Migrants and integration – Lectures
Lecture 1: international migration
Definitions, types trends and theories
1. Definitions
Definition international migration: “those movements across national boundaries which
constitute a change of residence”
For purpose of international comparison permanent and long-term immigrants
should includes both citizen and foreign nationals intending to stay longer than a
year
International Organization of Migration defines immigration as a process by which
non-nationals move into a country for the purpose of settlement
Main types under the umbrella term “migrants”
- Labour migrants: “guestworkers” high vs low skilled
- Family migrants: family reunion and formation
- Refugees: asylum seekers, status holders, rejected asylum seekers
- International students
à classifications can change and/ or overlap
Refugees and asylum seekers
- Asylum seekers are people who make a formal request for asylum in another
country because they fear their life is at risk in their country of origin
- Refugees: fleeing their home country to save their lives and who have been
accepted and recognized as such in their host country
à also called accepted asylum seekers
- 1951 UN convention: refugee: a person outise his or her country and “owing to well-
founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political
opinion”
2. Types
Various dichotomies in labeling immigrants
- Voluntary vs forced migrants (due to threats to life, war, natural disaster)
- Self-supported vs smuggled
- Documented vs undocumented (or unauthorized)
- Orderly vs irregular (or illegal)
Concerns labeling/ use of types / dichotomies
- Different definitions/ interpretations in different countries
- Labels do not fit complex (changing) realities (eg same person may be classified as
a refugee or family/ labour migrant)
- Some labels/ types have a negative connotation in some contexts (which may
hinder integration and disacknowledge individual characteristics)
,From various countries of origin
- Nowadays immigrants from many different countries of origins (c_o) in many
countries of destination (c_d)
- More diversity in terms of nationality, ethnic groups, cultures, religions
denominations
- And differences in time of arrival: some immigrant groups have a relatively longer
history in c_d due to some special circumstances such as decolonization, war,
recruitment of guest workers and international treaties
3. trends in migration
In the Netherlands, what are the biggest groups of migrants?
- Labor migrants
- Family migrants
- Asylum seekers/refugees
- Education migrants
Actual trends in migration to the NL
since 2000:
- Family migration is the main type in numerical terms
- Asylum migration volume fluctuated considerably:
o reduced to less than one third between 2000 and 2009;
o increased to all time record in 2014 and 2015 (in 2016: 50% decrease)
- Strong increase in labour migration (mainly from EU, e.g., Poles, Germans)
- Strong increase in international students (mainly from EU, e.g., Germans)
Different ways of collecting data:
- Population registers [OECD, EUROSTAT (EU)]
- Administrative sources (visas, residence permits)
- Border controls (entry and departure)
- Household surveys (e.g. census, smaller scale
surveys)
4. Theories on migration patterns
Migration theories:
Explanations at different levels of analysis:
- Micro-level: characteristics of Individuals
- Meso-level: characteristics of migrant networks or households
- Macro-level: characteristics of countries (push factors in c_o; pull-factors in c_d)
5 main theories (Massey et al., 1998):
1. neo-classical economics (macro 4. world system theory
and micro) 5. social capital and cumulative
2. new economics causation
3. segmented labour market
, 1. neo-classical economics (macro and micro) theory à micro level
Main assumption= people are rational; individuals move to where they will get the most
gain. This is an investment [migration] in human capital [training, education, skills one
possess/learns]
Macro-level: push-pull approach
Main explanatory variables:
- Income/Wage differential (C_d - C_o)
- Unemployment differential (or employment C_d)
Some recent studies apply a newer version of this theory include a broader range of push-
and pull factors (e.g., weather (e.g., mean temperature), nature (e.g., % forest)
Micro-level: cost-benefit analysis
Main explanatory variables:
- Expected income (differential)
- likelihood of employment
2. new economics theory à meso level
Main assumption= migration decisions are taken by larger units of people (e.g., families,
households, communities) in order to minimize risk of household income.
- Focus on C_o (i.e. push factors)
- Migration decisions are taken by the household/family; (i.e. individual actor may not
prefer to migrate)
- Notion of relative deprivation (i.e. reference group is other families/communities in
C_o)
Main explanatory variables:
- Low/no access to capital (i.e. deficiency of insurance, credit and consumer market)
- Lack of social security
- High transaction costs (e.g., interest rates)
3. segmented (dual) labour market theory à meso level
Main assumption: Industrious countries have an inherent demand for “immigrant
labour”
Primary segment: capital intensive sectors, with mainly skilled work with relatively high
income and status
Secondary segment labor intensive sectors,
unskilled work; low income/status jobs
Focus on c_d (pull factors)
Explanatory factors:
Demand of jobs in dual labour market:
Lecture 1: international migration
Definitions, types trends and theories
1. Definitions
Definition international migration: “those movements across national boundaries which
constitute a change of residence”
For purpose of international comparison permanent and long-term immigrants
should includes both citizen and foreign nationals intending to stay longer than a
year
International Organization of Migration defines immigration as a process by which
non-nationals move into a country for the purpose of settlement
Main types under the umbrella term “migrants”
- Labour migrants: “guestworkers” high vs low skilled
- Family migrants: family reunion and formation
- Refugees: asylum seekers, status holders, rejected asylum seekers
- International students
à classifications can change and/ or overlap
Refugees and asylum seekers
- Asylum seekers are people who make a formal request for asylum in another
country because they fear their life is at risk in their country of origin
- Refugees: fleeing their home country to save their lives and who have been
accepted and recognized as such in their host country
à also called accepted asylum seekers
- 1951 UN convention: refugee: a person outise his or her country and “owing to well-
founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality or political
opinion”
2. Types
Various dichotomies in labeling immigrants
- Voluntary vs forced migrants (due to threats to life, war, natural disaster)
- Self-supported vs smuggled
- Documented vs undocumented (or unauthorized)
- Orderly vs irregular (or illegal)
Concerns labeling/ use of types / dichotomies
- Different definitions/ interpretations in different countries
- Labels do not fit complex (changing) realities (eg same person may be classified as
a refugee or family/ labour migrant)
- Some labels/ types have a negative connotation in some contexts (which may
hinder integration and disacknowledge individual characteristics)
,From various countries of origin
- Nowadays immigrants from many different countries of origins (c_o) in many
countries of destination (c_d)
- More diversity in terms of nationality, ethnic groups, cultures, religions
denominations
- And differences in time of arrival: some immigrant groups have a relatively longer
history in c_d due to some special circumstances such as decolonization, war,
recruitment of guest workers and international treaties
3. trends in migration
In the Netherlands, what are the biggest groups of migrants?
- Labor migrants
- Family migrants
- Asylum seekers/refugees
- Education migrants
Actual trends in migration to the NL
since 2000:
- Family migration is the main type in numerical terms
- Asylum migration volume fluctuated considerably:
o reduced to less than one third between 2000 and 2009;
o increased to all time record in 2014 and 2015 (in 2016: 50% decrease)
- Strong increase in labour migration (mainly from EU, e.g., Poles, Germans)
- Strong increase in international students (mainly from EU, e.g., Germans)
Different ways of collecting data:
- Population registers [OECD, EUROSTAT (EU)]
- Administrative sources (visas, residence permits)
- Border controls (entry and departure)
- Household surveys (e.g. census, smaller scale
surveys)
4. Theories on migration patterns
Migration theories:
Explanations at different levels of analysis:
- Micro-level: characteristics of Individuals
- Meso-level: characteristics of migrant networks or households
- Macro-level: characteristics of countries (push factors in c_o; pull-factors in c_d)
5 main theories (Massey et al., 1998):
1. neo-classical economics (macro 4. world system theory
and micro) 5. social capital and cumulative
2. new economics causation
3. segmented labour market
, 1. neo-classical economics (macro and micro) theory à micro level
Main assumption= people are rational; individuals move to where they will get the most
gain. This is an investment [migration] in human capital [training, education, skills one
possess/learns]
Macro-level: push-pull approach
Main explanatory variables:
- Income/Wage differential (C_d - C_o)
- Unemployment differential (or employment C_d)
Some recent studies apply a newer version of this theory include a broader range of push-
and pull factors (e.g., weather (e.g., mean temperature), nature (e.g., % forest)
Micro-level: cost-benefit analysis
Main explanatory variables:
- Expected income (differential)
- likelihood of employment
2. new economics theory à meso level
Main assumption= migration decisions are taken by larger units of people (e.g., families,
households, communities) in order to minimize risk of household income.
- Focus on C_o (i.e. push factors)
- Migration decisions are taken by the household/family; (i.e. individual actor may not
prefer to migrate)
- Notion of relative deprivation (i.e. reference group is other families/communities in
C_o)
Main explanatory variables:
- Low/no access to capital (i.e. deficiency of insurance, credit and consumer market)
- Lack of social security
- High transaction costs (e.g., interest rates)
3. segmented (dual) labour market theory à meso level
Main assumption: Industrious countries have an inherent demand for “immigrant
labour”
Primary segment: capital intensive sectors, with mainly skilled work with relatively high
income and status
Secondary segment labor intensive sectors,
unskilled work; low income/status jobs
Focus on c_d (pull factors)
Explanatory factors:
Demand of jobs in dual labour market:
