These lecture notes on Migration and Integration provide an overview of migration policy, theoretical explanations of migration flows, and the dynamics of socio-economic and cultural integration as they are explained within the lectures.All lecture material is covered and include key theories like ...
‘Do migrant policies matter?’ - Two sides of the argument
Mixed views;
No, because;
Structural forces matter more
Self-sustaining after reaching critical level → at some point there are social
network between countries which make migration flows self-sustaining, regardless
of policies
Human rights constrain policy options
Yes, because;
Visa requirements and border controls can effectively restrict migration (so it is
suggested that policy has some effect)
Lectures 1
, Historical examples
Detection and control of irregular migration
Patterns in migration
There are more restrictive migration policies since the 1960s
But there is also more migration since the 1960s
Migration policies thus do not seem to matter
Reasons as to why migration flows change:
1. The abolishment renunciation
requirement
2. Or the (re)introduction thereof
Renunciation requirement → legal
process or obligation for an
individual to formally give up or
renounce their current citizenship in
order to obtain citizenship in another
country.
3. Integration tests (language and civic)
4. (pending) restriction language
requirement
Thus migrantion policies do have an
effect and thus do matter
Conceptual and empirical challenges when studying migration policy
‘What is migration policy?’
Different kinds of migration policy;
Lectures 2
, Immigration policy → laws governing the admission, removal and status of non-citizens
Immigrant policy → Laws that regulate the political, economic and social rights of non-
citizens
Categorical policy → laws about access to privileges based on legal status (e.g. rights
attached to citizenship)
Multicultural policy → laws about access to privileges based on group characteristics
(e.g. multilangual education)
External migration policy → laws relevant before first entry in the host country (either
before migration or before reaching the host country territory)
Internal migration policy → laws relevant after first entry in the host country
Note: these are not mutually exclusive
Migration policy characteristics
Migration policies may be…
National, bilateral or made by larger entities (i.e. the EU)
focus on different types of migrants
i.e. labor migrants, family-related migrants, asylum seekers, return migrants
Or types within types (e.g. low-/high skilled labor migrants)
Migration policy from a societal perspective
3 types of gaps:
Discursive gaps → difference between how policy makers talk about what they plan to be versus
what they actually put in their proposals
Lectures 3
, Competing interests means policy-makers compromise; For instance regarding immigration
policies:
business lobbies → more liberal (because workers can be more easily be brought from
abroad)
worker unions → more restrictive (so that domestic workers dont have to compete with
workers from abroad).
Policies are the product of discursive coalitions
Implementation gaps → the differnce between the introduced legislation and the extent to which
it is implemented
It depends for instance on:
Power and autonomy of state bureaucracy (not enough power to implement)
Constitutional protections (’local’ laws might go against international laws, human right
laws, etc.)
Relative independence of the judiciary
Depends also on the legal system in place; is the judiciary more
independent/dependent?
Number of immigrants
Might explain suprising patterns
Efficacy gap; side effects → policies can have unforseen or unintented side effects
For instance, in the context of immigration policies:
Spatial substitution → diversion of migration to other countries
This doesnt change the size of the migration flow, but rather the locations to which
this flow leads
Categorical substitution → reorientation towards other channels of migration /
decomposition (→ what kinds of migrants are coming; laws for/against one group can
have effects on other groups of migrants)
Lectures 4
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