Rebuilding after Crisis: Embedding Refugee Integration in Migration Management Systems,

The destabilizing effects of the recent migration and refugee crisis have given European and North American governments impetus to reform their migration management systems. This report examines existing issues and potential steps that policymakers can take to achieve successful refugee integration in the coming years while preserving the integrity of the system as a whole. As communities attempt to adjust to newcomers' differences and public institutions are challenged to do effective outreach, local authorities are struggling to implement appropriate policies and allocate resources for disadvantaged populations, including immigrants. The authors offer a comprehensive discussion of the difficulties and tradeoffs of managing large-scale refugee flows, from acknowledging the interdependence of migration and integration systems when balancing short-term humanitarian needs with long-term integration investments, to managing public expectations of integration while promoting refugees as assets. The report also addresses the challenges of coordinating shared responsibility for integration across multilevel governments and agencies, balancing timely labor market integration against broader integration goals and job quality, and promoting policy innovation while weighing the risks of experimentation. To improve refugee integration outcomes, the authors recommend policymakers coordinate integration and asylum policies for a more coherent system, invest in promoting newcomer involvement to benefit whole communities, incentivize participation by the private sector in hiring refugees, and engage all elements of society by promoting a positive and inclusive narrative to build public trust. (Sarah Purdy for The ILC Public Education Institute)

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