This article applies a panel from twelve European countries to examine the
effects of gravitational factors on immigration from 1991 to 2010. The models
hold up well, and suggest that gravity factors are useful in explaining immigration
flows into Europe. While relative income differences are not a significant
determinant of European immigration patterns over the time-series, the study
does confirm that labor market conditions and non-economic factors such as
government effectiveness can serve as notable pull factors to European migration.
Future studies examining immigration flows to other OECD and less developed
countries are warranted.