MIPEX is a bi-annual assessment of migration policy across 28 countries. The study addresses the opportunities of immigrants/migrants from outside the EU to participate in different European societies. The research mainly focuses on six different areas being the possibility for (im)migrants to access the labour market, settle with their families, become long term residents, participate politically, become nationals and be protected from racism and discrimination.

The main aim of MIPEX is said to be the improvement of migrant integration policies in Europe. The provision of objective, accessible and comparable data for research and debate are believed to contribute to this objective. The researchers state that "all of Europe's residents will benefit from cohesive, open societies in which migrants and citizens alike have opportunities to participate and contribute." As governments produce the political and legal frameworks for migrants to participate alongside citizens and, in time, to become citizens themselves, it is
essential for integration policies of European governments to be studied and monitored.

For each strand or policy area, MIPEX identified the highest European standards on the most relevant policies. Some of these standards are included in EC Directives. Others come from Council of Europe Conventions. The combined set of the highest European standards serve as MIPEX's normative framework. 140 policy indicators were designed to benchmark current laws and policies against these highest European standards.

The research was co-financed by the European Commission under the INTI Program: Preparatory Actions for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.

From an overall perspective, the EU-25’s policies on integration score only halfway to best practice. The only country that is said to have a score high enough to be considered encouraging for promoting integration is Sweden. The total of nine countries that were judged as having policies that were partially favourable were located in the Nordic countries, the Western Mediterranean, the Benelux countries, Canada and the United Kingdom. Five countries were thought to have integration policies that are partially unfavourable, namely Latvia, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia and Austria. The countries with the ten lowest scores were the Baltic states, the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, Central Europe and Denmark.

Migration Policy Group (MPG)
http://www.migpolgroup.com/
Thomas Huddleston (Policy Analyst), tel. +44 771 365 3382

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The research project is managed by the British Council in co-partnership with the Migration Policy Group (MPG), with 21 partners throughout Europe and Canada.

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Integration of social groups