Migration has accompanied the development of society since time immemorial; it is a natural part of it. In addition to the ongoing migration processes, often resulting from the natural life cycle, there are also leaps of migration caused by various factors, despite the undisputed transaction costs of migration.
The aim of this critical analysis is to point out selected theoretical concepts explaining the dominant causes of migration waves, mainly through the perspective of economic theories, although no less interesting are sociological, political, geographic and environmental approaches. The main focus will be on Europe, which has changed from an emigrant's region to an immigration destination.