Migration Policy Group' s Newsletter – September 2013
New Publication
Access to Citizenship and its Impact on Immigrant Integration: European Summary and Standards
Issued on 30/08/2013
This report presents short summaries of main results of the 'Access to Citizenship and its Impact on Immigrant Integration' (ACIT) project based on the citizenship indicators on citizenship laws, their implementation, and their impact on acquisition rates and integration policies in all 27 EU Member States and accession candidate and EEA countries (Croatia, Iceland, FYROM Macedonia, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey); as well as an EU module with policy standards and recommendations.
European Anti-discrimination Law Review Issue 16
Issue on 19/08/2013
This issue of the Law Review provides an overview of the latest developments in European anti-discrimination law and policy, reflecting as far as possible the state of affairs as of 15 January 2013. It includes an article that analyses the potential use of public procurement to enhance and promote equal treatment, diversity and accessibility, on the basis of EU public procurement law and national good practices; and another one which looks at the impact of the Charter of Fundamental Rights on non-discrimination law, particularly on the interpretation and application of the EU anti-discrimination Directives by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Country reports on measures to combat discrimination 2012
Issued on 09/09/2013
These reports were drafted for the European Network of Legal Experts in the non-discrimination field (on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, age, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation), established and managed by the Migration Policy Group and Human European Consultancy. The reports provide an overview of the state of transposition and implementation of the EU anti-discrimination Directives in each country up to 1 January 2013. There is one report for each of the 28 EU Member States, the candidate countries and the EEA countries. They were produced as part of a study into measures to combat discrimination in the EU Member States, funded by the European Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity – PROGRESS (2007-2013).
Comparing and Measuring Integration
Issued on 28/08/2013
This short paper first proposes how a definition of integration can be developed by a variety of actors, in such a way that it reflects these actors’ mandate and mission. It then argues that all integration may be local but that not all policies are local. Finally it gives an example how integration policies can be compared and measured using the Migrant Integration Policy Index. The paper was written for an international conference organised by the Ministry of Integration of Baden-Württemberg, organised in the framework of the 60th anniversary of Baden-Württemberg.
MPG Work in Use
Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration uses Immigrant Citizens Survey for its policy brief on political participation ahead of the September elections
22/08/2013
The Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR), a prominent German think-tank, uses the Immigrant Citizens Survey for its policy brief on political participation ahead of the September elections. This analysis found that well-integrated immigrants in particular would exercise their right to vote; in many cases, interest in voting also goes hand-in-hand with the desire to become a citizen. Immigrants themselves see a need for change in parliamentary representation: a majority of third country nationals thinks that the German Bundestag should have more Members of Parliament (MPs) with a migration background.
MIPEX makes the rounds at this week’s Tenth Annual IMISCOE Conference
30/08/2013
Professor Timothy Hatton from the Australian National University used the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) as a reference on family reunification policies for his keynote speech at the Tenth Annual IMISCOE Conference organised this week in Malmö. Researchers working on migrant integration also referred to MIPEX within the workshop focusing on the monitoring and evaluation of integration policies. The IMISCOE research network unites over 200 researchers from, at present, 29 institutes specializing in studies of international migration, integration and social cohesion in Europe. What began in 2004 as a network of Excellence sponsored by the sixth framework Program of the European commission became, as of April 2009, an independent self-funding project open to qualifies researchers and research institutes worldwide.
MPG Work in Context
French government pushes for easier access to naturalisation process
29/08/2013
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls continues to work on his promise to return naturalisation to its traditional place as a means for integration into the French Republic. The Minister’s second set of guidelines try to undo the damage done in the last years of the previous government, which decentralised the procedure and instructed prefects to restrict their practice. The new guidelines address several points raised by MPG and its French MIPEX partner, France Terre d’Asile, working together to identify the legal and administrative obstacles to naturalisation and propose solutions for France – see their reaction to new guidelines here. A EU-funded handbook has been designed specifically for French policymakers and practitioners, both in French and English. A targeted MIPEX report, funded by the French Embassy in the US, detailed the recent changes in French naturalisation policies, their impacts on naturalisation and integration, and the project’s recommendations for reforming French immigration policy.
UK: Ethnic minority voters could hold key to 2015 general election result
12/08/2013
A radical demographic shift means that Britain’s ethnic minority vote may determine the outcome of the 2015 election, according to research. The Guardian newspaper reports that a study by the cross-party group Operation Black Vote (OBV) found the number of seats where black and Asian voters could decide the outcome had rocketed by 70% compared with the 2010 election. The study suggests that in 168 marginal seats, the ethnic minority vote is bigger than the majority of the sitting MP. Experts say the trend will continue and may change the dynamics of British politics. MPG’s toolkit on Becoming a Party of choice includes a benchmarking tool to help parties opening to diversity and equality, from voters and candidates to staff and suppliers. It includes examples of strategies and schemes that can be used by political parties to reach out to voters with an migrant background.
Cecilia Malmström on access to nationality for immigrants
09/08/2013
EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström stepped into the Italy’s ongoing debate on naturalisation and ius soli reform in support of the country’s integration minister, Cécile Kyenge. Malmström welcomed broader dialogue since access to nationality contributes to immigrant integration, but refrained from taking a position since national citizenship is not an EU competence under the Treaties. For more, read the publications from ‘Access to Citizenship and its Impact on Immigrant Integration’, a recent EIF-funded research with the EUDO-Citizenship consortium run out of the European University Institute. A Handbook on the research results for Italy is available for policy-makers and practitioners in English and in Italian. Learn more about immigrants’ experiences and problems with naturalisation in Italy by reading the Immigrant Citizens Survey, another MPG collaborative project.
News
MPG gets generous grant from Atlantic Philanthropies
21/08/2013
MPG is proud to announce that it has been awarded a generous grant from long-standing sponsor Atlantic Philanthropies. The grant covers all our strands of work: migration, anti-discrimination and integration. The Atlantic Philanthropies (AP) is an international foundation dedicated to making lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. In keeping with the Giving While Living philosophy of their Founding Chairman, Chuck Feeney, Atlantic is spending all of their remaining assets and will close their doors by 2020. Read more about how MPG is supported here.
Upcoming Event
SIRIUS Stakeholder meeting: Discussion of recent EC study by SIRIUS partner on Newly Arrived Migrant Children
Brussels – 13/09/13
MPG will lead the discussion on the Newly Arrived Migrant Children study (NAMS), which will be presented by some of its authors to European stakeholders dealing with the topic of migrant education. The meeting will include stakeholders of the SIRIUS network. SIRIUS is an ambitious network that effectively wishes to transform the policy implementation on migration and education through the EU. The essential mission of the SIRIUS policy network is to promote and enhance the knowledge transfer among stakeholders in order to improve the education of children and youngsters from migrant background.
New Staff
Meet Zvezda Vankova
01/09/2013
Zvezda is our new Policy Analyst. As a researcher and program coordinator at the Open Society Institute Sofia and as an independent expert in the past 8 years, Zvezda has been an active participant in the development of immigration, asylum and integration policy of Bulgaria. Zvezda has contributed to the drafting of key documents such as the National Strategy for Migration, Asylum and Integration and other legislative and policy instruments in the field of regular and irregular migration. Zvezda has developed and delivered training courses on integration policies to hundreds of local authority staff and civil society representatives. In 2012, she founded the association Multi Kulti Collective supporting the integration of foreigners in the Bulgarian society. Click here to learn more about MPG staff.