Immigrant Integration

Immigrant integration is the process of economic mobility and social inclusion for newcomers and their children. As such, integration touches upon the institutions and mechanisms that promote development and growth within society, including early childhood care; elementary, postsecondary, and adult education systems; workforce development; health care; provision of government services to communities with linguistic diversity; and more. Successful integration builds communities that are stronger economically and more inclusive socially and culturally.

Recent Activity

Multimedia July 10, 2020 Enhancing the Social and Economic Inclusion of Refugees through Local Development Strategies	Reports July 2020 A Rockier Road to U.S. Citizenship? Findings of a Survey on Changing Naturalization Procedures By Randy Capps and Carlos Echeverría-Estrada
Policy Briefs June 2020 Measuring Up? Using Monitoring and Evaluation to Make Good on the Promise of Refugee Sponsorship By Hanne Beirens and Aliyyah Ahad	Multimedia June 16, 2020 Addressing Equity Concerns for English Learners: Where Do Native Language Assessments Fit In?
Policy Briefs June 2020 Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners: Policy Considerations and State Practices By Julie Sugarman and Leslie Villegas	Commentaries June 2020 USCIS Budget Implosion Owes to Far More than the Pandemic By Sarah Pierce and Doris Meissner
Commentaries June 2020 COVID-19 Spotlights the Inequities Facing English Learner Students, as Nonprofit Organizations Seek to Mitigate Challenges By Melissa Lazarin	Reports June 2020 Using Evidence to Improve Refugee Resettlement: A Monitoring and Evaluation Road Map By Aliyyah Ahad, Camille Le Coz and Hanne Beirens

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Policy Briefs November 2014 Developing School Capacity for Diversity By Sabine Severiens	Policy Briefs November 2014 Mentoring: What Can Support Projects Achieve That Schools Cannot? By Maurice Crul and Jens Schneider
Policy Briefs November 2014 Enhancing EU Education Policy: Building a Framework to Help Young People of Migrant Background Succeed By Miquel Àngel Essomba	Reports October 2014 Investing in the Future: Labor Market Integration Policies for New Immigrants in Germany By Carola Burkert and Anette Haas
Reports October 2014 Turning a Corner? How Spain Can Help Immigrants Find Middle-Skilled Work By Raúl Ramos	Reports October 2014 Shifting Focus: Policies to Support the Labor Market Integration of New Immigrants in France By Mirna Safi
Reports October 2014 Benign Neglect? Policies to Support Upward Mobility for Immigrants in the United Kingdom By Rachel Marangozov	Reports October 2014 Selling Visas and Citizenship: Policy Questions from the Global Boom in Investor Immigration By Madeleine Sumption and Kate Hooper

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Feature

September 30, 2014

Belonging: The Resettlement Experiences of Hmong Refugees in Texas and Germany

Drawing on a case study of two Hmong refugee populations from Laos that were resettled in a major Texas city and a German village, this article explores the different approaches to immigrant integration found in the United States and Germany as well as the outcomes for the Hmong and their sense of belonging in their new communities.

Policy Beat

June 13, 2014

Dramatic Surge in the Arrival of Unaccompanied Children Has Deep Roots and No Simple Solutions

The phenomenon of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, typically after an arduous and often dangerous journey through Central America and Mexico, has reached a crisis proportion, with a 90 percent spike in arrivals from last year and predictions of future increases ahead.

Marshallese watch a jepta dance competition

Feature

May 22, 2014

Marshall Islanders: Migration Patterns and Health-Care Challenges

Approximately one-third of the population of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a series of islands and atolls in the Pacific, has relocated to the United States, with Hawaii, Guam, and Arkansas key destinations. Lack of economic and employment opportunities are among the leading factors that have prompted this migration. Access to education and health care, which are critically important for a population that has reduced life expectancy and significant negative health indicators, also represent key factors.

Spotlight

April 28, 2014

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

The U.S. immigrant population—estimated at 40.8 million in 2012 — is the nation’s historical numerical high, and it is also the largest foreign-born population in the world. About 20 percent of all international migrants reside in the United States, even as the country accounts for less than 5 percent of global population. This article presents the latest, most sought-after data on immigrants in the United States—by origin, residence, legal status, deportations, languages spoken, and more—in one easy-to-use resource.

Feature

March 3, 2014

Internal Labor Migration in India Raises Integration Challenges for Migrants

Internal migration spurred primarily by employment and marriage helps shape the economic, social, and political life of India’s sending and receiving regions. Labor migrants face myriad challenges, including restricted access to basic needs such as identity documentation and social entitlements. This article describes the barriers to integration that labor migrants face, and details the policy environment surrounding their integration challenges.

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Video, Audio

January 7, 2013

Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery

MPI has released a major study that describes and analyzes today’s immigration enforcement programs, as they have developed and grown in the 25 years since IRCA launched the current enforcement era.

Video, Audio

December 14, 2012

Young Children of Black Immigrants in America: Changing Flows, Changing Faces

The event discussion, which touched on the intersection of race and immigration, focused on the demographics of Black immigrants (both African and Caribbean) in the United States and their children, their educational success, and the implications of the recently released volume’s findings for research and public policy.

Audio

October 24, 2012

Rethinking National Identity in the Age of Migration

How the anti-immigrant political movement and rancorous debates surrounding immigration will impact countries’ ability to build strong economies and vibrant, diverse societies is yet to be determined. This discussion focuses on the factors and players that contribute to this environment, an analysis on the current situation in both Europe and the United States, and a discussion on its implications for community cohesion and national identity in European countries and the United States.

Video, Audio

September 24, 2012

2012 E Pluribus Unum Prizes

The winners of the Migration Policy Institute's 2012 E Pluribus Unum Prizes, honoring exceptional immigrant integration initiatives in the United States, discussed their work during a plenary luncheon on September 24, 2012 at the National Immigrant Integration Conference held in Baltimore, MD.

Audio

September 19, 2012

Making It Work: Lessons in Collaboration on Language Access Contracting

A webinar on language access contracting for federal, state, and local officials, agency administrators, and community stakeholders concerned with the oversight and implementation of language access provision.

Recent Activity

Video, Audio, Webinars

July 10, 2020

Enhancing the Social and Economic Inclusion of Refugees through Local Development Strategies

This discussion explores how development and humanitarian actors in low- and middle-income countries can engage with local institutions to promote the social and economic inclusion of refugees and how this inclusion can enhance engagement with other traditionally marginalized groups.

Reports

July 2020

A Rockier Road to U.S. Citizenship? Findings of a Survey on Changing Naturalization Procedures

For the 9 million immigrants eligible to become U.S. citizens, changed naturalization adjudication practices and an agency mission shift undertaken by the Trump administration appear to be posing new hurdles. This report analyzes a survey of naturalization assistance providers from across the country, examining changes in how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interviews applicants, conducts the English and civics tests, requests additional evidence, and more.

Policy Briefs

June 2020

Measuring Up? Using Monitoring and Evaluation to Make Good on the Promise of Refugee Sponsorship

A growing number of countries, particularly in Europe, have piloted or implemented refugee sponsorship programs in recent years. Yet there is limited evidence of how well these programs, which tap community members and civil society to take key roles in refugee resettlement, are working and how they can be improved. This issue brief explores how building monitoring and evaluation activities into sponsorship programs can help answer these and other critical questions.

Video, Audio, Webinars

June 16, 2020

Addressing Equity Concerns for English Learners: Where Do Native Language Assessments Fit In?

This webchat marks the release of a report examining the role native language assessments play in addressing equity concerns for English Learner (EL) students. The conversation offers participants an introduction to the key policy and practical considerations in the implementation of these assessments, particularly in a time of pandemic-induced disruptions for schools and looming budget cuts.

Policy Briefs

June 2020

Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners: Policy Considerations and State Practices

With high stakes attached to standardized tests in U.S. education, it is critical that these assessments accurately capture what students know and can do in a subject. For English Learners, this may be a challenge if they cannot fully demonstrate in English what they have learned. Native language assessments are one promising tool for overcoming this hurdle, though questions about when and with whom they are most effective remain.

Commentaries

June 2020

USCIS Budget Implosion Owes to Far More than the Pandemic

Citing coronavirus-related disruptions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services urged Congress to provide $1.2 billion to address its severe budget shortfall. Without this emergency infusion, the agency warned it might have to furlough up to 80 percent of its staff by mid-July 2020. Yet a deeper look at USCIS operations shows it was facing serious budget problems long before the pandemic—ones that are the logical results of actions undertaken by the Trump administration.

Commentaries

June 2020

COVID-19 Spotlights the Inequities Facing English Learner Students, as Nonprofit Organizations Seek to Mitigate Challenges

The transition to remote learning for school districts across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for most families, but especially those with English Learner (EL) and immigrant students. This commentary outlines how the pandemic has brought new focus to well-known equity gaps and spotlights ways in which nonprofit organizations can be important partners in mitigating the effects of school closures and anticipated spending cuts.

Reports

June 2020

Using Evidence to Improve Refugee Resettlement: A Monitoring and Evaluation Road Map

There has been a flurry of activity around refugee resettlement in recent years, with countries in Europe and elsewhere piloting or scaling up operations. To support the sustainability of these programs, particularly in light of the hiatus forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, strong evidence of what works and under what conditions is essential. This report explores how countries can launch or expand their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities, and the value this can bring.

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Immigrant Integration

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