The freedom to move and reside freely within the EU allows every European citizen to live and work in another Member State. This right has been increasingly used during the financial crisis by young Europeans who migrated to seek work and life opportunities in countries that offer better prospects. While EU citizens value highly the freedom of movement, the reality looks more complicated: several barriers occur before, during or after moving and problems are reported in relation to legislation, administrative procedures but also stereotypes and discriminatory practices.
This national report for Estonia and the manual are the outcomes of the EU-wide project “The reality of free movement for young European citizens migrating in times of crisis” that looked into the reality of free movement from the viewpoint of young Europeans (age 25-35) who exercise or plan to exercise this right.
The national report for Estonia presents the results of the data collection and research on the topic of free movement, focussing on the case of Estonia. The manual comes in two versions: one is an informative guideline for young EU citizens who plan to move in one of the following EU countries: Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania Germany, Belgium, Austria, Netherlands, UK, France or Italy. The second manual is meant for authorities who in one way or another are in contact with foreigners, including EU citizens.