Migrant Integration

This chapter focuses on the issue of international migrants’ integration in destination countries, which refers to the process of settlement, interactions with the receiving society, and social change following immigration. Migrants face challenges when it comes to integrating into their country of destination. There is considerable disparity between the conditions of migrants and natives. Natives tend to have a higher rate of employment, better access to education, a lower risk of poverty and social exclusion, and slightly improved health conditions. In recognition of these challenges, policymakers have made efforts, albeit sometimes limited, to reduce such disparities and facilitate the integration of migrants through various policies and initiatives. In recent years, understanding the effects of integration policies has received increasing attention. A growing body of literature explores these effects, especially by employing a quantitative approach. This body of literature suggests that, overall, integration policies influence the public’s attitudes and behavior toward migrants. Integration policies are one of the strongest factors shaping the public’s willingness to accept and interact with migrants, as well as the migrants’ own attitudes, their sense of belonging, and their integration in their destination country. This chapter addresses the integration of migrants by providing a threefold contribution. First, it illustrates the concept with a special focus on the issues that migrants face during the integration process. Second, this paper summarizes figures on migrant integration in order to provide an overall analysis of the state of this integration. Third, by illustrating the main findings from existing research on the effect of integration policies on migrant integration, the chapter provides insights on the viable solutions that policymakers can apply to ease the migrants’ integration in their destination countries.