Purpose: Although talent management is widely applied across various business sectors, the comprehensive literature focusing on talent management within the context of migration flows remains limited. This paper addresses this gap by conducting an extensive review of the studies published between 2018 and 2023, with particular attention given to the absence of talent management frameworks tailored to refugees. By synthesizing the existing literature, this study aims to highlight the areas where talent management practices can be developed to better address the unique challenges faced by migrant populations. Methodology: This research utilizes the PRISMA methodology and VOSviewer for bibliometric analysis. A total of 62 studies were included, providing insights into the role of talent management across different contexts. Analysis categorizes the studies by the research field, the keywords, the methods, the statistical measures, the geographic origin (countries/universities), and the publication year. Findings: Analysis revealed distinct categorization criteria, including the research field, the keywords, the methodologies, the statistical approaches, the country of origin, and the publication year. This study also identified critical research gaps, particularly in talent management practices related to refugee populations. These findings point to future research directions, emphasizing the need to develop talent management frameworks that can address migration-related challenges. Originality/value: This literature review is innovative due to its cross-disciplinary examination of the talent management literature, focusing on a previously unexplored intersection between talent management and migration. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to systematically analyze the gap in migration-related talent management, underscoring the need for further research in this important and emerging field.

In an era characterized by significant global migration, the economic value of immigrants’ contributions and their incorporation into domestic product generation remains a pressing challenge. This makes it difficult for them to become equal members of local communities. The paper provides insight into the existing literature, unveiling the novelty and scientific value of talent management related to refugees. Bibliometric analysis was employed to study the existing literature from 2018 to 2023 across academic databases. The analysis identified two primary themes: Talent Management and Refugees, focusing on the integration and employment of refugees within European Union host countries. This innovative research underscores the practical and scientific value of investigations on talent management within migration and the need for potential related studies. The findings highlight the intersection of talent management and immigration as an under researched area, presenting an ongoing area of interest.

Amid Europe’s demographic decline and the intensifying global “war for talent,” migration is increasingly viewed as a critical source of human capital capable of sustaining economic growth and welfare systems. Nevertheless, the literature on Macro-Talent Management (MTM) has primarily focused on the attraction of highly skilled expatriates, paying limited attention to how national integration systems shape the broader capacity of countries to attract and retain migrant talent. Addressing this gap, the present study conceptualizes migrant integration as a strategic component of macro-level talent management and evaluates the “talent attractiveness” of different European welfare and migration regimes. Methodologically, the study develops a multi-criteria evaluation framework based on the PROMETHEE II (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment of Evaluations) outranking method, enabling the simultaneous assessment of institutional, socio-economic, and administrative dimensions of migration governance. The model integrates nine indicators combining policy inclusiveness (e.g., Migrant Integration Policy Index—MIPEX (Migrant Integration Policy Index), citizenship accessibility), labor market outcomes (employment and gender gaps), and systemic pressures on migration management (asylum applications). By integrating policy indicators with real-world labor market performance and administrative capacity, the proposed framework offers a novel analytical tool for comparative migration policy evaluation and decision support. The empirical application covers six European countries representing distinct migration regimes: Portugal, Sweden, France, Poland, Greece, and Germany. The results challenge the conventional assumption that economic strength alone determines migrant attractiveness. Portugal emerges as the most attractive destination, demonstrating that inclusive rights-based integration policies can offset lower GDP levels. In contrast, Germany ranks last in the sample, revealing signs of systemic overextension due to extreme administrative pressure, while Greece occupies the fifth position characterized by structural integration deficits. The study contributes to the literature by linking migration governance, integration policy effectiveness, and macro-level talent management and by introducing a multi-criteria decision-analytic approach for evaluating national migration systems in Europe. The study offers a reassessment of the ‘talent attractiveness’ of European welfare models in a post-pandemic context (2023).