A think-tank report examined how cities in Europe attempted to improve integration and inclusion of immigrants and people from minority-ethnic groups, and how such localized policies related to national policy. The report looked at three areas in particular: the integration of new migrants; the adaptation of institutions and services to diversity; and how local efforts sought to overcome the negative effects of segregation. The report called for the improvement of formal and informal co-ordination on policy, for a 'stronger culture' of evaluation, and for better use of European Union frameworks and funding.
Source: Dirk Gebhardt, Building Inclusive Cities: Challenges in the multilevel governance of immigrant integration in Europe, Migration Policy Institute
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Sep
A new book examined the role that international migration had played in Europe and in selected other OECD countries over the preceding decade in terms of labour force, educational attainment, and occupational changes.
Source: OECD/European Union, Matching Economic Migration with Labour Market Needs, OECD Publishing
Links: Summary | EC press release
Date: 2014-Sep
A report provided findings from a research project that had examined the legal assistance systems in place for unaccompanied children in various migration and asylum procedures in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The research had looked at issues related to accessing legal assistance (such as rights to free legal assistance, information provided to unaccompanied children, referral systems, and procedural and practical obstacles in accessing available assistance), and the quality assurance of the assistance provided.
Source: Helene Soupios-David, with Elona Bokshi, Maria Hennessy, and Silvia Cravesana, Right to Justice: Quality legal assistance for unaccompanied children, European Council on Refugees and Exiles
Links: Report | Summary | Annexe 1 | Annexe 2 | Refugee Council press release
Date: 2014-Aug
The government began consultation on the United Kingdom government's implementation of the revised European Union Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications directive, which aimed to facilitate further the free movement of professionals through a more efficient and transparent recognition of professional qualifications. The consultation would close on 6 November 2014.
Source: Transposition of the Revised Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2014-Aug
A report examined the provision of legal advice to people seeking international protection in three European Union member states: Estonia; the Republic of Ireland; and the United Kingdom. It said that access to early legal advice for asylum-seekers (prior to receiving a first instance decision on their applications) had wide-ranging benefits for all stakeholders in the asylum process, including increased confidence on all sides and higher quality decision-making, but provision could be undermined by the process itself (such as when applicants were moved between locations), and by difficulties with obtaining evidence. It recommended the provision of funding, quality controls, and for the asylum procedure to be streamlined.
Source: Bridget Anderson and Sue Conlan, Providing Protection: Access to early legal advice for asylum seekers, Asylum Aid/Centre on Migration, Policy and Society/Estonian Human Rights Centre/Irish Refugee Council
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Aug
A report examined the prevalence of occupational regulation across the European Union and the economic costs and benefits of occupational regulation in the United Kingdom labour market, with a focus on professions that were regulated through certification, accreditation, or licensing and covered by the European Union's Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive.
Source: Maria Koumenta, Amy Humphris, Morris Kleiner, and Mario Pagliero, Occupational Regulation in the EU and UK: Prevalence and labour market impacts, Queen Mary University of London
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Aug
A new book examined whether the Common European Asylum System complied with the rights of the child.
Source: Ciara Smyth, European Asylum Law and the Rights of the Child, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jul
A new book examined immigration in multilevel states, considering the themes of governance and political parties. It examined how, and by whom, immigration policy was decided and implemented at different territorial levels across six European countries, including the United Kingdom.
Source: Eve Hepburn and Ricard Zapata-Barrero, The Politics of Immigration in Multi-Level States: Governance and political parties, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined the policies and administrative practices that shaped third-country nationals' access to social security, including healthcare, in European Union member states. It said there was substantial variation in practice, with complex rules and practices that shaped migrants' access to services, and that take-up of eligibility was sometimes affected by the availability of translation, interpretation, and advice services, while eligibility in many states negatively influenced migrants' legal status when seeking permissions such as permit renewals or long-term residency.
Source: Migrant Access to Social Security and Healthcare: Policies and practice, European Commission
Date: 2014-Jul
A new book examined the treatment of children's rights in European asylum law and policy and, in particular, whether the Common European Asylum System complied with the rights of the child.
Source: Ciara Smyth, European Asylum Law and the Rights of the Child, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
A new book examined asylum policy in the European Union and the effect of recent attempts at harmonization on the identification and protection of refugees. It questioned whether law and policy was upholding the right to asylum as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, considered the extent of state obligations and the motivations of European legislators and legislation, and made recommendations for change to protect refugees.
Source: Helen O'Nions, Asylum – A Right Denied: A critical analysis of European asylum policy, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
A paper examined European Union immigration and asylum policy, the reasons behind the slow pace of policy development, and why policy development would be more difficult in the future.
Source: Elizabeth Collett, Future EU Policy Development on Immigration and Asylum: Understanding the challenge, Migration Policy Institute
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Jun
A paper examined innovative and transferable good practice examples of migrant integration practices that had been undertaken by civil society and local institutions across European member states. It said that the majority of widely publicized examples were networks of cities and urban centres, and found that key issues included: governance and funding structures; the clear understanding of needs of migrants and wider society; information sharing; and the impact of the economic downturn on integration outcomes. It concluded that civil society, with its inherent flexibility, was well placed to play a pivotal role in integration, particularly as diversity increased within the European Union.
Source: Rachel Humphris, Practising Integration in the EU: Mapping initiatives and innovations by local institutions and civil society, Institute for Research into Superdiversity (University of Birmingham)
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Jun
An article examined supranational institutions and 'communitarization', and their impact on the development of asylum policy in the European Union.
Source: Ariadna Ripoll Servent and Florian Trauner, 'Do supranational EU institutions make a difference? EU asylum law before and after "communitarization"', Journal of European Public Policy, Volume 21 Issue 8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jun
A paper examined the relationship between migration motivations and intended durations of stay and subsequent early integration among recent east-west European migrants from Poland to London, Germany, the Netherlands, and Dublin. The paper concluded that the results demonstrated a need to understand the diversity of migrant types and trajectories, in order to explain migrant outcomes in different contexts.
Source: Renee Luthra, Lucinda Platt, and Justyna Salamonska, Migrant Diversity, Migration Motivations and Early Integration: The case of Poles in Germany, the Netherlands, London and Dublin, Institute for Social & Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Apr
A think-tank report examined the arguments regarding free movement within the European Union. It said that the removal of such rights would be a retrograde step, but argued for modest reforms to address a range of factors of perceived public or political concern.
Source: Alex Glennie and Jenny Pennington, Europe, Free Movement and the UK: Charting a new course, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs said that despite earlier recommendations, data of people entering and leaving the United Kingdom was not collected, and the stated goal of full exit checks by 2015 was unrealistic. The committee raised concerns that the government's decision not to commission estimates on the number of Romanians and Bulgarians entering the UK had increased anti-immigrant prejudice. The report highlighted a range of other concerns, including: the lack of evidence regarding alleged 'benefits tourism'; the supply of workers for some sectors; contractual arrangements for work on the Migration Refusal Pool; border controls and alternative routes to citizenship; the detention of vulnerable people and children; the length of time taken to assess new asylum applications; and the lack of progress in clearing backlogs from the Border Agency.
Source: The Work of the Immigration Directorates (April-September 2013), Fifteenth Report (Session 2013–14), HC 820, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Mar
A paper examined the use by European Union member states of sanctions for irregular (non-legal) migration, and the risk to those deemed to help migrants. The paper proposed changes to policies against the smuggling of human beings, to take better regard of fundamental rights.
Source: Criminalisation of Migrants in an Irregular Situation and of Persons Engaging with Them, European Agency for Fundamental Rights
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined the impact of private, quasi-market versus public educational systems on European youngsters' attitudes towards immigrants. Quasi-market systems were observed to lead to less support for immigrants' rights, largely due to the higher concentration of immigrant children in low socio-economic status schools in such systems.
Source: Mark Elchardus, Eva Franck, Saskia De Groof, and Dimokritos Kavadias, 'The acceptance of the multicultural society among young people: a comparative analysis of the effect of market-driven versus publicly regulated educational systems', European Sociological Review, Volume 29 Number 4
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined human smuggling and trafficking across Europe. It said that people were trafficked from across the world, often through the primary transit routes that were used for trade. It said that the barriers to entry in Europe had led to the creation of a variety of 'facilitators', both those who were organized and willing participants, and others who unwittingly aided the process. It said there was a problem of corruption among officials. The report called upon policy makers to address the demand for migrants through education, prevention, prosecution, and improvements in labour laws, and for countries to harmonize their efforts.
Source: Louise Shelley, Human Smuggling and Trafficking into Europe: A comparative perspective, Migration Policy Institute
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the determinants of anti-immigration attitudes in Europe, focusing on the impact of regional characteristics. Regions with a higher percentage of immigrants born outside the European Union, and a higher unemployment rate among the immigrant population, showed a higher probability of natives expressing negative attitudes to immigration. Regions with a higher unemployment rate among natives, however, showed less pronounced anti-immigrant attitudes.
Source: Yvonni Markaki and Simonetta Longhi, 'What determines attitudes to immigration in European countries? An analysis at the regional level', Migration Studies, Migration Studies, Volume 1 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
See also: Yvonni Markaki and Simonetta Longhi, What Determines Attitudes to Immigration in European Countries? An analysis at the regional level, Discussion Paper 33/12, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (University College London)
Date: 2014-Feb
