This volume has offered a comprehensive description of migration processes that take place in various parts of Europe. In particular, it has attempted an in-depth inquiry into the phenomenon of European immigration.

Analyses presented in the foregoing chapters have explicitly or implicitly referred to a common conceptual framework that implies the existence of a pattern of migration typical of European countries, whose major characteristic has been assumed to be the change of migration status from net emigration to net immigration. It has also been assumed that such change – concomitant with the relatively high intensity of international movements of population – occurred (or was supposed to occur) independently in individual countries in various periods of time. Thus, the processes related to mass inflows of people to European countries, which are the main focus of the volume, have been embedded in a very long-time perspective.

The volume has explored three basic hypotheses. The principal hypothesis concerns the existence of a Europe-specific migration cycle. In one variant of that cycle, it is assumed that European countries are subject to a change from a predominance of the mass outflow of people (‘emigration countries’) to a predominance of the mass inflow (‘immigration countries’). It follows from the very nature of that hypothesis that, over a very long period of time, in both types of countries international migration above all reflected, if not responded to, the prevailing regime of vital movement/reproduction of the population.

Another variant of the migration cycle (called interchangeably, and more precisely, the ‘immigration cycle’) has been analysed more extensively. This one implies the passing by ‘immigration countries’ of Europe through different stages of immigration reality (characterised by, among other things, different sizes and forms of inflows, a varying socio-demographic and economic composition of immigrants, changing perceptions and attitudes towards immigration and different immigration-related policies). With each consecutive stage, the ‘immigration country’ becomes more mature in terms of the cycle. The flows are more orderly. The composition of migrants tends to converge with that of the native population. The immigrants more closely integrate into the host society. The mainstream of migration policy shifts from preventive or restrictive measures to the comprehensive and sophisticated programmes that promote integration.