Migration settlement networks in the Carpathian Basin, 2001–2011

Looking at the relationship between the place of birth and current residential locations of foreign citizens arriving in Hungary from the neighbouring countries, in general, we establish that smaller migration distance involves migrants with a lower level of education, while preference for longer distances is determined by higher qualifications of migrants. The potential impact area of migrants grows in line with the education attainments of migrants. A scale-free settlement topology can be seen from the neighbouring countries of immigration to Hungary. This means that most of the settlements of Hungary have just a few links to settlements of neighbouring countries, from a migration point of view, while few Hungarian settlements have many connections. This finding also means that, instead of the national migration strategy, the subsidiary and the regional strategies can play a decisive role in the management of the international migration process