Selective migration flows and the production and reproduction of ethnic residential segregation

Recent increases in immigration have resulted in new patterns of ethnic residential segregation in many European countries. Clustering of immigrants has taken place in the major urban areas and often particularly in suburbs with low-cost rental housing. The patterns of residential segregation are well documented. However, less is known about the migration processes that produce and reproduce segregation. Drawing upon the experiences of the Helsinki metropolitan area, the capital region of Finland, this paper sets out to explore the intra-urban migration flows of the native and immigrant groups and the ways they impact on the production of segregated living areas. In particular, the role of selective migration of the native population is critically analysed. The data of the study is mixed: neighbourhood-level migration statistics are combined with the outcomes of register-based survey to analyse both the actual migration flows of households and their reasons for moving. The results of the study indicate that native out-migration from the emerging multiethnic neighbourhoods, together with the low level of in-migration, has greatly influenced the social composition of the neighbourhoods and speeded up the population transition in these areas. The results from the survey provide further explanation to the migration processes.