Project

Transatlantic Task Force on Immigration and Integration

This initiative sought to propose concrete policy solutions to challenges facing European and North American societies.
Project

In 2007, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and Bertelsmann Stiftung marked the 50th anniversary of the European Union by convening a task force to promote thoughtful immigration policies and assess and respond to the profound challenges of integrating immigrants and building stronger communities on both sides of the Atlantic. 

The Transatlantic Task Force on Immigration and Integration addressed its recommendations to EU institutions and Member State governments, the governments of the United States and Canada, and state and local governments and civil society everywhere. In its initial stages, the task force focused its work on creating greater openings to legal migration, as well as on education, workplace integration, and the political and civic participation of immigrants. The descendants of immigrants and the role of religion and gender in integration received special attention.

In April 2008, the Task Force became the Transatlantic Council on Migration, a unique deliberative body that examines vital policy issues and informs migration policymaking processes across the Atlantic community.

Members & Key Sponsors

Migration Policy Institute President Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Bertelsmann Stiftung executive board member Werner Weidenfeld co-convened the Task Force.  The following senior figures were members:

  • Lamar Alexander, U.S. Senator, Tennessee, and former U.S. Secretary of Education

  • Xavier Becerra, U.S. Congressman, Los Angeles, California

  • Mel Cappe, President of the Institute of Research on Public Policy, Canada

  • Bill Emmott, Former Editor of the Economist

  • Michael Haupl, Mayor, City of Vienna, Austria

  • Halleh Ghorashi, Chair of Diversity, University of Amsterdam

  • Aleksandr Kwasniewski, Former President of Poland

  • Ana Palacio, Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, World Bank

  • George Papandreou, Leader of the Greek opposition party (PASOK)

  • Solomon Passy, Member of Parliament, Bulgaria, and former chair of the OSCE

  • Trevor Phillips, Chair, United Kingdom Commission for Equality and Human Rights

  • Louis Schweitzer, Chairman of Renault

  • Rita Süssmuth, Former President of the German Bundestag (Parliament)

  • Antonio Vitorino, Former European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs

The task force received substantial support from the Luso-American Foundation, an MPI strategic partner in parts of its European work; the Niarchos Foundation; the Hellenic Institute for Migration Policy; the Government of Canada; the Government of the Netherlands; and other funders.

Research Highlights

The inaugural report of the Task Force, The Age of Mobility by MPI President Demetrios G. Papademetriou, lays out the future of migration in developed countries, the new context in which it takes place, and the opportunities and challenges that migration poses for Western societies.

The Task Force's reports aim to identify the notable trends in immigrant integration outcomes in Europe and North America, and propose concrete policy solutions to the challenges that immigrants and governments face. A series of reports released in September 2007 gives policymakers new ideas for how best to close achievement gaps between native-born students and immigrant students or the children of immigrants across European countries. Another report explores the role of intercultural dialogue as a tool to strengthen relations between European governments and their Muslim immigrant communities. And another examines the relationship between immigration and structural employment in the European Union.

All Task Force Publications

Showing 1–6 of 6 results

Early Education for Immigrant Children

High-quality early childhood programs combining classroom learning with intensive family support produce the strongest gains for young children in immigrant families.

European Immigration and the Labor Market

Immigration plays a minor role in European unemployment. Structural labor market weaknesses and social insurance policies that enable inactivity are more important drivers.