Benchmarking Integration in the EU. Analyzing the debate on integration indicators and moving it forward. 2008

Carrera, Sergio (2008) Benchmarking Integration in the EU. Analyzing the debate on integration indicators and moving it forward. 2008. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

Europe is a continent of immigration. It must, therefore, also be a continent in which integration policies bolster social cohesion. Yet this is currently not the norm in Europe. Too often, European member states struggle to incorporate newcomers into society and to provide their children with equal life opportunities. Successful integration can induce a chain reaction spanning successive generations. Effective integration policies can be path-setting in a positive way because well integrated adults can help young people navigate society and give them a healthy sense of belonging to it. If integration fails, however, social exclusion can be compounded from one generation to the next. Therefore, integration policies can have an exponential impact on society and must be carefully formulated. Policymakers at the EU and subsidiary levels have a heightened interest in better understanding how the present kaleidoscope of integration programs impact society and how societies ‘perform’ with regard to social integration. “Benchmarking integration” are new buzz words in policy-making.

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