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Editor's Corner |
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This page offers an overview of developments
around the world in thinking and policy concerning the integration
of migrants. It highlights recent noteworthy events and policy
changes, longer-term trends, and a selection of recent research
publications from Europe and beyond.
 Our editor is Elizabeth Collett, European Policy Fellow at the Migration Policy Institute and Senior Advisor to MPI's Transatlantic Council on Migration. She is based in Brussels and works on the International Program, with a particular focus on European policy.
Prior to joining MPI, Elizabeth was a Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, an independent Brussels-based think tank, and responsible for its migration program, which covered all aspects of European migration and integration policy. During her time at EPC she produced numerous working papers and policy briefs focused on the future of European Union immigration policy. She has also worked in the Migration Research and Policy Department of the International Organization for Migration in Geneva and for the Institute for the Study of International Migration in Washington, DC. |
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Links |
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Canada’s immigrant integration programs
are examined by Metropolis,
an international network for comparative research and public
policy development on migration, diversity, and immigrant integration.
To
learn more about Australia’s integration programs, click
here.
For more on European integration programs, visit IMISCOE,
the network of 23 European research institutes studying migration,
integration, and social cohesion issues.
The summary to Gaining
from Migration, a 2007 report
for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,
is available here. |
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Trends in Integration Policy |
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A review of international headlines in recent
years (Riots in Paris. Debates about how well immigrants are
assimilating. Tensions over religious views.) suggests that
all is not well with Europe’s societies, and that change
is occurring faster than can be absorbed. Much of the blame
is placed upon the shoulders of migrants, particularly Muslim
immigrants, and the policymakers who let them in.
Beyond the headlines, Europeans are struggling with a number
of deeper issues, often sparked by flashpoint incidents:
Should women be allowed to wear headscarves in schools and
public life? Should immigrants vote in local elections? How
much of the native language should they be asked to learn?
The frequency and urgency of these debates is leading policymakers
to rethink their approaches towards immigrant integration.
Whether promoting assimilation into a secular society, an
acceptance of multicultural societies, or developing integration
policies for the first time, it is clear that Europe has
not yet found the golden formula for the integration of their
immigrant populations, new and old.
In this policy shake-up, a number of trends have emerged.
One is the recognition that national governments are not
the final, or even most important, arbiter of integration
success. Cities and regions have become key actors in the
integration field.
Several key aspects of integration are emerging as a priority
for policymakers. Labor market participation is considered
essential, not least in promoting a positive perception of
immigration within the host society. Education is becoming
both a key indicator as well as a vital facilitator of integration,
particularly for the children of immigrants.
Language acquisition is a priority for many governments.
More countries are focusing on compulsory testing the language
skills of migrants, in some cases as a condition of entry
into the country, in others a necessity for citizenship.
And some form of citizenship testing is increasingly becoming
the norm, aimed at improving integration outcomes by ensuring
that new members of society have sufficient skills to succeed.
Beyond this, a number of politicians – for example
in France and Spain – have raised the idea of an immigrants ‘charter’ of
rights and responsibilities, an idea which is taking hold.
For new countries of immigration, a process of learning is
beginning. For older countries of immigration, the complexities
of integrating a diverse and fast-changing society are emerging
anew. |
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Selected Readings |
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Handbook on Integration for policymakers
and practitioners, European Commission, May 2007.
Social Integration of Migrants
in Europe: A Review of the European Literature 2000 – 2006, Sarah Spencer and Betsy Cooper, MPI and OECD, September
2006
Managing Integration: The European Union's Responsibilities
towards Immigrants, Süssmuth R. and W. Weidenfeld
(eds.), MPI and Bertelsmann Foundation, 2005
Beyond the Common Basic Principles on Integration: the next
steps, European Policy Centre, Issue Paper No.27, 2005.
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What’s New |
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The Netherlands: From National Identity to Plural Identifications
By Monique Kremer
National identity has become a highly politicized issue in the Netherlands in the past decade, with many public figures voicing different opinions on what it means to be “Dutch.” Both right-wing and mainstream parties have adopted political rhetoric that appeals to the public’s growing anxiety about immigrants and their effect on local communities, and many have proposed policies designed to mitigate these fears. This new dialogue has marked a turn away from multiculturalism and a turn toward “culturalized citizenship” - the idea that being Dutch means adhering to a certain set of cultural and social norms and practices.
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Immigration and National Identity in Norway
By Thomas Hylland Eriksen
The number of immigrants and their descendants in Norway almost tripled between 1995 and 2011, resulting in increased debates about integration, immigration policy, multiculturalism, and national identity in recent years. The atrocities of July 2011 revealed an active, militantly anti-immigrant (particularly anti-Muslim) fringe that sees government’s acceptance of cultural pluralism as treacherous. This report assesses the connection between the recent rise of resentment against immigration and broader trends in Norwegian nationalism, and proposes a few policy recommendations with the aim of minimizing this rift in Norwegian society.
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Identity and (Muslim) Integration in Germany
By Naika Foroutan
Germany has become a country of immigration in recent decades, with one-fifth of its population comprised of immigrants and their children. Yet a dominant perception in public discourse and media is that of a homogenous German society in which those with a migration background cannot fully belong. This country case study explores how immigration influences national identity in Germany and the reciprocal influence that German national identity has on immigrants.
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Exceptional in Europe? Spain’s Experience with Immigration and Integration
By Joaquín Arango
Spain’s immigrant population increased from less than 4 percent of the country’s overall population to almost 14 percent in the span of one short decade. Unlike other European countries, however, Spain has not experienced a significant backlash against immigration, even amid an economic crisis that has hit the country hard and led to high levels of unemployment. This country case study from MPI’s Transatlantic Council on Migration explains Spain’s enduring openness to immigration and immigrants.
Download Report
Parenting Behavior, Health, and Cognitive Development among Children in Black Immigrant Families: Comparing the United States and the United Kingdom
By Margot Jackson
Racial disparities in child development in the United States are significant, with a particularly pronounced disadvantage among Black children. This report focuses on the development of children of Black immigrants, comparing against the outcomes for their peers in native-born and other immigrant families. The report also compares children in the United States to those in the United Kingdom, where there is a large Black immigrant population but a notably different policy context of reception.
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French National Identity and Integration: Who Belongs to the National Community?
By Patrick Simon
Since the mid-1980s, France has faced a contentious debate of crucial importance for immigrants and their descendents — defining what it means to be French. Though countries with rich histories of immigration have long accepted “dual belonging,” this concept has been criticized and perceived as at odds with a person’s commitment to French identity. A recent survey of French immigrants, however, shows that multiple allegiances are not an impediment to integration; it is possible to “feel French” and maintain links with a country of origin. However, because of external perceptions, native French citizens are far less likely to accept this adoption of French identity.
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Building a British Model of Integration in an Era of Immigration: Policy Lessons for Government
By Shamit Saggar and Will Somerville
Despite experiencing large-scale immigration flows and settlement over the past half century, the United Kingdom has not developed a formal integration program. Few public policies have specifically sought to advance immigrant integration, and the political debates surrounding immigrant integration have often been fraught and destabilizing, reflecting deep-seated ambivalence in British society about immigrants and immigration. The authors offer a menu of policy options and actions the government should consider to achieve a well-thought-out approach.
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Immigrant Integration in a Time of Austerity
By Elizabeth Collett
With austerity at the forefront of European government policy debates and rising debt levels sure to catalyze additional difficult public spending decisions, immigrant integration programs have been an early place for budget cuts in some countries. In this report, MPI European Policy Fellow Elizabeth Collett offers fresh analysis of how immigrant integration programs are faring in a number of EU countries: the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. While the economic and political climate offer some explanation for governments' response, the report details how those factors alone are insufficient to explain countries' differing approaches to immigrant integration programs.
Download Report | Press Release
Immigrants and Welfare: The Impact of Welfare Reform on America’s Newcomers
This volume, edited by MPI Senior Vice President Michael Fix, rigorously assesses the 1996 welfare reform law, questions whether its immigrant provisions were ever really necessary, and examines its impact on legal immigrants’ ability to integrate into American society. The book probes the politics behind the welfare reform law, its legal underpinnings, and what it may mean for integration policy. It also focuses on empirical research regarding immigrants’ propensity to use benefits before the law passed, and immigrants’ use and hardship levels afterwards.
Purchase a copy |
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In the News |
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Bucking the citizenship trend – While
countries such as the United Kingdom move towards a concept of “earned
citizenship”, Australia is making moves to simplify
its citizenship test after a review found it to be "flawed,
intimidating to some, and discriminatory." Meanwhile, Spain
has passed the “‘grandchildren’s” law,
intended to offer citizenship to descendents who fled Spain during
the civil war and ensuing Franco dictatorship. Up to half a million
are expected to apply.
European politicians change direction – The
French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, announced plans in December to
improve the education and employment prospects of ethnic
minorities in France, marking a departure from the traditional “ethnicity-blind” approach.
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, the Labor Party (PvdA) released
a policy paper stating that the Dutch
model of tolerance has actually hampered integration, and
advocating a different approach.
New Commissions in the Southern Hemisphere – A
new Multicultural
Advisory Council will meet in early 2009 to develop a new
strategy for diversity policy to promote social cohesion. In
South Africa, the Human
Rights Commission (SAHRC) will investigate the root causes
of widespread anti-immigrant violence which took place in the
country in 2008.
Boosting internal migration and integration – China
is set to revise its household
registration system – known as hukou – in
order to facilitate the integration of migrant workers in the
Pearl River Delta area. In addition, hukou restrictions
will be lifted for graduates who find work outside their
hometowns to promote internal mobility. However, it may take
a decade for the reforms to be put in place.
Economic troubles hit migrant workers – First
figures from a number of countries suggest that foreign worker
unemployment is on the increase. In Spain,
for example, the number of unemployed foreigners rose by 198,996
people to 400,000 at the end of 2008, up 94 percent from a year
earlier. |
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New Research & Policy |
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Sources
of resentment, and perceptions of ethnic minorities among
poor white people in England,
UK Ministry for Communities and Local Government, January 2009
The report interviewed people from four relatively monocultural “white” urban
spaces with different migration experiences to ascertain key themes related to
local community, national concerns, and integration and makes recommendations
for improving social cohesion on the basis of these findings. Key issues raised
include anxiety over competition for resources, the perception of integration
as “assimilation,” and the negative connotations of “political
correctness.”
Integration – a
Description of the Situation in Sweden (summary in English)
Statistics Sweden, December 2008
This report highlights outcomes in education, housing, labor-market
and political participation for the foreign born and native-born
in Sweden, as well as a summary of demographic trends for both
groups. The report revealed higher than expected levels of
segregation in Swedish communities.
Strengthening
actions and tools to meet integration challenges: Report
to the 2008 Ministerial Conference on Integration
European Commission staff working document – October
2008
This report is the background document from the Commission
which informed the Ministerial meeting hosted by the French
government in November 2008. It covers the same topics as the
Declaration in greater depth, and outlines what the European
Union has done/will do to promote integration policies at the
European level.
European
Ministerial Meeting on Integration – Final
Declaration
Council of the European Union, November 2008
The third informal meeting of European ministers, held in Vichy
in early November to discuss integration policies for migrants,
resulted in a declaration outlining future priorities. The declaration
focuses on broad issues such as the process and governance of
integration, as well as highlighting specific issues, including
the integration of women, the education of migrant children,
and the role of employers and other actors in ensuring migrant
access to employers.
Equality and Diversity in Jobs and Services: City Policies for
Migrants in Europe
Sarah Spencer, Eurofound, and the Council of Europe, September
2008
This report looks at equality and diversity policies in relation
to employment and service provision for migrants in city administrations.
It is the second set of results from the Cities for Local Integration
Policy (CLIP) Network, and highlights a number of initiatives
being undertaken by cities in this context.
Managing
the Impacts of Migration: A Cross-Government Approach
Department for Communities and Local Government, UK, June 2008
This report outlines the UK government strategy for the integration of migrants
at national and local level, with particular attention on the impact of migration
on public services and community cohesion. It catalogues initiatives and funding
related to migrant integration, while suggesting further initiatives.
Community
Cohesion and Migration
House of Commons Community and Government Relations Committee,
UK, July 2008
This Parliamentary report outlines some of the impacts migration
has had upon communities. It highlights poor community relations
in areas with high levels of immigration and ‘public
anxiety’ with respect to strained public services, while
recognising the ‘significant contributions’ made
by migrants. It recommended improved data collection and funding
for communities.
Netherlands:
discrimination in name of integration
Human Rights Watch, Netherlands, May 2008
This report highlights a variety of human rights concerns related
to the introduction of an Overseas Integration Test in the
Netherlands (in force since 2006) and recommends its abolition.
Migration
Nation
Office for the Minister of Integration, Ireland, May
2008
This statement is arguably the Irish government’s first
comprehensive integration strategy. The document sets out key
principles, such as working in partnership with non-governmental
organizations, as well as more practical elements such as increased
spending on language classes.
Making
Migration Work: the role of employers in migrant integration
Elizabeth Collett and Karolina Sitek, European Policy
Centre, May 2008
This Working Paper considers what role employers can – and
do - play in integrating migrant workers in Europe.
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MPI Work on Integration
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The Migration Policy Institute has been
a consistent presence on the immigration and integration policy
fronts in Europe since 2002, working as the sole policy partner
with the four European Union Presidencies that thus far have
prioritized immigration reform – Greece, the Netherlands,
Germany, and Portugal. The Institute also has a vibrant US
immigrant integration program, through the 2007 launch of its National
Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, which has distinguished
itself as a top-flight destination for serious research, policy
proposals, and sharing of best practices across the integration
field.
In its European work, MPI has launched the:
Transatlantic Council on Migration
This is a new nonpartisan initiative created by the Migration
Policy Institute (MPI) in Washington, together with founding
members Antonio Vitorino, Ana Palacio, Trevor Phillips, Rita
Süssmuth, and Xavier Becerra. Its primary goal is to
frame vital policy issues in a comparative perspective and
thus inform policymaking in North America and Europe. The
Council collaborates with the European Policy Centre and
was launched in April 2008 at the Rockefeller Foundation’s
Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy.
Transatlantic Task Force on Immigration and Integration
MPI has convened a task force to promote thoughtful immigration
policies and assess and respond to the profound challenges
of integrating immigrants and building stronger communities
on both sides of the Atlantic. It addresses its recommendations
to European Union institutions and Member State governments,
the governments of the United States and Canada, and state
and local governments and civil society everywhere.
Reports:
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