Workforce migration of health professionals is influencing countries’ health services. In this new global context it is worthwhile to look for actual and future migration by recognizing the push factors that pressure people to leave the donor country, the pull factors that make the recipient country seem attractive, while confirming patterns and duration of migration.

Despite the concern for migration has moved to the forefront agendas raising questions, there is lack of data of migration flows, as significant highly skilled migration has been within the European Union, and additionally, there is scarcity of data in psychiatry.

As an attempt to explore migration among psychiatry trainees, the European Federation of Psychiatry Trainees (EFPT) has done a cross-sectional European multicentre study, collecting data from 2281 psychiatric trainees across 33 countries, assessing opinions and experiences of international migration.

The results provided by this study bring an overview of migration among psychiatric trainees. This data analysis and discussion will permit further comparisons with other groups, such as physicians in general and psychiatry consultants worldwide.

The possibility to endorse discussion in this symposium addressing the starting period of the training, having an outline of migration and the different cultural challenges faced on the way to a psychiatry career, may raise awareness on the current trends, help to elucidate the underlying issues and recommend possible systems of support.

Migration within psychiatry will probably continue, being therefore essential to enhance support to those who migrate, and actually influence the mental health care provided internationally.