Current Immigration Policies Research Articles

Afghan immigrants' perceptions of integration policies in Iran

AbstractIn the contemporary global context, the challenge of integrating immigrants into host societies has gained prominence. This paper delves into the perceptions and experiences of Afghan immigrants in Iran regarding immigration policies and laws. Employing a constructivist grounded theory methodology, the study aims to uncover participants' interpretations and the meanings attributed to immigration policies and laws. Grounded theory analysis, involving initial, focused, and theoretical coding, was employed to collect data. The results reveal that current immigration laws and policies in Iran have led to economic disparities, limited educational opportunities, social isolation, and identity challenges for Afghan immigrants. Iran's integration policies lean towards exclusion. Consequently, Afghan immigrants experience a weakened sense of belonging in the country. Therefore, our study suggests the importance of implementing integration theories and policies instead of those promoting disintegration. Such policies not only hinder immigrants' assimilation but also impede the overall progress of the host nation, thus undermining social cohesion.

Closing the Educational Gap on Human Trafficking: There’s No Better Time Than Now!

IntroductionHuman trafficking is a heinous crime and violation of human rights affecting between 25 and 27 million adults and children globally each year. Current immigration and refugee policy could exacerbate the human trafficking public health crisis. Health care providers working in emergency department and urgent care settings interact with human trafficking victims and provide life-changing care. Research identifies a significant need for coordinated, consistent, and standardized education on human trafficking. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of online educational training in human trafficking on the knowledge and self-confidence of registered nurses and nurse practitioners working in the emergency department and urgent care settings in New York. MethodsAn asynchronous, online education module was designed for emergency department and urgent care registered nurses and nurse practitioners to address key components of human trafficking identification, assessment, and treatment. Using a 1-group pretest/posttest design, participants completed an existing published survey tool before and 6 weeks after education. ResultsFindings revealed statistically significant improvement (P < .05) in knowledge and confidence regarding components of identifying, assessing, and treating victims of human trafficking. Data demonstrated 63.8% of participants had never received human trafficking training, and 80% reported no history of contact with patients known or suspected of being trafficked. DiscussionResults in this study demonstrate the need for increased standardized education regarding HT for frontline health care workers.

The US non-intersectional asylum policies are outdated

The current immigration policies and problematic definitions are unfair to people seeking protection in the United States and elsewhere. Non-intersectional policies go against the work ethos of social workers. At the same time, without any federal support for asylum seekers and disparate state and city services, asylum seekers are denied fundamental human rights. Social workers are now pushed to work more closely with asylum seekers. They should thoroughly understand the structural issues around asylum policies and engage in policy advocacy to change outdated and unidimensional laws.

Policies of Different Countries to Deal with Population Aging and Their Enlightenment for China

This article summarizes the successful measures taken by countries around the world to deal with the aging population, and focuses on the impact of immigration policies on the aging population. Immigration policy is one of the important ways to solve the thorny impact of population aging. If accurate and efficient immigration policies can be implemented, it will contribute a lot to minimizing the impact of population aging. In order to put forward suggestions for China's future immigration policies, this paper compares the immigration policies of different countries and China's policies to cope with the aging of the population by analyzing the aging trend of the world population and China's aging trend, focusing on two aspects of China's current immigration policies, as well as the results of previous studies. The results show that China's immigration policy is close to the mature strategies of developed countries, but there are still many shortcomings. In order to better adapt to the aging trend in the future, China should improve its legal system, optimize preferential policies, make up for negligence in links, and attract high-quality foreign talents to settle in China and overseas students to return home for development.

The Labor Market Effects of Immigration Enforcement

This paper examines the effects of reducing the supply of low-skilled immigrant workers on the labor market outcomes of domestic workers. We use temporal and geographic variation in the introduction of Secure Communities (SC), a county-based immigration enforcement policy, combined with data over 2005-2014 from the American Community Survey to estimate a difference-in-difference model with geographic and time fixed effects. We find evidence that SC had a negative impact on the employment of low-skilled non-citizen workers, who are likely to be directly affected by the policy. Importantly, we also find that SC negatively impacted the employment of citizens working in middle to high-skill occupations. This is the first paper to provide quasi- experimental evidence on the labor market effects of immigration enforcement policies on citizens across the occupational skill distribution, which is of paramount importance given the current immigration policy debates.

Representation of visible minorities in Canada's public service: Slow but significant progression

AbstractThis study examined the representation of visible minority (VM) employees in Canada's public service to clarify the extent to which Canada's Employment Equity Act (EEA) for diversity and equity management has influenced VM employment outcomes, with a focus on executive (leadership) and professional representation. Data from EEA annual reports (1997–2020) were analysed, and the results for VMs in the public service were juxtaposed with those for VMs in the broader labour market. VM employees' numerical representation under the EEA had increased and was slowly trending upwards in executive roles, exceeding their workforce availability in 2020. However, the representation of VMs in public service failed to match their actual proportion in the larger Canadian population. This group had a stronger representation in scientific and professional occupations, reflecting current immigration policies' support for skilled migration. The VM workforce in the broader labour market lacked equal representation, which indicates significant policy implications.

Avrupa Birliği’nin Göçü Düzenlenme ve Kontrol Sorunu

After World War Two, Western Europe states started to receive migrants to fill labour shortages. With the end of the Cold War, the flow of immigrants to Europe accelerated, and the issue of immigration became one of the most important topics on the European Union’s agenda by the 2000s. In this context, this study seeks to answer whether European states have lost their immigration control. This study aims to clarify the internal and external reasons that adversely affect the capacity of European states to control immigration, focusing primarily on the developments since 1945. The immigration policies of the European Union (EU) are also discussed in this context. This study employed the qualitative research methodology. In the study, academic books and articles were used besides online newspapers and the official documents prepared by the EU. The study's findings demonstrate that although European states have not entirely lost their control over immigration, their current immigration policies are insufficient to stop the flow of immigration to Europe.

Impacts of Climate Change on American Immigrant Flows and Employment Sectors

This paper focuses on the impacts of natural disasters caused by climate change on American immigrant flows and American immigrants’ employment sectors. This paper consists of two distinct quantitative analyses. The first analysis investigates the relationship between climate disasters and the number of people that immigrated to the U.S. from 2010 to 2019 (which is the closest intact decade before the pandemic) for several countries and shows a positive relationship between climate change and American immigrant flows. This part also discusses the inherent variation between developed countries and developing countries, and analyzes the relationship between the gross domestic production index and the number of people that immigrated to the U.S. In the second part of the analysis, the paper analyzes the several American states that contain the highest number of immigrants and which employment sectors immigrants preferred in 2015, which is the median year of the period in the first analysis. As a result, the result shows that American immigrants’ employment sector distribution varies for each state, and American immigrants are more likely to participate in fundamental occupations such as agriculture and infrastructure construction. At the end of the paper, some viable suggestions on current immigration policy and future prospects in the related research fields are mentioned.

Latinx Adolescent Perspectives on the Effects of United States Immigration Policy on Wellbeing

In a prospective cohort study of Latinx adolescents living in an agricultural county in California, we examined perceptions of federal immigration policy and its effects on community and individual wellbeing. From May to December 2017, 565 youth responded to an open-ended item integrated into ongoing surveys. Median age was 14 (range 13–16 years), 53% female, and 94% Latinx. About 12% were immigrants, 71% children of immigrant parents, and 52% had a parent employed in farm work. Most (78%) indicated they directly experienced or observed effects of current federal immigration policies. Adolescents described anti-immigrant sentiment as heightening discrimination, isolation, fear, and mental health changes. They also perceived constraints on future educational and employment opportunities. These findings suggest that the federal immigration policy environment can negatively impact the wellbeing of youth in Latinx communities and that immigration policy should be considered a social determinant of health.

Immigration Enforcement and Infant Health

The past two decades were characterized by an unprecedented increase in interior immigration enforcement and heightened stress due to fears of family separation and loss of income among undocumented immigrants. Using vital statistics on infant births from the National Center for Health Statistics for the 2003 through 2016 period and a difference-in-differences design, we compare the health outcomes of infants with likely undocumented mothers before and after the intensification of immigration enforcement within US counties. We find that intensified enforcement, especially during the third trimester, increases the likelihood of low birth weight (<2,500 grams). We also present suggestive evidence that the effect could be driven by heightened stress and fears associated with police-based enforcement during pregnancy. The findings underscore the importance of current immigration policies in shaping the birth outcomes of many American children.

Exclusionary attitudes toward immigrants: Globalization and configurations of ascribed and achieved status across 14 European countries

Research on immigration attitudes focuses on two dimensions of exclusionary preferences: those related to achieved characteristics and those related to ascribed characteristics. First, we expand this work by unpacking how individuals blend attitudes across these two dimensions. Applying latent profile analysis to a comprehensive set of exclusionary indicators from the European Social Survey in 2002 and 2014, we observe seven attitudinal configurations: exclusionary, moderate individualistic, individualistic, tolerant, religious, illiberal liberalism, and racial capitalism. Second, using multinomial logistic regression with country fixed effects, we explore how configurations relate to a period where European countries experienced overall economic de-globalization, but more intensified cultural globalization. Consistent with integrated threat theories, we find that exclusionary views were less common in countries that became economically de-globalized. Conversely, we find no effect of cultural globalization on the growth or decline of the exclusionary configuration. We conclude by considering the policy implications of these results on current immigration policy.

Immigration, education and insecuritisation. School principals’ small stories on national immigration and integration policies

ABSTRACT International migration in general and the recent refugee crisis in particular are complex and much debated topics in European politics. Concurrently, education systems must operate under uncertain and unpredictable conditions. In this situation, migrant children become a group at particular educational risk of exclusion and marginalisation. This paper explores reflections of principals of schools with migrant students regarding how to navigate in those uncertainties related to how migrants are received in Denmark and whether current Danish policies on migration and integration affect the everyday practices in education. Thus, the paper looks at how problematisation and insecuritisation processes stemming from current immigration and integration policies in Denmark influence professionals’ working conditions in the field of education. Drawing on methodological perspectives from narrative theory, a selection of five out of 15 interviews with school principals are analysed, focusing on their small stories about approaching the complex processes of risk production when providing education for migrant children. The conclusion drawn from the study is that immigration and integration policies that do not stem from the field of education still influence the field of education in a way that creates complex dilemmas for school professionals when navigating in the (co-)production of risks.

Ethnic Organizations and Adaptation: A Case Study of Indian Immigrant Engineers in the US

Abstract The United States has witnessed waves of immigration throughout its history, with the current immigration policies regulated by the reforms enacted under President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. Immigrants now come from all over the world, with China and India supplying the largest numbers in science and engineering (S&amp;E) fields. Although the US is seen as coping rather successfully with immigration from Europe, that is not the case with Asian immigration. Assimilation theorists have long argued that Asian immigrants face problems in adapting to the American culture and lifestyles; in contrast, multicultural theorists have hailed cultural diversity brought by Asian immigrants. Ethnic organizations can play an integral role in Asian immigrants’ adaptation and integration in the United States. Utilizing 40 in-depth interviews of Indian immigrant engineers working in the US technology companies, the present study examines if they belong to ethnic associations. If yes, why do they feel a need to belong to these associations? If no, why not? It further sheds light on their need to belong to such associations. The findings show that the need to belong to Indian associations varied with the stage of their lives, which can be depicted as a U-shaped curve.

Politically Excluded, Undocu-Engaged: The Perceived Effect of Hostile Immigration Policies on Undocumented Student Political Engagement

ABSTRACT Prior research suggests that hostile immigration policies can motivate undocumented immigrants’ political engagement, but may also create unique risks that limit their willingness to participate. We examine how perceptions of the immigration policy context may help or hinder undocumented college students’ political engagement. Using data from an online survey of 1,277 undocumented college students attending California 4-year public universities, we conducted regression analyses to examine the extent to which perceived discrimination, social exclusion, and threat to the family due to current immigration policy affects three forms of political engagement: political voice, collective action, and individual action. We then examined potential factors that may facilitate engagement, including participation in campus and community-based organizations and legal protections. Results show that perceived discrimination and threat to family due to the immigration policy context are positively associated with all forms of political engagement, while social exclusion is negatively associated. Campus and community engagement weakly moderate these relationships. Comparisons across immigration status suggest that many of these relationships are unique to students who have legal protections like DACA. Ultimately, we argue that undocumented students’ political engagement is shaped by nuanced manifestations of a hostile immigration policy context.

When a Canadian is not a Canadian: marginalization of IMGs in the CaRMS match.

This paper explores the marginalization experienced by International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) Match. This marginalization occurs despite all IMGs being Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and having objectively demonstrated competence equivalent to that expected of a graduate of a Canadian medical School through examinations such as the MCCQE1 and the National Assessment Collaboration OSCE. This paper explores how the current CaRMS Match works, evidence of marginalization, and ethnicity and human rights implications of the current CaRMS system. A brief history of post graduate medical education and the residency selection process is provided along with a brief legal analysis of authority for making CaRMS eligibility decisions. Current CaRMS practices are situated in the context of Provincial fairness legislation, and rationalizations and rationales for the current CaRMS system are explored. The paper examines objective indicators of IMG competence, as well as relevant legislation regarding international credential recognition and labour mobility. The issues are placed in the context of current immigration and education policies and best practices. An international perspective is provided through comparison with the United States National Residency Matching Program. Suggestions are offered for changes to the current CaRMS system to bring the process more in line with legislation and current Canadian value systems, such that “A Canadian is a Canadian.”

Citizenship Wanted, but Denied: The Racial Prerequisite Cases and Their Role in Institutionalizing Racism Against Asians

This article explores the racial prerequisite cases, which were dubious court decisions that attempted to rationalize pseudo-scientific evidence and common knowledge as reasons for who could and could not be considered for, and who was ultimately denied, U.S. citizenship. These cases are historical antecedents of the current anti-Asian racism that has become even more pronounced as a result of COVID-19. Social studies educators can leverage these court cases to teach about controversial and relevant issues that connect to current immigration and citizenship policies, as well as provide historical context for contemporary discussions about race and racism.

Toward an Abolitionist Practice of Psychology: Reimagining Psychology’s Relationship With the Criminal Justice System

The social justice uprisings that have stemmed from several recent highly publicized murders of Black people by police have shed increasing light on the systems of oppression, inequity, and white supremacy that have been the backbone of the United States’ policing and criminal justice systems since their inception. The American Psychological Association, along with many professional organizations across the subfields of psychology, has released its statement outlining how psychology must contribute to the eradication of systemic racism and white supremacy. In this article, we address the need for psychology and its subfields to acknowledge our complicity in certain systems of oppression, such as our ties to law enforcement and the police, our support of mental health reforms that merely increase the scope of a punitive criminal justice system, and our complicity in the harm done by our current immigration policies. We argue that the best way, in fact the only way, for the profession to move toward an antiracist psychological practice is to embrace an abolitionist framework so that we may reimagine our relationships with historically oppressive institutions and rebuild our clinical practices to promote life-affirming interventions and liberation for individuals and communities.

Healthcare Professionals' Experience, Training, and Knowledge Regarding Immigration-Related Law Enforcement in Healthcare Facilities: An Online Survey.

U.S. immigration policies and enforcement can make immigrants fearful of accessing healthcare. Although current immigration policies restrict enforcement in "sensitive locations" including healthcare facilities, there are reports of enforcement actions in such settings.

Migratory Choreography and Spaces of Resistance

This article examines dance pieces premiered in the Nordic countries at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015. Framed by the heated debates on current immigration policies, as well as prevailing tropes of a theater of migration and the figure of “the migrant,” the analysis centers on the potential for creating spaces of resistance in the encounter between choreographic performance and spectators. Drawing on analytical concepts such as migratory aesthetics and choreographic agency, the focus is on the interrelationship between the choreographic articulations of experience of migration and their materialization before an audience.

Association of Family Member Detention or Deportation With Latino or Latina Adolescents’ Later Risks of Suicidal Ideation, Alcohol Use, and Externalizing Problems

Policy changes since early 2017 have resulted in a substantial expansion of Latino or Latina immigrants prioritized for deportation and detention. Professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and Society for Research in Child Development, have raised concerns about the potentially irreversible mental health effects of deportations and detentions on Latino or Latina youths. To examine how family member detention or deportation is associated with Latino or Latina adolescents' later mental health problems and risk behaviors. Survey data were collected between February 14 and April 26, 2018, and between September 17, 2018, and January 13, 2019, and at a 6-month follow-up from 547 Latino or Latina adolescents who were randomly selected from grade and sex strata in middle schools in a suburban Atlanta, Georgia, school district. Prospective data were analyzed using multivariable, multivariate logistic models within a structural equation modeling framework. Models examined how family member detention or deportation within the prior 12 months was associated with later changes in suicidal ideation, alcohol use, and clinical externalizing symptoms, controlling for initial mental health and risk behaviors. Past-year family member detention or deportation. Follow-up reports of suicidal ideation in the past 6 months, alcohol use since the prior survey, and clinical level of externalizing symptoms in the past 6 months. A total of 547 adolescents (303 girls; mean [SD] age, 12.8 [1.0] years) participated in this prospective survey. Response rates were 65.2% (547 of 839) among contacted parents and 95.3% (547 of 574) among contacted adolescents whose parents provided permission. The 6-month follow-up retention rate was 81.5% (446 of 547). A total of 136 adolescents (24.9%) had a family member detained or deported in the prior year. Family member detention or deportation was associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation (38 of 136 [27.9%] vs 66 of 411 [16.1%]; adjusted odds ratio, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.06-5.29), alcohol use (25 of 136 [18.4%] vs 30 of 411 [7.3%]; adjusted odds ratio, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.26-7.04), and clinical externalizing behaviors (31 of 136 [22.8%] vs 47 of 411 [11.4%]; adjusted odds ratio, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.11-6.84) at follow-up, controlling for baseline variables. This study suggests that recent immigration policy changes may be associated with critical outcomes jeopardizing the health of Latino or Latina adolescents. Since 95% of US Latino or Latina adolescents are citizens, compromised mental health and risk behavior tied to family member detention or deportation raises concerns regarding the association of current immigration policies with the mental health of Latino and Latina adolescents in the United States.