Migration to the Centre: Introduction by Thomas Huddleston

Most Central European countries are slowly transforming into a country of permanent and temporary immigration. During recent boom times, immigrants were often as temporary and circular, but many have settled permanently, while others continued to come. Seasonal, temporary, permanent, family, and humanitarian migrations make these countries into a country of immigration, and not only countries of emigration and transit. Nor is it likely that this trend will reverse.
This briefing uses the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) to kick-off broader reflection and debate about the state of immigration policies in Central Europe and their priorities for change over the next few years. Its 148 policy indicators evaluate seven critical areas for participation in society: (1) labour market mobility; (2) family reunion; (3) education; (4) political participation; (5) long-term residence; (6) access to nationality; (7) anti-discrimination. The normative framework benchmarks whether policies in these seven areas grant all legal residents equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities. The benchmark of comparable rights, responsibilities, and opportunities was reconfirmed by EU Member State governments in the 2009-2014 Stockholm Programme. While MIPEX measured policies in May 2010, this briefing asks integration stakeholders to discuss how these policies have changed, are implemented in practice, affect the lives of immigrants and people in the communities where they live...Read more