%0 Journal Article %T Towards understanding international migration determinants today: Theoretical perspective %A Predojevi£¿-Despi£¿ Jelena %J Stanovni£¿tvo %D 2010 %I Institute for Social Science, Belgrade %R 10.2298/stnv1001025p %X In times of global migration flows and ever increasing mobility of the workforce in the world, the necessity for constant deepening of theoretical knowledge is imposed as a basis for understanding main determinants of this phenomenon, and with an aim of directing the focus of migration researches towards more efficient overcoming of challenges and making use of the advantages which international migrations could bring both to origin, destination and transit countries. The main goal of this paper is to give a critical review on the development of the economic migrations theory, to state the main similarities and differences between various approaches and to point out to the main drawbacks and problems which the theoretical perspective is facing when studying the determinants of contemporary international labor migrations. The focus of the study refers to voluntary labor migrations with reference to migrations of the highly educated population, while the stress is on economic theories, although some of them are closely connected to sociological, geographical and anthropological theories. The development of the theory on international migrations has been started by micro theoretical models, namely, through the conceptualization of theories which place the individual in the focal point of research, who estimates the positive, namely negative sides of moving from one location to another. Economic models on the micro theoretical level cede more space to models of macro structure which research the social and economic structure within and between countries. There are many theoretical models which offer possible answers to the question on what are the main determinants of international migrations on the macro analytical level. Although every one of them tries to give an answer to the same question, they use different concepts, assumptions and frameworks of research. The reasons which bring about the initiation of international migrations can be significantly different from those which lead to their stabilization in time and space. Although differences in the income height, risks, employment possibilities, market expansion can all influence the continuation of spatial movement of population, new conditions which arise during migration begin to act as independent factors: development of migratory networks, institutionalized support to the development of trans-national activities, as well as changing the social context of work in countries of destination. Therefore, in the analysis of contemporary international migrations the necessity arises for a systematic appro %K international migrations %K migration theories %K migration determinants %K labor migrations %U http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0038-982X/2010/0038-982X1001025P.pdf