  The classical foundations of migration research date from the 1880s with
Ravenstein's Laws of migration, which represent the first comparative analyses
of internal migration. While his observations remain largely valid, the ensuing
century has seen considerable progress in data collection practices and methods
of analysis, which in turn has permitted theoretical advances in understanding
the role of migration in population redistribution. Coupling the extensive
range of migration data now available with these recent theoretical and
methodological advances, we endeavour to advance beyond Ravenstein's
understanding by examining the direction of population redistribution and
comparing the impact of internal migration on patterns of human settlement in
27 European countries. Results show that the overall redistributive impact of
internal migration is low in most European countries but the mechanisms differ
across the continent. In Southern and Eastern Europe migration effectiveness is
above average but is offset by low migration intensities, whereas in Northern
and Western Europe high intensities are absorbed in reciprocal flows resulting
in low migration effectiveness. About half the European countries are
experiencing a process of concentration toward urbanised regions, particularly
in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, whereas countries in the West and
South are undergoing a process of population deconcentration. These results
suggest that population deconcentration is now more common than it was in the
1990s when counterurbanisation was limited to Western Europe. The results show
that 130 years on, Ravenstein's law of migration streams and counter-streams
remains a central facet of migration dynamics, while underlining the importance
of simple yet robust indices for the spatial analysis of migration.
