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, a policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, an independent Brussels-based policy think tank.

Elizabeth coordinates the Migration and Integration Forum at the EPC, which is run in collaboration with the King Baudouin Foundation and is European policy partner for MPI’s Transatlantic Council on Migration. Previously, she worked for the International Organization for Migration in Geneva, and for the Institute for the Study of International Migration in Washington DC. She has a law degree from Oxford University, and a Masters in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

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.

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.

A European Year of Intercultural Dialogue has been launched in the European Union, with a broad approach to linking different voices in society. It follows on from the European Year of Equal Opportunities. One of the themes is the link between intercultural dialogue and migrant integration, and this short paper outlines some of the parameters and issues associated with this:
Conversations across Cultures: Making Integration Work in a Changing Europe
By Elizabeth Collett, February 2008

The children that Europe forgot
By Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Werner Weidenfeld,
Co-Chairs, Transatlantic Task Force on Immigration and Integration
Op-Ed in the European Voice, September 20, 2007

EU Integration Policies – An Overview
By Elizabeth Collett, April 2008

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

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.

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.

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:

• Integrating Islam: A New Chapter in “Church-State” Relations
  By Jonathan Laurence, Boston College, October 2007
• Early Education for Immigrant Children
  By Paul Leseman, Utrecht University
• Pathways to Success for the Children of Immigrants
  By Maurice Crul, University of Amsterdam
• Language Policies and Practices for Helping Immigrants and Second-Generation Students Succeed
  By Gayle Christensen, Urban Institute, and Petra Stanat, Free University of Berlin