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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The European Union and the United States are areas of immigration, and both are
entities of multi-level governance facing the task of managing international migration.
However, unlike the United States most European states do not consider immigration as
a matter of national interest.
In the US a regulated immigration system aims to enhance the benefits and minimise the
drawbacks of immigration. The country’s bi-partisan immigration policy receives strong
support from a wide variety of stakeholders.
In Europe the emphasis is on immigration restriction and prevention, reflecting the
position of most stakeholders that the costs of immigration outweigh its benefits.
Immigration is a sensitive and sometimes controversial issue, as is demonstrated in
recent elections in a number of European countries.
On both sides of the Atlantic migration ranked high on the agenda throughout the
nineties. Changes in the size and direction of migratory movements as a result of global
developments, EU enlargement and NAFTA received a great deal of attention. The ways
in which migration policies are designed and implemented were reviewed and underwent
some important changes.
In 1997, the US Commission on Immigration Reform presented its final report to
Congress, proposing important changes in US immigration policies and management.
In Europe the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty empowered the European Union’s institutions to
act on migration, changing intergovernmental co-operation among member states into the
development of joint policies on immigration and immigrant integration. A new debate
emerged on the role of immigration to address economic and demographic imbalances.
The events of September 11 did not in themselves have an impact on the foundations of
immigration policies’ governance structures, or lead to changes in them, other than those
already proposed. The events added, however, a range of other issues to the overall
policy agenda (issues related to the fight against terrorism became a top priority) and the
immigration agenda (where security issues became a priority). This resulted in a
stagnation of the further development of immigration policies (the best example probably
being the US- Mexico migration agreement) and in a refocusing of attention on countering
the victimisation of immigrants and the straining of community relations.
It is against this backdrop that MPG launched the project EU and US approaches to the
management of immigration in an attempt to identify the main drivers of immigration
management in EU and US systems of multi-level governance. Building on an
understanding of how migration needs are assessed and translated into policy on the
national or state level, the project focused on the way in which national or state
governments promote their immigration related interests within the federation (in the case
of the United States) and the Union (in the case of the European Union). How successful
are the different entities in shaping common policies according to their needs? Do they
consider centralisation (which the extension of EU powers suggests), or decentralisation
(as the campaigns of some states for a greater say in immigration matters suggest) more
useful for realising their immigration-related goals? The reports on fourteen EU Member States, three candidate countries and one
associated state each have four chapters:
• The first chapter reviews the (emerging) debates on migration and pays particular
attention to the terms of the debate. It examines whether migration is debated in
terms of control, security and restriction, or rather in terms of migration
management and the assessment of migration needs. It asks whether the terms of
the debate are different for different types of migrants, for instance irregular
migrants vs. highly qualified migrants. The chapter analyses whether immigration
has been linked with and embedded in larger discussions about social and
economic policies for the future. In particular, it looks at the debates around the
labour market and demography and considers whether and how immigration has
been considered as an option for meeting emerging challenges in these areas.
• The second chapter provides an inventory of stakeholders and an analysis of their
activities. It gives a detailed account of who is responsible for which area of
migration management in the different government departments. It also covers the
activities of the various non-governmental organisations active in this field. The
central question is which groups (within government, employers, trade unions,
NGOs, academics and other experts) assess national migration needs, which
instruments and mechanisms they use to make these assessments, and how they
assert influence in the political decision-making process to translate these
assessments into policies.
• The third chapter provides an analysis of migration management in the areas
covered by three of the most important Directives proposed by the European
Commission (on admission for employment, family reunification1, and long-term
residents). Rapporteurs compare the national legal framework with the proposed
European measures, and assess the degree of convergence between the two.
The chapter addresses each of the substantive points dealt with in the
Commission’s proposals and sets out the corresponding national provisions, if
such provisions exist under the current system. Recent and impending changes of
national law are also examined, with a view to assessing whether immigration
management rules are moving closer to or further away from the proposed
European legislation.
• The fourth chapter offers concluding remarks and evaluations by the rapporteurs.
It addresses the Commission proposal for an Open Method of Co-ordination and
considers whether such a mechanism would fit well with existing policy-making
structures. Where appropriate, the chapter looks more closely at the proposed
Guidelines and evaluates the degree to which they are already tackled in national
policy. The impact of the European Employment Strategy on immigration
management is also assessed. The fourth chapter also gives the rapporteurs an
opportunity to make recommendations and to suggest alternative benchmarks for
future debates and policy developments.
Description
Keywords
Immigration Management European Union United States Report Portugal
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Esteves, Alina, Fonseca, Lucinda, & Malheiros, Jorge (2003). EU and US approaches to the management of immigration comparative perspectives: Portugal. In: Niessen, J., Schibel, Y., & Magoni, R. (eds.). EU and US approaches to the management of immigration. Migration Policy Group