This work investigates how the transition from post-war economic expansion to long-term stagnation fundamentally reshaped the class position and social integration of immigrant workers in Western Europe. Stephen Castles, a prominent scholar in migration studies, utilizes a structuralist framework to analyze the intersection of capital accumulation and labor migration. He argues that immigrant labor is not merely a demographic phenomenon but a structural necessity for Western European economies, which creates specific class hierarchies and social tensions.

Scholars and sociologists frequently cite this text as a foundational analysis for understanding the political economy of migration in Europe. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of labor market dynamics.