Abstract
Since the migrant surge in 2015, social inclusion has become a crucial issue to be addressed effectively by the European Union, given that 39% of the population born outside of the EU member states faces the risk of poverty or social exclusion. Adding to that, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected migrant households worldwide, rendering migrant integration an urgent matter for national governments. Discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and radicalization are all societal threats emerging in periods of massive migrant flows and need appropriate policy measures to be employed in migrant host countries to tackle them. This paper suggests the integration of a multiple criteria decision analysis method, namely PROMETHEE, for policy making with regard to migrant social exclusion. In light of previous research findings and the recent release of the Migrant Integration Policy Index 2020, the authors argue that the method proposed could help policy makers to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented policies, spot the discrepancies between policies and policy outcomes, and motivate knowledge sharing among the EU member states. The findings include a ten-year comparative list of the EU member states (2010–2019) driven by social inclusion indicators for the foreign-born (non-EU-born) population. The results are rather sensitive to changes in the data utilized but they provide an overall comparative picture of social inclusion policy effectiveness in the EU during the past decade.
Highlights
In view of an inclusive European way of life, the new EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021–2027 is indicative of the attention the European Commission pays to the issue of social inclusion, promoting a comprehensive approach to migrant integration [1]
As Nimfóhr et al [30] mention, the accession of Malta in the EU and the incorporation of the European legal framework to its national legislation led to bureaucratic rather than social integration, paying attention to the social interactions for the efficacy of integration apart from the legal framework. In this empirical case, Malta received the first place in the ranking in nine out of the ten years under examination. This could be explained by the fact that in Malta, the non-EU-born population has one of the lowest percentages for people at risk of poverty and social exclusion, one of the highest ratios for people with a very good or good perception of health, an above average median equivalized net income, and an above average owner-occupancy compared to the non-EU-born population in other EU countries
Combining the preference ranking of the 27 EU member states and the UK provided by the PROMETHEE method with the Migrant Integration Policy Index, the paper offers a basis for further research and discussion with regard to integration governance in the field of social inclusion
Summary
In view of an inclusive European way of life, the new EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021–2027 is indicative of the attention the European Commission pays to the issue of social inclusion, promoting a comprehensive approach to migrant integration [1]. Adding to the aforementioned indicative measures of social exclusion, a report from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe revealed that migrants and refugees are at greater risk of developing infectious diseases because of their exposure to infections, lack of access to health care, interrupted care, and poor living conditions during the migration process [4]. Towards addressing such issues, the European Union decided to direct more than EUR 377 billion of the European Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to cohesion, resilience, and values [5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
