The local dimension of migration The key issue

The local dimension of migration. The key issue of integration Tiziana Caponio FIERI and University of Torino

Integration in a changing policy environment § In the 1980 s and early 1990 s integration was essentially regarded as a national policy task § Debate on the so-called “national models”: the French assimilationist model, the Dutch multicultural model, the British pluralist model etc. § Yet, it is now widely acknowledged that models have entered a phase of deep crisis and that immigrants integration is taking place today in a completely different policy environment

A changing policy environment. Structural factors § The post-fordist economic structure and labour market § Industrial districts and global cities versus Fordist production model (national core industries) § National core industries versus an increasing delocalised production § The financial crisis of the welfare state § Decentralisation of competence and responsibility to city governments § Increasing role of NGOs and private agencies § The failure of national integration models § Pressures rising from outbreaks of violence in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods § The challenge of the second generation

As a consequence… § Migration flows occur more and more across cities/local districts/regions rather than states § Social welfare services and opportunities of integration are more and more produced locally § Local authorities and neighbourhoods have to deal everyday with issues of inclusion and social cohesion

From national models to local policy/practice § Cities have been widely acknowledged as ‘major arenas’ for the implementation of integration policy and the building of social cohesion § 2007 “Integrating Cities II” conference (Milan Declaration) § Greater attention placed by EU/national institutions and experts on ‘best practices’, i. e. policies/actions started from below in order to tackle with immigrants’ integration challenges § Housing, education, disadvantaged neighbourhoods etc.

What is a best practice? § Action/intervention or set of actions/interventions started from below (i. e. , local authorities and/or other concerned parties) in order to tackle with immigrants specific integration challenges § A BP is not a law, even if it can be related to the implementation of a law § A BP is usually the product of a fruitful collaboration between public officials and stakeholders representatives/organisations (NGOs, immigrant associations, community leaders etc. ) § A BP is not a general programme, but rather should have a clear target and specific goals

How to recognize a best practice? § Best practices cannot be defined as such in abstract terms (there is not an absolute “one best practice”), but need terms of reference (i. e. the situation before the observed intervention) § Need for evaluation § Did the observed intervention lead to an improvement of the target population?

How to evaluate best practices? § Evaluation cannot but be context specific § What was the situation of the target population before the observed intervention? And afterwards? § Need for appropriate indicators that should be identified by external researchers § Yet evaluation is not always an easy task § Measures of the “situation before” may not be available § The actors involved may have changed their goals during the implementation process and the results achieved may be different from the expected ones § Researchers may not be aware of unmeasurable aspects of the “situation before” that should be taken into consideration

How to evaluate a best practice? § Need for context specific knowledge § Need for a qualitative assessment of actors’ perspectives on: 1) the situation before; 2) the pursued goals; 3) the expected results and the actually achieved ones § Need of actors’ collaboration in providing relevant data and documents

Beyond evaluation: tranferability § Can a ‘best practice’ be transferred from its original context to another one? § Can a ‘best practice’ be reproduced on the basis of the knowledge acquired by researchers during the evaluation processes? § Should researchers take an active role in driving such a learning process?

Tranferability: limits and potentialities § Since best practices are context-dependent, they cannot be automatically transferred nor reproduced § Researchers should be able to provide in-depth knowledge on the key conditions for success § If requested, they should be also able to provide suggestions for adaptation of a ‘BP’ to a different context § Yet, learning processes need the commitment of the involved actors/networks

To sum up § Cities and local authorities play a crucial role in setting the conditions for social cohesion and immigrants integration § Policy interventions starting from below are regarded with greater attention from EU/national authorities as flexible solutions to specific integration challenges § Yet the search for “best practices” has to be aware of the need for – context based – evaluation and of the limits of tranferability