How does development affect international economic emigration? A case study of Polish emigration to the UK

Economic migration patterns are a determining factor behind the changes in the size of the labour force, which is essential in the design of a development strategy. This paper examines whether the process of development has an impact on levels of migration using the case study of Polish economic migration to the UK. The first part refers to the theories of economic migration, including Zelinsky's 'migration hump', among others. It also discusses the quantitative methods and data needed to test the validity of the theories. The second part presents the abovementioned case study, focusing on the post-1990s period. The variables chosen for regression are Poland's GDP per capita and employment rate, the exchange rate between the Zloty and the pound sterling and the Polish HDI. The results demonstrate that most variables have strong correlations with the levels of migration, particularly those related to the process of development, following a 'migration hump' pattern.