Building the Foundations for Inclusion in Europe? - Introduction & Session I: A new migration reality: How can we...

The migration crisis transformed the landscape of immigrant integration in Europe. Large-scale and spontaneous movements placed unprecedented pressures on public services and amplified social divisions, which, in turn, fueled the rise of populist parties. But while the everyday pressures of the migration crisis have absorbed most of the bandwidth of integration policymakers in recent years, larger challenges could lie ahead. Aging populations will place extreme pressure on welfare-state institutions and public spending. Digitization, automation, and artificial intelligence will transform labor markets as we know them. And greater cultural clashes and social unrest—especially if accompanied by another migration crisis—could further splinter the political landscape. How well Europe can weather tomorrow’s challenges will depend on the institutions and systems built today.
This meeting highlighted lessons from MPI Europe’s flagship Integration Futures initiative, which seeks to develop creative and strategic approaches to addressing today’s toughest integration challenges—and to better plan for those around the corner.
Chaotic and unpredictable spontaneous large-scale migration to Europe in the past few years has deepened anxiety about social change and rising cultural and religious diversity and, in turn, boosted support for populist and anti-establishment parties. Against such a backdrop, politicians on all sides have struggled to articulate a sense of common identity without succumbing to simplistic narratives around migration.
This session looked at? How can governments promote and maintain common values in a state of flux?What degree of cultural integration can be reasonably expected of immigrants by receiving communities—and on what timeline? What is the best way of communicating these expectations while being sensitive to pluralism?? What are the most promising communications strategies—based on evidence instead of intuition—that work to explain policy decisions or help reduce socialdivides?? How can political leaders make the case for prioritising integration without fuelling a sense of unfairness among groups that feel left behind?