Immigrant Integration Policies Research Articles

From Good “User” to Good Citizen? The Political Effects on Families of Education Policies in France

This article analyzes the contribution of education policies to the shaping of citizenship in France. We connect two inquiries. The first, about Moral and Civic Teaching, is a case of policy intentionally devoted to convey civic norms. The second, about the ordinary government of parents, concerns diffuse civic socialization at school. We ask how, and to what extent, the political order of school—composed of policy programs and institutional routines—builds civic behaviors throughout an intertwinement between school‐related norms and citizenship standards. The analysis mainly relies on qualitative data—hundreds of interviews and ethnography—taking into account various contexts in France regarding the schools and the geographic situations. Education policies not only appear central in the definition of civic norms and the “good” ways of acting politically in France, but may also be critical in other democratic systems where school plays a comparable role in the socialization to and by the state.Related Articles in this Special IssueBarrault‐Stella, Lorenzo, and Thomas Douniès. 2021. “Introduction to the Special Issue: Citizenship as a Tool of Government in Europe.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Haapajärvi, Linda. 2021. “On the Importance of Playing House: Belonging Work and the Making of Relational Citizens in Finnish Immigrant Integration Policies.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Skowronska, Kaja. 2021. “The Recent Politicization of Immigration in Poland in Light of Preexisting State Practices: Continuity or Change in the Understanding of Citizenship and Nationhood?” Politics & Policy 49 (4).

The “Good Citizen” as a “Respectable Worker:” State, Unemployment, and Social Policy in the United Kingdom and Italy, 1930 to 1950

This article approaches “good citizenship(s)” in its historical connection with the status of “worker.” It scrutinizes how and to what extent the perception of the “good citizen” changed from the Great Depression to the foundations of the post‐war welfare state. It compares unemployment policies in the United Kingdom and Italy from the 1930s to the early 1950s, to grasp how these schemes reflected the shifting features of “good citizenship(s).” The article emphasizes policy legacies that reshaped citizenship and the attached social rights after 1945. These continuities rest in the link between the full participation to the political community and “work” as a distinguishing trait of the “good citizen” deserving social benefits. Apparently diluted by the post‐war “Marshallian consensus,” these deep‐seated understandings resurfaced with contemporary workfare systems. The connection between “good citizenship” and “work” lends itself to further transdisciplinary studies on the theoretical and political foundations of today's welfare systems.Related Articles in this Special IssueBarrault‐Stella, Lorenzo, and Thomas Douniès. 2021. “Introduction to the Special Issue: Citizenship as a Tool of Government in Europe.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Ewert, Benjamin. 2021. “Citizenship as a Form of Anticipatory Obedience? Implications of Preventive Health Policy in Germany.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Haapajärvi, Linda. 2021. “On the Importance of Playing House: Belonging‐Work and the Making of Relational Citizens in Finnish Immigrant Integration Policies.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).

The Recent Politicization of Immigration in Poland in Light of Preexisting State Practices: Continuity or Change in the Understanding of Citizenship and Nationhood?

By drawing a division between citizens and noncitizens, migration policies speak to implicit definitions of what makes a good citizen. Commonly accepted definitions of citizenship are produced not only through explicit political discourse but also through the everyday actions of state agencies. The selection of the “worthy” migrants that those street‐level bureaucracies operate is deeply rooted in interpretations of the nation's boundaries. In this article, I examine this everyday production of citizenship and nationhood by focusing on the case of Polish migration policies approached through the lens of an ethnographic study of street‐level bureaucracies. While the rapid politicization of immigration in this country since 2015 resembles a major shift, an inquiry into the practices of policy implementation invites interrogations concerning continuities between past and present state practices, as well as concerning the definitions of citizens and of “worthy” immigrants that were and are prevalent within Polish institutions.Related Articles in this Special IssueBarrault‐Stella, Lorenzo, and Thomas Douniès. 2021. “Introduction to the Special Issue: Citizenship as a Tool of Government in Europe.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Haapajärvi, Linda. 2021. “On the Importance of Playing House: Belonging Work and the Making of Relational Citizens in Finnish Immigrant Integration Policies.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Mioni, Michele. 2021. “The ‘Good Citizen’ as ‘Respectable Worker:’ State, Unemployment, and Social Policy in the United Kingdom and Italy, 1930 to 1950.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).

On the Importance of Playing House: Belonging Work and the Making of Relational Citizens in Finnish Immigrant Integration Policies

As participatory immigrant integration policies proliferate in Europe, it has become urgent to analyze the dynamics of citizenship these policies produce. This article forges the notion of belonging‐work to explore the practices that frontline social workers use to manage relations between immigrant women and their native neighbors. Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Helsinki, Finland, the article accounts for belonging as a socially situated phenomenon—as an interactive process that takes place in concrete institutional settings. It attracts attention to the domestic mode of belonging toward which welfare professionals channel immigrant women's local participation by constructing collective identities as local mothers, cultivating extended practices of care, and orchestrating feelings of “hominess” between the mobilized women. A pragmatic solution to preventing social isolation in inactive migrant women, participatory integration measures—if practiced alone—appear to hold weak potential for producing equal citizenship.Related Articles in this Special IssueBarrault‐Stella, Lorenzo, and Thomas Douniès. 2021a. “From Good ‘User’ to Good Citizen? The Political Effects on Families of Education Policies in France.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Barrault‐Stella, Lorenzo, and Thomas Douniès. 2021b. “Introduction to the Special Issue: Citizenship as a Tool of Government in Europe.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Ewert, Benjamin. 2021. “Citizenship as a Form of Anticipatory Obedience? Implications of Preventive Health Policy in Germany.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).

Citizenship as a Form of Anticipatory Obedience? Implications of Preventive Health Policy in Germany

This article scrutinizes citizenship implications in the field of preventive health policy in Germany. While at first glance prevention policies seem fairly uncontroversial, they have intricate links concerning the impact on preventive policies to social citizenship and to the notion of the “good” citizen. I argue that prevention is a future‐oriented permanent task that requires constant alertness and the commitment of responsible citizens to being “ahead of time.” Although originally based on the principles of voluntary compliance and self‐responsibility in Germany, preventive policies are likely to become more compulsory in the aftermath of the COVID‐19 pandemic that has, in effect, been a collective crash course on the importance of prevention and its range of policy tools. Under the prevention paradigm, active citizenship requires anticipatory action—that may turn into obedience—due to the imminent danger of assumed health risks.Related Articles in this Special IssueBarrault‐Stella, Lorenzo, and Thomas Douniès. 2021. “Introduction to the Special Issue: Citizenship as a Tool of Government in Europe.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Haapajärvi, Linda. 2021. “On the Importance of Playing House: Belonging‐Work and the Making of Relational Citizens in Finnish Immigrant Integration Policies.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).Mioni, Michele. 2021. “The ‘Good Citizen’ as ‘Respectable Worker:' State, Unemployment, and Social Policy in the United Kingdom and Italy, 1930 to 1950.” Politics & Policy 49 (4).

The Disruptive Regularisation Mechanism in the Spanish Law that Challenges the Reform of the Common European Asylum System

The debate regarding the extent of EU Member States competences in immigrant integration policies was paused with the Treaty of Lisbon. European institutions took an active role in integration but did not mandate a communal approach. Consequently, each Member State instigated its own policies, which led to a wide diversity of regulations. The policy adopted by Spain stands out because of its particular approach to integration policies, which in this case are applicable to regular and irregular immigrants. A remarkable feature of the migration law in Spain is that it contains a regularisation mechanism for irregular immigrants that does not require them to have a visa in order to obtain the status of temporary residency. This mechanism is known as arraigo social (social ties). In these cases, access to regularity depends on the level of social integration that the immigrant can prove to have achieved. This article analyses the statistics on the use of this mechanism in Spain and discusses whether it could offer a path to asylum seekers looking for an official response after several years of waiting in the EU.

Framing Migrant Resilience as a Civic Responsibility: A Case Study of Municipal and Provincial Immigrant Integration Policies in Toronto, Ontario

Abstract This article presents a case study of how regional and municipal governments in Toronto, Ontario, use the concept of resilience to frame the challenges faced by immigrants and the steps governments are taking to promote immigrant integration. In the past decade, resilience has emerged as a policy framework to encourage positive adaptation of people and institutions that are facing social, economic and environmental challenges associated with population growth and economic globalisation. As a policy discourse, the concept of resilience is used to identify which immigrants need social and psychological support to better cope with pre- and post-migration stressors. Although government discourse acknowledges some of the structural inequities migrants face that require resilience (e.g. poverty, systemic racism, precarious employment), the discourse on migrant resilience notably omits government responsibility to enact structural solutions. Even the City of Toronto’s anti-racism campaign, which seeks to reduce racial bias and discrimination against immigrants, frames ‘civic resilience’ as an individual responsibility. Despite the promise of resilience to emphasise immigrants’ capabilities, we argue that resilience discourse operates as a type of diversity management strategy to identify which immigrants warrant government support to maximise their economic contributions to the region.

Local welfare system response to refugees: between innovations, efficiency, and creating unequal opportunities

ABSTRACT Migration scholars frequently view cities as innovative and efficient in responding to their immigrant communities’ needs. At the same time, the risks of the decentralisation of integration policies and how they operate on the ground remain overlooked. This study critically analyses the structure of demand and supply of immigrant integration policies in a local context, by offering a theoretical framework of a local welfare system (LWS) response to immigration. The study uses a case of refugee integration policies in New York City and is based on qualitative data collected between 2016 and 2018 from local LWS and refugees’ representatives. The data were analysed using the grounded theory approach. The study results reveal that a combination of policy decentralisation, underfunding, and ‘coordination challenge’ – contribute to a ‘lottery effect’ of unequal opportunities for refugees, instead of best addressing the local needs.

U.S. Immigrant Integration Policy in Light of the COVID‐19 Pandemic

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic has highlighted a critical shortage of medical personnel in the United States. Yet, there is an untapped pool of an estimated 263,000 immigrant physicians, nurses, and health‐care technicians who are not using their training in the United States. This essay provides a brief explanation of the factors that result in underutilization of immigrants' skills. Connecting theory with practice, it then proposes potential policy solutions to the shortage of medical personnel through strategic immigration initiatives.

Between integration and repatriation – frontline experiences of how conflicting immigrant integration policies hamper the integration of young refugees in Denmark

ABSTRACT Confronted with global migration pressures, European countries face the dual challenges of border control and the incorporation of immigrants into society. Danish immigration and integration policies aim to restrict the influx of refugees and to develop newcomers’ sense of civic responsibility. We analyse 2017 policy problematisations and local integration policy workers’ experiences with integrating young, newly arrived refugees under the mandatory municipal integration programme. We find that these policies lead to paradoxical effects when integration goals interact with immigration laws that create precarious temporary living conditions. Moreover, when integration is problematised as an exclusive problem of refugees’ employability and prompt economic self-sufficiency. The policy problematisations neglect the needs of young refugees by overlooking critical aspects of social and cultural integration and obscuring the possibilities for individually tailored services, which, from frontline integration workers’ perspective, are necessary to realise young refugees’ integration.

Intragroup comparative study on achievement of second generation Chinese newcomer

There are many challenges that immigrants to new countries face. Complicating efforts to understand and research these challenges are any ingrained attitudes surrounding immigration and the vast differences in attitudes and levels of immigration in each country. Not every place is the same, nor are all immigrants the same, even if they come from the same country. This makes comparisons of what was successful in one place difficult to make. For example, a country like the US, which has a longer history of immigration may have more established systems and theories on immigration and integration than a country like Japan, where historically, immigration has been low. In the US, immigrants from China are considered to have been successful in thriving and creating a Chinese-American population, but the situation is very different for the increasing Chinese-Japanese population found in Japan. Assistant Professor Kohei Tsubota and Research Associate Lifeng Liu are focusing their research on the second-generation Chinese immigrant population in Japan, in particular how an immigrant child can overcome disadvantages in a society that has no immigrant integration policy, and also, how the disparity structure and gender inequality of Chinese society affect their educational attainment after coming to Japan.

Multi-level Governance of Integration Policy. Role of the Cities. Comparison of Warsaw and Prague

This paper analyses the role of the cities in the multi-level governance of integration policy. The goal was to analyse the relations of diverse actors in a multi-level governance context and the direct impact of the transnational EU policy to local level actors (that also bypassed the national level). We show how the interconnection of policy levels and the presence of actors in many roles in the process of developing immigrant integration policies resulted in the top-down transfer of policy goals. We also highlight the converse perspective and demonstrate how bottom-up policy initiatives strengthen the position of cities as important players in the multilevel governance, both individually and collectively.

Sweden’s immigrant integration policy: the role of language

The increase in migration flows in 2010–2011 and 2015–2016 has brought the issue of immigrants’ integration in European countries to a qualitatively new level. The integration of immigrants and refugees is one of the central topics in academic and political discourses. This essay presents short analysis of the Swedish language policy towards integration of immigrants and refugees. The importance of this topic is determined by the fact that language is one of the instruments of inclusion in the host society.

Elective affinities between racism and immigrant integration policies: a dialogue between two studies carried out across the European Union and Spain

ABSTRACT In this paper, we problematise the relationship between racism and immigrant integration policies. First, we approach racism from its geopolitical/institutional/governmental logic and contextualise the emergence of integration policies across the European Union. Then, we put into dialogue the fieldwork materials of our research projects, analysing intersections between the EU and Spanish integration policy frameworks. Despite the inclusive and proactive rhetoric often expressed by integration policies, we illustrate the existence of an ‘elective affinity’ between racism and integration by focusing on: (1) the construction of migrants as a problematic ‘object’ of governmental intervention; (2) the reduction of racism to an individual pathology and the underestimation of its institutional/structural dimensions; (3) the reproduction of epistemic racism through the discourse on European (and national) values.

Constructed Attitudes toward the Roma: A French Case

AbstractForty per cent of Europeans refuse to have Roma as their neighbours, while 80 per cent of these do not even have direct contact with them. Using these statistics as a point of departure, this study analyzes how attitudes toward Roma are constructed. It proposes to investigate this process in two similar environments but where local integration policies directed toward Roma differ, resulting in disparate forms of intergroup contact. The analysis is premised on two theoretical assumptions: that the integration of migrants is a local public policy issue and that intergroup contact frames attitudes between majority and minority groups. From semi-structured interviews in the French municipalities of La Courneuve and Ivry-sur-Seine, four theories are empirically tested: the contact theory, the halo effect, the impact of local immigrant integration policies and media influence. This study demonstrates that the implementation of municipal policies in favour of Roma integration can improve their living conditions and thus deconstruct prejudices attributable to their precarious situation. In addition, it illustrates how the media activate, maintain or solidify the way Roma are perceived.

Gendered Nationalism in Practice: An Intersectional Analysis of Migrant Integration Policy in South Korea

In this article, I investigate how gendered nationalism is articulated through everyday practices in relation to immigrant integration policy and the intersectional production of inequality in South Korea. By using ethnographic data collected at community centers created to implement national “multicultural” policy, I examine the individual perspectives and experiences of Korean staff and targeted recipients (marriage migrants). To defend their own “native” privileges, the Korean staff stressed the gendered caretaking roles of marriage migrants and their contribution to the nation as justification for state support. The migrants, while critical of the familial responsibilities imposed on them in Korea, underscored their gendered value to the nation (as mothers to “Korean” children) to offset their subjugated position. The diverging perspectives of the two groups are informed by “everyday” nationalism, generated through constantly gendered terms and effects. Bringing together the literature on nationalism and migration through a focus on reproductive labor, I expose how national boundaries are drawn through quotidian practices of gendered nationalism, with significant implications for gender and ethnic hierarchies.

MIPEX를 통해 본 프랑스 이주민통합정책 연구

본 연구의 목표는 MIPEX지수분석을 통해 프랑스 이주민통합정책을 고찰하고, 프랑스 동화주의의 기본원칙인 ‘공화주의’가 이주민통합정책에 어떻게 반영되고 있는지를 그 문제점과 성과를 중심으로 분석하는데 있다. 2015년 MIPEX분석 결과 프랑스는 ‘차별금지(77%)’, ‘국적취득(61%)’에서 높은 평가를, ‘교육(36%)’과 ‘영주권(48%)’은 낮은 평가를 받았다. 이는 공화국의 주요가치인 ‘평등’과 ‘권리’, 그리고 다문화를 인정치 않는 ‘세속주의’를 반영하고 있다. 그러나 프랑스는 정책적으로 평등을 지향하지만, 현실적으로 ‘평등’의 이상과 비EU출신 이주민에 대한 차별이 혼재하는 이중적 양상이 존재한다. 프랑스 통합정책은 2007-2014년 동안 유의미한 변화가 없었으며, 동화주의의 비타협적인 기조와 성향은 국제정세 변화와 통합실패에도 일관성을 유지하는 것으로 보인다. 이것이 테러사건에 대한 일시적 반응인지, 동화주의에 대한 장기적 헌신인지 판단하긴 이르다. 그러나 포괄적이고 민주적인 통합정책에서 이주민은 영구적으로 정착하고, 시민들도 이들을 더욱 신뢰하며 공존할 수 있다. 따라서 이주민을 온전한 시민으로 통합하려는 국가의지는 정치적 전통보다 중요하다.

Association of Maternal Citizenship and State-Level Immigrant Policies With Health Insurance Coverage Among US-Born Latino Youths

The association of state-level immigrant policies with uninsurance among Latino youths remains unknown. To assess the association of state-level immigrant integration and criminalization policies with health insurance coverage among US-born Latino youths by maternal citizenship. This cross-sectional study analyzed secondary data from the American Community Survey, January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018, for US-born Latino youths (age, ≤17 years) and their mothers (age, 18-64 years) as well as state-level indicators of immigrant integration and criminalization policies (in all 50 states and the District of Columbia). Immigrant integration and criminalization policies. The main outcome was maternal reports of youth uninsurance status at the time of the American Community Survey interview. Variation in youth uninsurance by maternal citizenship, state immigrant integration policy context, and state immigrant criminalization policy context were examined. All analyses were conducted with weighted survey data. Of the 226 691 US-born Latino youths (115 431 [50.92%] male; mean [SD] age, 7.66 [4.92] years) included in the study, 36.64% (95% CI, 36.21%-36.92%) had noncitizen mothers. Overall, 7.09% (95% CI, 6.78%-7.41%) of noncitizen mothers reported that their youths were uninsured compared with 4.68% (95% CI, 4.49%-4.88%) of citizen mothers. Of uninsured youths who resided in states with a low level of immigrant integration policies, 9.10% (8.22%-10.06%) had noncitizen mothers and 4.75% (95% CI, 4.19%-5.37%) had citizen mothers; of uninsured youths who resided in states with high criminalization policies, 9.37% (95% CI, 8.90%-9.87%) had noncitizen mothers and 5.91% (95% CI, 5.64%-6.20%) had citizen mothers. In states with few immigrant integration policies, the probability of uninsurance among youths with noncitizen mothers was 3.3% (95% CI, 2.3%-4.4%) higher than that among youths with citizen mothers. Among youths with noncitizen mothers, the difference in the probability of uninsurance between those residing in states with a low level vs a high level of immigrant integration policies was 2.1% (95% CI, 0.6%-3.6%). Among youths residing in states with high levels of immigrant criminalization policies, those with noncitizen mothers had a 2.6% (95% CI, 1.9%-3.0%) higher probability of being uninsured compared with those whose mothers were citizens. Among youths with noncitizen mothers, the difference in the probability of uninsurance between those who resided in a state with a low level vs a state with a high level of immigrant criminalization policies was 1.7% (95% CI, 0.7%-2.7%). The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that among US-born Latino youths, disparities in uninsurance by maternal citizenship are associated with state-level immigrant integration and criminalization policies and that anti-immigrant policies may be associated with disparities in health care access for US-born Latino youths.

The Role of Cities in the Integration of Immigrants in Europe

In the era of migration, cities play an important role in integrating immigrants and promoting social cohesion. Sometimes they create and implement integration policies different from these at a national level. The state-run civic integration programs question the thesis of the growing role of cities as these programs have resulted in centralizing integration policies and reducing their role. In recent years, large European cities have been implementing a cultural diversity management model referred to as “intercultural integration”. They have also adopted mainstream policies targeted at the entire population. In terms of immigrant integration policy Polish large cities have recently been following a pattern set by their Western European counterparts. This results from the availability of European funds and trends towards cultural diversity rather than challenges.

СКЛАДОВА МІГРАЦІЙНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ ЄС ЩОДО ІММІГРАНТІВ З ТРЕТІХ КРАЇН

EU migration policy aims to create a legal framework for legal labor migration, given the importance of integrating migrants into host communities. EU measures on legal immigration cover the conditions of entry and residence for certain categories of immigrants, such as highly skilled workers covered by the EU Blue Card Directive, as well as students and researches. A number of EU’s directives aimed at simplifying and harmonizing migration procedures, in particular the granting of clear employment rights to migrants, have been considered. The EU’s approaches to labor migration, which focus on addressing their integration into the community or the problem of illegal migration, such as the fight against trafficking of human beings and smugglers, are reveald. Although integration policy is defined and implemented mainly at national or subnational level, it is closely linked to the legal framework and EU provisions that grant certain rights to migrants living in the European Union (e.g. equal working conditions and equal access to goods and services). The European Union has adopted a number of EU non-discrimination laws that are important for the integration of third-country nationals, including Directive 2000/43/EU on racial equality and Directive 2000/78/EC on employment equality. The general principles of immigration integration policy are analyzed, such as: employment, education, access to institutions, goods and services and integration into society as a whole.The EU’s approaches to migration as «sustainable development» are considered, in particular, a comprehensive migration management agenda, which contains four items: better organization of legal migration and promotion of managed mobility; preventing and combating illegal migration and eradicating trafficking of human beings; promoting international protection and strengthening the external dimension of asylum; maximizing the impact of migration on sustainable development. It has been found out that the main directions of migration policy, which still needs to be improved in order to curb the scale of brain drain and skilled labor in the countries of origin, should include: concluding bilateral and multilateral agreements on ethical and balanced recruitment and training schemes; returning migration management for effective development in migrants’ countries of origin; promoting the transfer of skills, knowledge and remittances to diasporas (including social remittances). Summing up the content of the European Union’s migration policy towards immigrants from third countries, it is important to note that despite the large number of legal norms, the volume of labor migration is still regulated by each EU country, depending on its own needs and capabilities. Despite the fact that immigration mechanisms are standardized, the issue of admission to the sovereign territory remains in the competence of national governments. It is also important to emphasize that thereis a general prohibition of discrimination on the basis of nationality. Concerning third-country nationals, EU migration policy aims to create a legal framework for legal migration, taking full account of the importance of integrating migrant workers into host communities. EU measures on legal immigration cover the conditions of entry and residence for certain categories of immigrants, including highly skilled workers. It was found ound that immigrants from third countries have worse indicators in the labor market, in particular in terms of skills, quality of education, living conditions and so on. Most people born in the EU have the citizenship of the host country and use their right to vote in elections, which also affects the Union’s migration policy. In sum, EU policy of immigrants’ integration forsees target measures, in particular, in labor market, especially providing with proper educational, medical, social services, as well as their active participation in the cultural and political life of the host country.