Integration Policies and Public Perceptions of Immigrants in Europe

National mechanisms of migrant integration into the host society and the wider social context in which migration occurs may affect the construction of public attitudes towards migrants regardless of their origin or status. By combining the data of two international studies: the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) and the European Social Survey (ESS), this paper examines national policies regarding migrant integration and the public perception of migrants in the host society in selected European countries. This analysis highlights especially the shifts in public attitudes as possible consequences of the 2015/2016 European “migration crisis”. The data from 27 European countries that participated in the last waves of both MIPEX2020 and ESS2018 were analysed according to the four-dimensional MIPEX categorisation: 1) Comprehensive integration, 2) Equality on paper, 3) Temporary integration, and 4) Immigration without integration (Integration denied). These categories of states’ migration policies were then combined with the public perceptions of immigrants examined by the ESS. Multilevel regression models demonstrated that the respondents from countries with well-developed integration policies express a more positive attitude towards immigrants and acknowledge their contribution to all areas of the host society. A higher proportion of non-EU-27 immigrants in the country correlates with a more negative perception of immigrants’ impact on the host country. Even though the MIPEX score does not reflect clearly the shift in migration policies affected by the European “migration crisis”, it could be considered a stable, though relatively weak predictor of anti-immigrant prejudice. In conclusion, this study's findings suggest that better-developed policies of political participation and immigrant inclusion foster more positive attitudes towards immigrants.

Impact of South African migration policies on the migrants’ quality of life and the role of social work

This paper discusses the impact of South African migration policies on the migrants’ quality of life. It does that with a particular focus on the Bill of Rights as contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. This is followed by a discussion on the role of social work in addressing any shortcomings that arise as a result of the implementation of the migration policies. This paper is primarily a desk study involving rigorous literature review on migration and relevant South African policies and international instruments. Theoretically, the ecosystems perspective is adopted to support and guide discussions in this paper. The discussions in this paper reveal that the South African migration policies do contribute towards the quality of life of the migrants, however, the challenges emanate from the implementation stage. It is from this understanding that various social work roles are discussed in order to help address the identified challenges.

Европейское гражданство, итальянская национальность и официальный миф «возвращения»: аргентинцы и чилийцы – потомки итальянских эмигрантов

На основе этнографического исследования в итальянской провинции Трентино автор анализиру-ет, что означает европейское гражданство для аргентинцев и чилийцев итальянского происхож-дения, эмигрирующих в Италию – то есть в Европу – благодаря наличию у них итальянского гражданства, унаследованного от предков. Рассматриваются практики и представления, связан-ные с двойной национальной принадлежностью, а также различные уровни коллективного член-ства, возникающие в эмиграции. Автор демонстрирует, каким образом обладание европейским гражданством способствует возобновлению эмиграции из Италии, в которую оказываются вовле-чены и потомки итальянцев из Латинской Америки. Эта мобильность ведет к пересмотру евро-пейской миграционной политики, смещая ее фокус с закрытия границ на “избирательную имми-грацию”. Таким образом, в статье поднимается вопрос о постоянном переопределении границ между “своими” и “чужими” в Европе. Building on ethnographic research undertaken in the Trentino region, this article analyses what being a Eu-ropean citizen means for Argentineans and Chileans of Italian descent who emigrate to Italy, and thus to Europe, thanks to the Italian nationality they have inherited from their ancestors. It analyses the different uses and representations associated with dual nationality as well as the scales of belonging that accompany this mobility, showing that the possession of European citizenship is fostering the current resurgence of Ital-ian emigration, including from Latin America. The article also argues that this mobility has brought into question European migration policies, shifting the focus from the rhetoric of border closures to practices of selective immigration. It thus questions the constant redefining of boundaries in Europe between “us” and “them”.

Exhibiting Refugee Routes: Contemporary Collecting as Memory Politics

In recent years, numerous European museums have collected objects related to refugees. This article examines the Flight for Life (På Flugt) exhibition (2017), which the National Museum of Denmark organized based on a contemporary collecting project that took place in Greece and Denmark in 2016. Alison Landsberg’s concept of prosthetic memory is made use of here to examine how the exhibition invited visitors to identify with refugees. This empathetic approach had political potential by promoting solidarity with refugees. However, it did not open up a broader contextualization of the collected objects in terms of the migration policies of Denmark and the European Union. This article argues that museums, through contemporary collecting projects of the refugee reception crisis, engage in memory politics by framing how Europe will be able to make sense of the refugee reception crisis of the early twenty-first century.

Trans-Saharan Migration Through and From the Sahel

This chapter describes the dynamics of trans-Saharan migration in relation to the migratory policies implemented in the Sahel in the second decade of the twenty-first century. It argues that the circulation of migrants between the Sahara’s northern and southern edges is not a new phenomenon even though it has intensified and diversified in recent decades. It pays particular attention to the migration policies implemented in Sahelian countries under pressure from the European Union and other partners, with the goal of containing the migration of nationals as well as persons from other countries who are passing through the Sahel. The chapter discusses how the focus on securitization of borders is leading to the criminalization of migration in transit countries. It then analyzes the repercussions of these policies on the conditions for migration, the longstanding migratory patterns in this zone, and the region’s unsteady socioeconomic equilibrium.

Social work with refugees: Examining social workers’ role and practice in times of crisis in Greece

Since the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ in 2015–2016, the hostile EU migration policies, the restricted access of refugees to welfare and neoliberalism have put social work in a rather difficult position. This self-funded quantitative research was carried out from June to August 2018 in Greece, addressing social workers working with refugees in various organizations, such as NGOs, public institutions and EU-funded projects. This article will present and discuss social work’s day-to-day practice with refugees and the social workers’ role as human rights defenders and claimants of social justice in the context of systematic violation of the human rights of refugees.