Economic premises which attract foreign labour to new migrant destinations. The case of Portugal.

Abstract

The Instruments of economic convergence, together with the inflows offoreign direct investment (FDI) and EU transfers, have created in Portugal the conditions to import foreign labour: high employment rates and the creation of new jobs. The inflow oflabormigrants and a retum ofnationalsfrom former colonies tumed Portugal and a few other European countries from the countries ofemigration to the countries ofimmigration. However, despite the skilled laborshortage, highly qualifíed migrants in Portugal perfonn hard and low skill work in construction, manufacturing, household Service and restaurantsphere. There are a number ofbarriers, explaining this dismatch.