The working paper titled "Policy and Political Responses to Ireland’s Refugee Crisis" by Professor Bryan Fanning of University College Dublin examines Ireland's recent challenges in managing a significant influx of refugees and International Protection (IP) applicants, particularly following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The paper highlights the state's reactive crisis management approach, which has led to inadequate accommodation and support services. This shortfall has contributed to anti-refugee protests and activities by far-right groups in both urban and rural areas. Professor Fanning emphasizes the necessity for proactive development of services, infrastructure, and state capacity to meet the needs of current and future arrivals. He also underscores the importance of engaging with host communities to address anxieties and prevent zero-sum perceptions that pit refugee needs against those of local populations. The paper advocates for integrating refugee policy with broader social policies to enhance social cohesion and community development.
Website: www.udc.ie
This research is a series of investigations into migration and integration policies, scrutinizing their ramifications on the structural and socio-cultural integration of immigrants. The contributions range from policy analysis, dissecting the content and purpose of national laws and regulations to explorations of policy execution and its impacts at more localized levels. The researcher, King utilized data from the European Union Labour Force survey to examine the impact of migration and integration policies on immigrant marginalization within Europe. His research underscores the significant role played by restrictive immigration policies, labour market institutions, and the welfare state on migrants' experience of marginalization. Complementarily, Kleinewiese employed factorial survey experiments to probe the underpinnings of everyday discrimination against immigrants, revealing that the perception of fairness can mitigate ethnic discrimination.
Emphasis is placed on understanding the role of migration and integration policies in addressing the needs of marginalized immigrant groups, including women and refugees. An overview of the research findings in refugees' labor market challenges and discuss the individual and contextual factors shaping refugees' labor market trajectories. Meanwhile, Kassam and Becker's study focuses on recently arrived Syrian refugees in Germany, shedding light on the importance of ethnic social networks and economic factors in shaping their political engagement. Additionally, Damen et al. analyze recent Syrian refugees in the Netherlands, highlighting the critical role of reception policies and regional unemployment rates in facilitating refugee's employment. Furthermore, Zavisca et al.'s research offers valuable insights into the hardships endured by internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Their findings emphasize the profound negative effects of housing deprivation, which significantly undermines both the material and experiential wellbeing of internally displaced individuals.
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/
This article analyses the European Union’s migration and asylum policies, exploring how they have evolved in response to geopolitical crises, economic shifts, and internal political changes. The Common European Asylum System (CEAS) has been at the forefront of these policies, ensuring minimum standards for asylum seekers. However, disparities in national implementation have led to significant challenges.
Key discussions in this article include:
By examining case studies from various Member States, this article highlights best practices in integration policies and identifies areas needing reform. It further discusses the role of funding mechanisms such as the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) in supporting integration initiatives across Europe.
Website: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/
In recent years, Western European governments have increasingly embraced strategies to promote equality between migrants and EU nationals in key policy areas. One emerging trend in integration policy is mainstreaming, where the needs of vulnerable groups like immigrants are integrated into broader policies such as employment and education, rather than addressed through separate interventions. To analyze this trend, the author develops a Policy Index of Mainstreaming in Labour Market Support, covering data from 2006 to 2016 across 25 EU/EEA countries. The paper examines the scope of mainstreaming and the level of access to these mainstreamed policies for different migrant groups. It reveals that although mainstreaming challenges traditional integration models, political ideology does not always lead to significant institutional changes. This finding supports the historical-institutionalist view that policy change is often compatible with existing institutional frameworks. The Index uncovers varied policy patterns across countries, showing a complex landscape in how migrants are integrated into labor market policies. It also highlights that some countries have been more successful than others in incorporating migrant needs into mainstream policies. Despite differences in political climates, the general trend has been toward a more inclusive approach. However, the paper also points out that challenges remain, especially for groups with more specific needs. It concludes that mainstreaming has the potential to create more cohesive integration strategies, but its full implementation requires overcoming institutional and political obstacles. Ultimately, this research contributes to the broader understanding of how immigration policies evolve within the framework of European labor markets.