OECD: Southward Shift in International Migration

In the North, the debate on integration has long revolved around the concepts of multiculturalism and assimilation  – looking beyond aspects of economic motivation for migrating. According to the Migrant Policy Integration Index (MIPEX), a project  that  evaluates and compares what governments are doing to promote the integration of  immigrants in EU Member States and several non-EU countries, integration rests on the concept of equal opportunities for all, in both socio-economic and civic terms. Based on this simple definition, MIPEX evaluates integration on the following six quantifiable notions...MIPEX also monitors a seventh element, unrelated to policy: public perception on immigration and immigrants, indicating the importance on the role not only of immigrants and governmental policies, but also local workers. However, integration policies in the South require a different approach than in the North, and the elements of the MIPEX and the facts stated on SouthSouth immigrant integration need to be re-visited.  Considering the stretched budgetary limits of many countries in the South, integration policies should follow a strategy that takes into account the particularities that make up developing economies.In particular, policies need to internalise the fact  that migration flows are highly informal, react quickly to economic fluctuations and involve a demographic with low human capital...Read more