Sweden’s being the first in the MIPEX III ranking is no coincidence, as the country has been shaping its integration policy for years...Even with the best integration policies in the world, Sweden faces certain levels of segregation betweennative and foreign‐born people, fueled by economic downturns, unemployment, and shortage of low‐cost housing in bigger cities. MIPEX III (2011) indicates that the degree to which immigrants are covered by the education system depends on municipalities approach...
According to MIPEX III (2011), the British immigration policies are not favorable toward integration.Recent changes cost the country 10 points less in the ranking, in comparison to previous edition (MIPEXII). Such a result stems partly from the fact that immigrants are excluded from certain social benefits. Family reunions are allowed but sponsors need to be at least 21 years old. All in all, the strong points ofthe British migrant policy are education, with a well‐tailored living‐in‐diversity training, and antidiscrimination regulation, while one of the weakest elements is the substantial level of difficulty in obtaining permanent residence and nationality...
US policies toward immigrants’ integration are only mildly favorable, according to MIPEX IIIranking. The United States was ranked ninth, compared with first for Sweden, second for Portugal, and third for Canada. Caps on visas for family members delay the reunification of families. In contrast with Canada, the definition of family under US law excludes individuals from sponsoring a visa for a same‐sex partner...MIPEX III (2011) indicates that high fees and backlogs connected to immigration processes played a role. Finally, permanent citizens living in the United States have lower security than their counterparts in Europe or Canada. Immigrants working andliving in the United States for a number of years can face deportation due to various reasons, regardlessof having family in the United States. Lonegan (2007) argues that in many cases the reasons fordeportation of permanent residents were trivial...Read more on Sweden and United Kingdom
Read more on Canada and United States
World Bank: Immigration Policies in Sweden, United Kingdom, Canada, and United States
Thomas Huddleston
Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group
Thomas Huddleston is a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Group, a European think-and-do-tank. He coordinates MPG’s research for European cooperation on national integration policies, including the second and third editions of the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) (published in February 2011) and the third edition of the European Commission’s Handbook on Integration.
