Giving Cities and Regions a Voice in Immigration Policy: Can National Policies Meet Local Demand

What are the potential gains and drawbacks to programs designed to give cities and regions greater control over immigrant admission?  

In Giving Cities and Regions a Voice in Immigration Policy, the author examines three policy frameworks that influence the regional settlement of immigrants and attempts to assess their efficacy. The frameworks are: supply-driven immigration (when national or regional authorities do not directly decide the destination of immigrants but immigrants gravitate to areas with jobs, family members and/or supportive communities); national policies designed to respond to local circumstances (examples include employer selection, changing the threshold requirements for immigrant salaries based on regional cost-of-living considerations, and encouraging wealthy immigrants to invest in certain areas by lowering the required investment amount); and "subnational selection programs," which actually giving regional authorities a say in the number and types of immigrants settling in their area (the two most prominent examples are  programs in Australia and Canada). Looking at the pros and cons of subnational selection programs, the author concludes that "perhaps, the most compelling argument in favor of subnational selection is that it allows local policymakers to admit workers with lower skills levels than the national standards - without requiring all jurisdictions to admit such workers."  Such programs, she points out, are not generally effective in attracting high skilled immigrants, as they can qualify for admission under national criteria and would likely prefer opportunities in other destinations.  Another argument in support of such programs is that they "could help channel immigration toward areas with the political commitment to integrate newcomers and/or fund settlement services." However, the bar is high in areas lacking support networks for immigrants. Without "well thought-out investments in immigrant integration," such programs are not likely to succeed. (Abstract courtesy Nicholas Montalto, PhD.)

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