How Migration Policy Shapes the Subjective Well-Being of the Non-immigrant Population in European Countries

Existing studies show that there is a positive association between pro-migrant integration policies and the subjective well-being of immigrants. However, there is a lack of research elucidating the relations between migrant integration policies and the subjective well-being of the host (i.e., non-migrant) population. This study is based on European data and uses multilevel analysis to clarify the relations between migrant integration policy (both as a whole and its eight separate components such as: Labor market mobility and Family reunion) and the subjective well-being of the non-immigrant population in European countries. We examined relations between the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) for 22 countries in Europe and subjective well-being, as assessed by the European Social Survey (ESS) data. The results demonstrated that there is a positive relation between the MIPEX and subjective well-being for non-immigrants. Considering different components of the MIPEX separately, we found most of them being positively related to the subjective well-being of non-immigrants. As no negative relationship was identified between any of the eight MIPEX components and subjective well-being, policies in favor of immigrant integration also seem to benefit the non-immigrant population.

Migrant Integration and the Role of the EU

This chapter first takes a look at the drivers that led to an EU framework for the integration of legally residing TCNs. It then traces the development of the most important instruments from the Treaty of Amsterdam to the Juncker Commission (2014–2019), which declared migration management and the need for effective migrant integration policies as being among the top political priorities for the EU (Juncker 2014; COM(2015) 240). It examines the Union’s legislative framework in the field of migration, as well as its wider toolbox elaborated to contribute to immigrant integration. The chapter concludes with a discussion of some of the most important challenges that hinder fair and effective integration in the EU.

Permits, Points, and Permanent Household Registration: Recalibrating Hukou Policy under “Top-Level Design”

China’s New-type Urbanisation Plan heralded a new phase of reform of the household registration ( hukou) system and initiated a nation-wide reconfiguration of hukou policy in Chinese cities. This study reveals that the former localisation of hukou policymaking has been brought to greater uniformity under the current central guidelines. The liberalisation of hukou conversion has been expanded to many large cities that previously employed selective migrant integration policies. Mega-cities have recalibrated the selection criteria for new citizens, elevating the importance of settlement duration and moderating the importance of educational and professional qualifications. Case studies in Guangdong further reveal the dynamic interactions among different levels of government in the course of reform. Local policy experimentations set important precedents for central policymaking, and the central guidelines are enforcing new adjustments in local implementation. The provincial government plays a prominent role in coordinating top-down directives and local conditions.

Regulations for Returning Labour Migrants to Ukraine: International Background and National Limitations

The current situation on the Ukrainian labour market is not only characterised by a high rate of unemployment, but also by low‑wage jobs with relatively severe requirements from potential employers. The intensive labour migration from Ukraine is forced by factors such as lower standards of living when compared to the standards in neighbouring countries, the flexibility of changing the place of living and working, and the military crisis in the eastern parts of Ukraine, among others. The article is devoted to the policy on the return of labour migrants to Ukraine. The issues of the increasing number of asylum seekers arriving from Ukraine to other European countries from 2008 to 2017, and the analysis of the main migration trends and legal norms relevant to the migration issues have revealed the mismatch in directions of labour migration flows from Ukraine and boundary crossings by other migrants. By means of analysing the interaction between the rate of human development and the efficiency of migrant integration policies, the authors have proposed several strategic tools to ease the return of the labour force to Ukraine, including the cessation of military actions, raising the level of economic progress, fighting corruption, expanding opportunities for small and medium‑sized businesses, and solving environmental problems.

Migration and Integration: Austrian and California Experiences with Low-Skilled Migrants

This paper examines migrant-integration policies and outcomes in Austria and California, with a special focus on recently arrived low-skilled migrants. Unlike native-born workers, who form a broad diamond shape when arrayed by their level of education to reflect the large share who have completed secondary school but did not earn university degrees, foreign-born workers have more of an hourglass or barbell shape, including some who have more than a first university degree and many who have not completed secondary school. Austria promotes a stepwise approach to the labor market integration of recently arrived refugees, viz, language and skills training before employment, under the theory that investing in people first will raise their long-run earnings. California expects newly arrived migrants to use family and social networks to find jobs and housing to support themselves without government assistance.