Policy Assessment BSPC May 2019

Slide 1:Baltic Sea Region Governments’ Immigration and Integration Policy: Policy Assessment and RecommendationsAuthor: Matti Välimäki, Migration Institute of Finland, mtaval@utu.fiSlide 2:BackgroundBSPC Working Group on Migration and Integration (WGMI) conducted two surveys (2018 and 2019)to map the immigration and immigrant integration policies in the region, learn from the best practices and develop proposals to improve cooperation in planning migration and immigrant integration policiesSpring 2019: BSPC general secretariat commissioned the Migration Institute of Finland and researcher Matti Välimäki to assess and analyse the responses submitted by the respective governmental bodies of BSPC to the 2018 survey.Later in the spring, the responses to the 2019 survey were sent to the author. These were considered secondary material since analysis was already ongoing.Instructions from behalf of WGMI to the Migration Institute of Finland were rather loose:Assessment of policies with possibly some policy recommendationsSlide 3:Data: WGMI 2018 and 2019 surveys2018 survey (primary material):15 questions10 member countries4 member regions186 pagesThemes: asylum, dual citizenship, work permits, advisory services for immigrants, courses provided by the governments, benefits provided for migrants, family reunification, evictions, unaccompanied minor asylum applicants, monthly costs per different categories of migrants, accommodation, and involvement of volunteers.2019 survey (secondary material):9 questions10 member countries3 member regions81 pagesThemes: Numbers of asylum applicants, voluntary returns, evictions, and forced returns, monthly cost per month of different categories of migrants, the practices of the governments of combating occurrences of social control in the migrant population, measures to prevent formation of segregated migrant communities, best practices that have proved beneficial for successful integration, and best practices of programs on language and culture educationSlide 4:On findingsSlide 5:ThemesMain focusAsylum seekersImmigrant integrationAssessment focuses on common practices and possibilities for enhanced discussion on finding more common ground on migration and integration policy among BSPC governmentsPolicy analysis separates themes to (1) immigration and (2) immigrant policiesGreat many issues were touched upon in the surveys.Not possible to cover all issues thoroughly (e.g. costs of migration or best practices) in the assessmentNot possible to give thorough assessment of individual member governments’ regulations and policies. It would require more time and resources. More discussion and possibly in-depth surveys on specific immigration and/or immigrant policy fields needed in the WGMISlide 6:Convergence or differentiation?Needs to be discussed among the WGMI members:Would the overall aim be?More convergence between BSPC states and regions in the realm of migration and integration policies? ORDifferentiation based on national / regional viewpoints? ORSelective adaptation of the best practices or ’common solutions’ among BSPC members?Slide 7:On suggestionsSlide 8:Aims of suggestionsEnhance and stimulate conversation among BSPC membersOften impossible to give ready-made solutionsNational, regional and local differences and traditionsDifferent policy goals of regions and statesBest practicesFrom whose point of view? (public authority, state, region, migrant?)How to measure and decide which are ’best’? (This is context-specific.)Combining WGMI surveys’ findings with other organizations’ findings could be beneficial.Slide 9:I. Suggestions / questions for further discussionOn asylum policy:1. Harmonization of practices concerning reception and process between EU states and non-EU-states?2. A common origin country data collection services or database or enhanced collaboration in this field?3. Could there be possibility to come up with minimum standards of reception facilities, services and deportation practices for minor asylum seekers that secure the basic and human rights of the children?4. It would be worthwhile to discuss whether the current family reunification regulations provide sufficient circumstances for the right to family life to be fulfilled for migrants living in BSPC members’ jurisdictions.Slide 10:II. Suggestions / questions for further discussionOn migration and labour markets:1. Multinational cooperation and coordination to balance undesirable developments such as labour shortages and labour oversupply?2. Supporting the employment of certain groups of immigrants (e.g. international students, housewives or younger and older immigrants)?Slide 11:III. Suggestions / questions for further discussionOn immigrant integration:1. Multifaceted character of immigrant integration needs to be acknowledged, and this understanding should be put into practice on the level of legislation and policies.2. How the public policies can facilitate the desirable working conditions of the NGOs and informal networks to strengthen immigrant integration?3. How and if the three-way integration (i.e. (a) the integration of immigrants to the practices of the host society, (b) the adaptation of the host society to the diversification of the citizens’ backgrounds and practices of the members of a society and (c) the role the countries of origin play in integration) is acknowledged in the BSPC states and regions?4. How and if good relations within the population and diverse society’s ability to function are promoted by public action?Slide 12:IV. Suggestions / questions for further discussionOn data collection1. (a) The questions should be as precise as possible regarding the necessary information and the level of accuracy required. (b) Responses should be reviewed, and incomplete answers should result in queries for more information.2. More comprehensive understanding and data on local level trends in the BSPC region are needed.3. BSPC surveys should be considered to be repeated every 3 to 5 years to enhance understanding on the developments of policy convergence and differentiation.4. Information and lessons learned gathered by other organizations (e.g. OECD, Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), the Nordic Welfare Centre and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)) could be combined in the future with the data collected by the BSPC members.Slide 13:Thank you!www.migrationinstitute.fiMatti Välimäki, mtaval@utu.fi