Immigration Policy Research Articles

An unlevel playing field: Immigrant assimilation and welfare utilization

This paper investigates the existence and mechanisms of segmentation in the welfare assimilation process of first-generation immigrants in the Netherlands. Using longitudinal administrative data (2007–2015) from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), we estimate the welfare utilization trajectories of migrants over the working-age life course vis-à-vis two reference groups representing different economic segments from the population, namely: average Dutch natives and Dutch natives with low education level. Empirical evidence shows a predominant trend of mainstream assimilation; however, two findings with more concerning implications should be highlighted. Welfare assimilation into the economically disadvantaged segment is found to concentrate among first-generation immigrants characterized by structural and human capital disadvantages, despite the notable extent of upward intragenerational mobility observed. In the worst-case scenario, there seems to be a lack of welfare assimilation to the comparison segments, raising concerns over the prospective emergence of marginalized ethnic groups at the bottom of the economic ladder. The implications of this finding are twofold. Firstly, automatic closing of the migrant-native gap over time should not be presumed in the absence of a level playing field for all regardless of their migration backgrounds. Secondly, systematic discrepancies observed between refugees and other types of migrants in terms of welfare assimilation patterns and determinants point to the need to have a clear distinction between immigration policy and refugee policy, which explicitly avoids bundling all migrants as one homogenous group.

International Immigration: A Potentially Feasible Solution to China’s Population Ageing

For a long time, China has been seen as a youthful country, and there are lots of studies have illustrated that the demographic dividend was a crucial factor in China’s super-rapid economic growth over the past few decades. However, as a result of strict family planning policies which lasted nearly half a century as well as a significant increase in average life expectancy, the population ageing problem is beginning to emerge in today’s China. Although policymakers have been aware of this trend, current domestic remedies are not sufficient to address potential risks effectively. The core viewpoint of this paper is that China is ought to put international measures on the agenda to prevent future demographic crises. In addition, based on China’s actual national conditions and the experience of the developed world in dealing with the ageing problem, this paper also makes some suggestions to support the improvement of China’s international immigration policies.

Labor mobility and semi-presidentialism

Political scientists frequently argue that presidential and parliamentary democracies produce different policy outcomes but fail to fully consider semi-presidential democracies. To demonstrate the importance of considering semi-presidentialism, I reanalyze an existing argument that presidential democracies have more labor mobility than parliamentary democracies because presidential democracies empower special interests who support immigration. I replicate previous analyses and find little evidence that the type of democracy affects labor mobility. Political scientists need to consider semi-presidentialism or risk erroneous inferences. Further, theories of institutions and immigration policy, and institutional theories more generally, should focus on more specific institutions rather than rely on the blunt distinctions between types of democracies.

Tough Positions, Trustful Voters? How Mainstream Party Position-Taking on Immigration Shapes Political Trust and its Impact on Far-Right Voting

Abstract Mainstream parties have taken increasingly restrictive immigration policy positions across Western Europe. Yet the political consequences of this behaviour for citizens' democratic norms and practices are still not well understood. This article focuses on public political trust. Bridging the literatures on immigration-related trust and spatial theory, the spotlight is put on the consequences of mainstream party position-taking on immigration for the interconnectedness of citizens' immigration policy preferences, political distrust and far-right voting. An analysis of data from the Chapel Hill Expert Survey and European Social Survey across 14 Western European democracies (2006–2018) suggests that tougher immigration positions of centre-right parties in government weaken the link between immigration scepticism and political distrust and, in turn, the relevance of political distrust as a precursor of far-right voting. This has important implications for our understanding of immigration politics and advances the existing literatures on party competition, political trust and far-right voting in several ways.

Shaping and Branding Migration Policy: A Retrospective Analysis of Portugal’s Contemporary Model

Migrant populations have been consistently more vulnerable than others, with their vulnerability being exacerbated in crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. In the meantime, in their effort to “flatten the curve,” governments have been adopting policies that have significantly impacted migration in various ways. The effect of these policies has found migrants suffering disproportionately from the social and economic consequences of the pandemic crisis. Mobility restrictions have stranded them in the host countries, often without decent housing conditions, exacerbating xenophobic and discriminatory treatment of migrants. The study focuses on the case of Portugal and, more specifically, aims to provide a contextual feature of historical discussions of migration in Portugal and explore the perceptions and branding of migration policies in a crisis environment during the Covid-19 pandemic through the framing lens. Using empirical evidence from a frame analysis of parliamentary debates, the article investigates how immigration policies are branded and framed within Portugal, while it also evaluates the role of branding in migration policy-making, particularly in crisis scenarios. Overall, the article underscores the importance of branding in shaping migration policies, emphasising its significance in policy making.

Social Mobility through Immigrant Resentment: Explaining Latinx Support for Restrictive Immigration Policies and Anti-immigrant Candidates

Abstract Various polls suggest that Donald Trump has enjoyed the support of a sizable minority of the Latinx electorate despite his racially offensive rhetoric and support for some of the most restrictive immigration policies in recent memory. Building on Social Identity Theory and Self-Categorization Theory, we contend that some Latinxs harbor negative stereotypes about immigrants, blame them for the status devaluation of the Latinx community, and cognitively distinguish themselves from Latinx immigrants. Rather than viewing anti-immigrant policies, rhetoric, and politicians as a direct status threat, those exhibiting this “Latinx Immigrant Resentment (LIR)” may regard them as a means to enhance the status and interests of “prototypical” Latinxs by signaling their distinction from “atypical” Latinxs. To evaluate this theory, we use the 2020 American National Election Study (ANES) and 2016 Collaborative MultiRacial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) as a proof-of-concept to first confirm that negative immigrant stereotypes and cognitive intragroup distinctions are associated with increased support for Donald Trump and restrictive immigration policies. We then introduce a more refined measure of LIR by fielding online surveys of US Latinxs administered through Lucid in 2020–2021 (N = 1,164) and 2021/22 (N = 1,017). We demonstrate the validity of this measure and its predictive power for attitudes toward Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and restrictive immigration policies after accounting for a range of rival explanations.

Reconceptualizing the Nation in Sanctuary Practices: Toward a Progressive, Relational National Politics?

Abstract This article explores sanctuary in Wales, focusing on the Welsh Government’s recent declaration to become a Nation of Sanctuary (NoS), and identifying how the national scale provides an alternative locus for progressive sanctuary measures. In revealing the nation’s emergence as another crucial site of sanctuary, the work reconceptualizes the nation’s place in sanctuary policies and practices in two ways: (i) it locates sanctuary through a national scale, thus moving beyond the city/state dichotomy that has dominated explanations of sanctuary, and (ii) it shows the importance of decoupling the nation-state compound while simultaneously integrating the nation(al) into discussions on sanctuary without being bound to the state or xenophobic populism. In showing how “nations against the state” can participate in sanctuary measures, we expand the current understanding of where sanctuary can be found, and capture the various forms of national belonging and identities that exist within plurinational states, including alternative, progressive forms of civic belonging. This is particularly significant in light of the tightening of state immigration policies, greater regulation of immigrant entry at state borders, and continuation of restrictive citizenship policies witnessed in recent years, which have ignited sanctuary measures aimed at creating safe spaces beyond the reach of state measures.

Health selection into migration from Poland to the Netherlands: a matched case–control analysis

ABSTRACT This study sheds light on health selection into migration from Poland to the Netherlands. Scholars have highlighted health as an important resource to overcome barriers to migration, and suggested that health selection into migration may particularly be expected under specific conditions, e.g. when geographical distances between origin and destination countries are large and when immigration policies in the destination country are restrictive. I assessed whether health selection into migration was also present in a within–European Union migration flow to which such conditions do not apply. I analyzed data from four surveys of Polish migrants in the Netherlands (n = 1,210) and European Social Survey data on Polish natives who stayed in Poland (n = 1,843). I performed conditional logistic regression analyses for matched case–control groups to model health selection into migration. Better health status was associated with a greater propensity to migrate from Poland to the Netherlands. Additional research is needed to determine whether the lower expected returns on migration for people in suboptimal health make them less inclined to migrate than their healthier counterparts, also in the absence of restrictive immigration policies and excessive geographical distances between origin and destination countries.

A Transnational Network Analysis of Refugees in Crisis

Over 3,000 articles from 2012–2022 in Spanish and English across the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras were manually coded to better understand how refugees in crisis were framed in both home and destination countries. This study uses a detailed frame analysis and a broad transnational network analysis to highlight each refugee attribute on the media agenda that then informs policy across nations. While there is wide variation in the immigration policies of the countries sampled, there was nearly uniform negative framing and clustering of identical negative attributes across all countries sampled. This negative transnational homogenization of news content problematises the idea of unique journalism norms and may have profound “real world” consequences that can further stigmatize refugees throughout the Americas. This research also found that the valence of content became more negative and emotive over time. This suggests that the debate around immigration will continue and even escalate as a battleground of politics and culture—and that refugees may be portrayed even more negatively across media in the future. Given this increasing negativity and emotionality in coverage, societies may see more nationalistic—and xenophobic—immigration policies throughout the Americas and a less empathetic focus on the human rights of refugees.

Latin American immigration and refugee policies: a critical literature review

Against the background of remarkable policy liberalization and the subsequent steep increase of forced displacement in Latin America, the literature on immigration and refugee policy in the region has gained momentum. Although largely overlooked, this literature has the potential to provide a corrective to political migration theory from the Global South. In this article we carry out a systematic, critical review of the regional literature along three thematic axes: legal analyses, normative and explanatory studies. Based on the review of 108 journal articles, we describe the characteristics, main contributions and research gaps of each thematic area. By analyzing legal norms and policy implementation gaps, existing studies on Latin America provide an understanding of migration policy over time and offer important empirical evidence for the advancement of political migration theory, challenging some of the main assumptions attributed to policies in the Global South. However, the lack of engagement with the broader literature and the absence of systematic analyses of its determinants and effects significantly limit the potential of this body of work. We close by making concrete suggestions of how future studies could fill existing gaps both in theoretical and empirical terms, and which methodological approach should be employed.

Migration and Integration Policies in Türkiye

Türkiye, a country with significant population movements, is already a critical hub for many migrant mobility. In this study, Türkiye's immigration policy and integration process, which has developed under the influence of global, political, economic, and social conditions, are discussed. The study focuses on Türkiye's historical migration trends and integration policies, drawing attention to the importance of migration in changing population size and characteristics. As a spatial movement, migration affects social, cultural, and economic aspects, reshaping both migrants and host societies. The history of migration in the Republic of Turkey includes various waves of migration from population exchanges to the recent Syria studies. In this process, Türkiye has the characteristics of being a receiving, sending and transit country in migration movements. In addition to socio-economic concerns, Türkiye has been managing the integration process of the refugee population from Syria since 2011. The determinants that accelerate the integration process, such as the age group of the migrant population, common cultural and linguistic characteristics, and access to the labor market, are planned to support the preservation of social balance. This study, which aims to evaluate Türkiye's responses to this population movement and the policies that shape refugee integration, also reveals the different impacts of various waves of migration to Türkiye on the country and social structure. In conclusion, it emphasizes the importance of migration policies for the regulation of migrant movements.

Pregnancy Care Utilization, Experiences, and Outcomes Among Undocumented Immigrants in the United States: A Scoping Review

BackgroundUndocumented immigrants face many barriers in accessing pregnancy care, including language differences, implicit and explicit bias, limited or no insurance coverage, and fear about accessing services. With the national spotlight on maternal health inequities, the current literature on undocumented immigrants during pregnancy requires synthesis. ObjectiveWe aimed to describe the literature on pregnancy care utilization, experiences, and outcomes of undocumented individuals in the United States. MethodsWe performed a scoping review of original research studies in the United States that described the undocumented population specifically and examined pregnancy care utilization, experiences, and outcomes. Studies underwent title, abstract, and full-text review by two investigators. Data were extracted and synthesized using descriptive statistics and content analysis. ResultsA total of 5,940 articles were retrieved and 3,949 remained after de-duplication. After two investigators screened and reviewed the articles, 29 studies met inclusion criteria. The definition of undocumented individuals varied widely across studies. Of the 29 articles, 24 showed that undocumented status and anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric are associated with lower care utilization and worse pregnancy outcomes, while inclusive health care and immigration policies are associated with higher levels of prenatal and postnatal care utilization as well as better pregnancy outcomes. ConclusionsThe small, heterogeneous literature on undocumented immigrants and pregnancy care is fraught with inconsistent definitions, precluding comparisons across studies. Despite areas in need of further research, the signal among published studies is that undocumented individuals experience variable access to pregnancy care, heightened fear and stress regarding their status during pregnancy, and worse outcomes compared with other groups, including documented immigrants.

Migrant caravans in the Northern Triangle of Central America during the Covid-19 pandemic: An overview of the causes, mechanisms and changes in U.S. immigration policy

The economic and social conditions that are the main drivers of human mobility have deteriorated due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When states closed their borders and limited travel to essential purposes only, human mobility disappeared almost completely. Before the pandemic, the last few decades had brought a growing number of so-called migrant caravans heading from Central America to the United States with the intention of entering illegally. Some projections assumed that restrictions implemented by US border immigration policy during the pandemic would stop illegal crossings, at least in the short term. It is this idea that forms the core discussion of this article. Starting by outlining the characteristics of the most well-known caravan that left Honduras in 2018, and explaining the mechanisms that managed this phenomenon, the article seeks to analyse migration during the pandemic. Through investigation of the root causes of migration, operational aspects of forming caravans and changes in immigration policy, it achieves its main goal of finding an answer to the question of whether the pandemic affected migration and, if so, what has changed.

The constitutional essentials of immigration and justice-based evaluations.

The aim of this paper is to offer a broad characterization of the kind of account that I believe cannot plausibly face conclusively the problem of the ethics of immigration restrictions in a non-ideal world at the level of the constitutional essentials. I argue that justice-based accounts of immigration controls fail to normatively evaluate what immigration controls do to outsiders subjected to them in non-ideal conditions, so judgments of justice by themselves tend to be overall bad for the interest of immigrants. I explain this by insisting that a prior question about the legitimacy of immigration controls have been overlooked by familiar accounts. A full account of the ethics of immigration suitable for guiding constitutional essentials should be able to connect distinct kinds of justice-based evaluations in order to ask both, what legitimacy requires from territorial institutional control as well as what justice requires from immigration policy.

The Painful and Chilling Effects of Legal Violence: Immigration Enforcement and Racialized Legal Status Inequities in Worker Well-Being

A wave of restrictive immigration policies implemented over the past several decades dramatically increased immigrant detentions and deportations in the United States (U.S.), with important consequences for a host of immigrant outcomes. Still, questions remain as to how temporal and geographic variation in immigration enforcement within and across the U.S. shaped racialized legal status inequities in health and well-being, particularly among those employed in precarious occupations. To fill this gap, we interrogated the links between changes in county-level immigration enforcement and racialized legal status inequalities in musculoskeletal pain and social welfare benefits utilization among U.S. agricultural workers over nearly two decades (2002–2018). We merged data from three sources [(1) restricted-access, geocoded data from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) (n = 37,619); (2) county-level immigration enforcement data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC); and (3) population data from the Census and American Community Survey (ACS)] and estimated linear probability models with year, month, and state fixed effects. We show that, in counties with high enforcement rates, workers—especially undocumented workers—were at increased risk of musculoskeletal pain, including pain that was severe. Heightened enforcement was also associated with declines in needs-based benefits utilization, especially among documented and U.S.-citizen non-White workers and undocumented White and non-White workers. Together, these findings highlight how changes in sociopolitical and legal contexts can shift and maintain racialized legal status hierarchies, with especially important consequences for the well-being of vulnerable workers.

Are High-Immigrant Neighborhoods Disadvantaged in Seeking Local Government Services? Evidence from Baltimore City, Maryland

Abstract To modernize public service delivery, U.S. communities increasingly rely on 311 systems for residents to request government services. Research on 311 systems is relatively new, and there is mixed evidence on whether 311 can help bridge the gap between disadvantaged communities and governments. This study draws from research on immigration, race/ethnicity, and differential engagement to explore the link between immigrant concentration and 311 usage. We use longitudinal data on 311 requests in Baltimore City, Maryland (2014–2019) and spatial panel regression analysis to show that neighborhood racial/ethnic structure and the national policy environment can significantly influence whether immigrant concentration is a barrier for 311 service-seeking. Specifically, we find that immigrant concentration reduces 311 requests in high-immigrant neighborhoods with Latino or Black concentration, but not in high-immigrant neighborhoods with White/Asian concentration. We also find that in Latino high-immigrant neighborhoods, the relationship between immigrant concentration and 311 requests appears mainly after 2017, when the federal government adopted hostile immigration policies. By establishing and contextualizing the relationship between immigrant concentration and 311 usage, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of civic participation and the connection between immigrant communities and government.

‘They see us as an easy target’: discrimination and hate crime against Eastern European women living in the UK

Anti-immigration sentiment, discrimination and hate crime, against Eastern Europeans in the UK, has increased in recent years. Prior to Brexit, European Union (EU) citizens were afforded free movement, including rights to live and work in the UK, but in 2020, those without residency status, were subject to strict immigration laws and restrictions on living and working in the UK. Research shows that punitive immigration policies have a disproportionate impact on migrant women, increasing their risk of discrimination, exploitation, and gender-based violence. However, while in 2022 the UK government ratified the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, a treaty otherwise known as the ‘Istanbul Convention’, they opted out of Article 59, which specifically protects migrant women. Existing research into discrimination, exploitation, and gender-based violence against migrant women, in the UK, largely focuses on Black and minority ethnic (BME) women. This article reports on findings from a mixed-methods, descriptive study, on the specific experiences of Eastern European women, living in the UK. Findings explore the intersecting gendered and racial discrimination against Eastern European women, in the UK, providing a descriptive account of the distinct forms of gender-based discrimination and violence which they face.

There and Back Again: Navigating Immigration Institutions as an Insider Researcher

ABSTRACT The study of immigration institutions has mainly focused on the effects these entities have on migrants and refugees’ lives. Much less research has been produced from the unique perspective of the people who comprise these institutions. Drawing from work experiences and ethnographic research on the operation of detention centers for migrant and refugee children in southern Mexico, this article reflects on the daily work in these centers and on the personnel who reproduce the government and execute immigration policy. The article builds on feminist postcolonial perspective by focusing on the uniqueness of the bureaucrat-ethnographer viewpoint. Keypoints of this article are how axes of race, gender, and nationality hinder and/or favor access to these institutions either for work or study, and how this contributes to global inequalities in knowledge production.

An examination of child welfare agency models that serve immigrant children and families

ABSTRACT Child welfare agencies often experience challenges in meeting the unique needs of immigrant families. In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with child welfare agency representatives to examine models used to effectively serve this population. Findings show that child welfare agencies utilize: 1) specialization of immigrant-related knowledge and skill sets; 2) formal and informal relationships with consulates and external stakeholders; and 3) innovative approaches to engage immigrant families. Implications highlight the importance of child welfare staff developing expertise on immigration policy, navigating international borders and systems, and training caseworkers in implementing culturally and linguistically sensitive transnational engagement strategies.

MIGRATION TRENDS AND POLICIES: A REVIEW OF AFRICAN AND USA PERSPECTIVES

Migration is a global phenomenon that significantly shapes the demographic, economic, and social landscapes of nations. This Review provides a concise overview of the migration trends and policies in Africa and the United States, exploring commonalities, differences, and the implications for both regions. In the African context, migration is a multifaceted process influenced by economic, political, and environmental factors. The continent experiences both voluntary economic migration and forced displacement due to conflicts and environmental challenges. This review delves into the diversity of migration policies across African nations, highlighting the tension between regional integration and the need for border controls. The African Union's role in shaping continental migration policies is examined, emphasizing the importance of balancing economic interests with humanitarian considerations. The United States, historically a destination for immigrants, has a complex immigration system shaped by changing societal needs and political landscapes. This Review outlines the various forms of migration to the U.S., including family reunification, employment-based immigration, and asylum-seeking. The dynamic interplay between federal regulations and state-level initiatives contributes to a nuanced policy framework. This review explores the historical evolution of U.S. immigration policies, from periods of openness to more restrictive measures based on economic conditions and security concerns. Comparatively analyzing migration trends and policies in Africa and the USA reveals common themes such as economic aspirations, geopolitical influences on forced migration, and the importance of comprehensive policy frameworks. Recognizing migration as a shared global challenge underscores the need for collaborative approaches. This Review emphasizes the significance of international cooperation to address the root causes of migration, promote economic development, and safeguard the rights of migrants. In conclusion, this Review encapsulates the intricate dynamics of migration in Africa and the USA. By understanding the shared challenges and embracing collaborative solutions, nations can work towards creating more inclusive, humane, and sustainable migration policies that benefit individuals and societies on a global scale.
 Keywords: Perspectives, Policies, USA, Africa, Migration, Review.