Immigration & Integration
Immigration and integration issues are finding themselves on national and local policy agendas in North America and Europe at an unprecedented level. These topics cut across core policy areas such as mobility and social cohesion, as well as economic policy, demographics, security, national identity, and social policy. The United States, Canada, and European countries face many of the same challenges and opportunities posed by international migration of individuals, families, and workers.
Approximately 200 million people worldwide are currently living outside of their country of birth, and the labor markets and living standards of Europe and North America make their developed countries popular destinations for international migrants. Since experiences with immigration and ensuing immigrant integration are often similar across these countries but strategies for management of these phenomena differ, transatlantic exchange and learning is essential for the formulation of coherent, well-informed immigration and integration policy development. Much of the difficulty of decision-making on this issue stems from the multi-faceted effect of immigration on receiving societies.
Migration brings talent, development, much-needed labor in aging societies, and cultural and economic diversity, but it many also affect social cohesion and place strain on state services. One type, illegal immigration, is a phenomenon that undermines rule of law while also raising the issue of international human rights. Since European and North American must grapple with these trade-offs to maximize the benefit for their societies while simultaneously taking into account the concerns of sending countries and the migrants themselves, transatlantic exchange is an invaluable component of effective policy formation.
GMF News & Analysis
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the OCP Foundation of Morocco today announce a major international initiative, The Atlantic Dialogues, to promote cooperation on issues affecting the greater Atlantic basin.
A New Poll Finds that the Hard Line that Works for Candidates in the Primaries will Wound Them in the GeneralDecember 16, 2011 / Bruce Stokes
There is no doubt that immigration is a hot-button issue in the GOP primaries. But the presidential contenders need to carefully weigh its relative political salience.
Programs & Projects more
Immigration & IntegrationGMF’s Immigration & Integration Program was established in the early 1990s to provide a platform for exchange and the dissemination of research on immigration and integration issues across the Atlantic. The Program seeks to enhance the understanding among North American and European stakeholders of the challenges and opportunities that immigration poses for receiving as well as sending countries and societies.
Events More
Designing Immigration Policy in a Time of Economic UncertaintyMay 07, 2012
On April 27th, GMF partnered with the Australian Embassy to host its seventh Embassy event “Designing Immigration Policy in a Time of Economic Uncertainty in Australia and the United States.”
Regional Meeting of the Transatlantic Forum on Migration and Integration (TFMI) in BerlinMarch 12, 2012
From March 2 – 4, 2012, the GMF immigration and integration program in cooperation with the Robert Bosch Stiftung held the 9th Transatlantic Forum on Migration and Integration (TFMI) regional meeting in Berlin.
Event Highlights U.S., German Successes and Challenges for Muslim Immigrant IntegrationDecember 12, 2011
On December 1, GMF hosted "The Experience of Muslims in Europe and the U.S.: How have Germany and the U.S. Fared in Integrating Minority Religious Groups?," a discussion on Muslim integration within Germany and the United States.
India Forum IVNovember 11, 2011On Friday, November 11 and Saturday, November 12, the German Marshall Fund hosted the fourth India Forum in Stockholm in collaboration with Sweden's Ministry for Foreign Affairs.Publications More
U.S. Immigration: Economic Effects and Policy ImplicationsJanuary 25, 2012 / Pia M. Orrenius
This policy brief argues for a change in the numbers of employment-based visas offered by the United States.
Transatlantic Trends: Immigration 2011December 15, 2011 / Hamutal Bernstein
The results of the 2011 Transatlantic Trends: Immigration survey capture U.S. and European public opinion on a range of immigration and integration issues....
