment and development, social inclusion, active citizenship and employment. Based on the European policy framework, from the eight key competencies, three are relevant for the present study: communication in foreign languages, social and civic competencies, and sense of initiative.