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

TFMI Edition of Migration Policy Practice is OutSeptember 19, 2012 / Hamutal BernsteinThe Transatlantic Forum on Migration and Immigration edition of the International Organization of Migration’s Migration Policy Practice has been published.

Berg, Karakas Join GMF as FellowsSeptember 17, 2012The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) announces the appointments of Lora Berg and Nurten Karakas as fellows.

Programs & Projects more

Immigration & Integration

GMF’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.

Events More

Welcome Centers in Canada: Lessons for Newcomer Integration in GermanyApril 24, 2013The Immigration and Integration program launched the first ever “Welcoming Weeks” in Germany, as part of the GMF Welcoming Weeks, which showcases Canadian and U.S. initiatives for welcoming immigrants.

Shifting Economies, Shifting Migration Patterns: Local Impacts and Policy ResponsesApril 23, 2013GMF hosted the first International City Dialogue in Turin, Italy, with the support of the Compagnia di San Paolo and FIERI, on April 11-13, 2013.

The Future of Mediterranean Europe Takes Centre Stage at the Mediterranean Strategy Group in LisbonMarch 27, 2013The German Marshall Fund of the United States organized the seventh meeting of the Mediterranean Strategy Group. This meeting was held in Lisbon, and focused on the theme “The Future of Mediterranean Europe: Between the Euro Crisis and Arab Revolutions.”

Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation Marks Milestone 5th AnniversaryMarch 27, 2013The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST) celebrated its 5th anniversary with more than 80 policymakers, opinion shapers, and civil society and media representatives from the countries of the Black Sea region, United States, and European Union.

Publications More

Welcome Home? Challenges and Chances of Return MigrationJanuary 18, 2013 / Hanna-Maija Kuhn, Isabell Zwania-Rößler, Karen Krüger, Karoline Popp, Magdalena Lesińska, Paweł Kaczmarczyk

This paper analyzes return migration from a variety of perspectives.

Parochial and Cosmopolitan Britain: Examining the Social Divide in Reactions to ImmigrationJune 13, 2012 / Robert Ford

This paper looks at British attitudes toward immigration based on polling data from 2008-2011.