Migration and the Demographic System in East Central Europe

Complex modern democratic societies formed in the wake of the Second World War face the task of securing three public goods—legitimacy, economic welfare, and a viable sense of collective identity. However, not all people living in such societies are entitled to benefit from these public goods or even engage in the national pursuit of happiness. Simply put, membership within a state and the privileges it awards are reserved for the citizens of that state. Although some migrants desire citizenship, it is not granted automatically on the basis of physical migration.