Immigration is becoming increasingly charged and politicised, even in some countries with long traditions of welcoming migrants. According to research by Gallup in February 2024, Americans believe immigration is the most important “problem” the country faces today—ahead of the economy, inflation, and poverty.¹ In an August 2024 survey in the U.K., conducted in the aftermath of anti-immigration riots, immigration was cited as the top concern for the country.² In Canada, concern over immigration has quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, and is being linked to the high cost of living and housing unaffordability.³ Immigration was also cited in polls as the top concern in Chile, Türkiye, Germany and the Netherlands in August 2024.⁴

Unsurprisingly, immigration is a polarising topic and one that regularly makes the front pages across the world. Headlines range from tragic tales of fatal migrant family journeys to stories about violent immigrant gangs, and from heartwarming accounts of families welcoming refugees into their homes to worrying statistics about the brain drain from the global south. For many nations, immigration flows are rising faster than at any point in history.⁵

^‍The issues around immigration differ by country, but the broad concerns revolve around lives and livelihoods. Conflicts can arise from differences in traditions and culture, and worries about migrants taking jobs and draining already strained social services. Meanwhile, those in favour of immigration point to research and anecdotes suggesting immigrants in fact enrich a nation’s economy, society, and culture. Inevitably, immigration is playing a pivotal role in election campaigns across the world.⁶

^‍Concerns about overwhelming numbers of immigrant arrivals and their potential lack of skills, or aptitude for integration, remain a constant refrain from many host nation residents. These sentiments are a reality that governments can ill afford to ignore. As a result, many governments are increasingly employing stricter border controls to limit and even prevent migrants from entering their countries. Harder-line approaches include increased border security and enforcement, immigrant detention and deportation policies, asylum offshoring and restrictive visas and quotas.‍

Transforming a “Fact of Life” into an Opportunity

The debates show no signs of abating, and the topic itself is likely to remain an especially contentious policy area for governments worldwide. As the back-and-forth continues, so will the movement of migrants themselves. Citing historically high migrant flows, a 2023 World Bank article declared that “migration is a fact of life”.⁷

^‍Some governments are responding more effectively to that fact than others. They are doing so by creating conditions for migrants to meaningfully contribute to the economy and collective identity in their new home, while enacting thoughtful policies and programmes to help new arrivals build a greater sense of belonging and concrete skills. In short, rather than focusing on barriers alone, they are also actively building bridges. Regardless of where a government sits on the political and ideological spectrum, practices that integrate migrants into a country deliver better economic and societal results than ones that leave them isolated.

Each nation’s circumstances are, of course, unique, and a thoughtful approach to integrating immigrants must reflect those differences. The point is not that any single government has “perfected” the issue of immigration, nor that their approach could be replicated exactly. It is simply that the principles and mindsets these governments employ, the results their programmes produce, and approaches they adopt all contain lessons from which others might benefit. ‍

Holistic Planning

Integration involves all aspects of migrants’ lives and livelihoods, from education and employment, to culture and identity. It is only natural that such an extensive issue should require extensive planning. A practical place to begin is by developing a holistic and comprehensive national plan backed by legislation.

Finland’s comprehensive integration policy stands out in this regard. In 2010, the country’s parliament passed the “Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration”, which provides the legal basis for its policies. The country has mechanisms in place to help newly arrived migrants learn Finnish or Swedish, and access the labour market, social services, and education. This is all part of an integration plan given to every migrant or migrant family, a plan which is mapped to their skills, education, and employment history.^{8, 9} Social service agencies at the local level provide further support in helping migrants settle into Finnish society.¹⁰

Another country where comprehensive policies have led to better integration is Canada.¹¹ Canada has one of the highest naturalisation rates in the world, with about 85% of newcomers becoming citizens. Overall, migrant and refugee earnings match the Canadian average about 12 years after arrival. Migrants are active in Canadian society with high rates for volunteering and being active in social organisations.¹² The work begins before a migrant sets foot in Canada, as numerous government agencies work together to smooth a path to integration. Through a pre-departure support programme, migrants access information and assistance in areas including employment and settlement.

Given the highly local impact of immigration, coordination needs to cascade down to regional and local government authorities.

Coordinated Implementation

Implementation has to be as coordinated as the planning. Of particular importance is the cooperation of different government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as the successful integration of migrants will inevitably cut across the responsibilities of multiple MDAs.

Two steps seem particularly fundamental: appoint a single lead organisation, and establish platforms and structures to coordinate across government. In Finland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment oversees the general development, planning, and guidance of migrant integration policies. It does so in collaboration with the Ministries of Interior, Education and Culture, and Social Affairs and Health, as well as with bureaux such as the Finnish National Agency for Education. It also proposes legislation and steers the activities of the 15 regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment.¹³

^‍Given the highly local impact of immigration, coordination needs to cascade down to regional and local government authorities. Canada’s Immigration Act, which was passed in 1976 following a review of existing immigration policy and public consultations across the country, mandates the federal government and provinces to work together to establish immigration targets.¹⁴ As soon as migrants arrive, settlement officers from their respective provinces help them to navigate the systems for health, welfare, education, taxes, and ongoing immigration matters. Federal, provincial, and territorial ministers regularly meet to review and refine policies.

Denmark has a dedicated Ministry for Immigration and Integration and has simplified its policymaking along three core questions: 1) Who may enter and stay in the country? 2) How to ensure that foreigners contribute to and take part in society? and 3) How to ensure that persons without legal residence leave the country?¹⁵ The ministry works closely with the Danish Immigration Services, the Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), and local municipalities. Integration policies in Denmark fall under three core work streams: 1) housing placement and employment-oriented efforts, 2) language learning and civic education programmes, and 3) managing honour-related conflicts.¹⁶

^‍A New Place to Live

‍Migrants can often cluster in communities of those from similar backgrounds, but this is not always the best outcome for them or their host countries; areas with high concentrations of migrants might not have the most economic opportunities or the resources to provide migrant services. Isolated migrant enclaves, or mono-ethnic neighbourhoods, also represent missed opportunities for greater interaction and integration with locals.

Resettling migrants—and doing so sensitively yet effectively—is a key policy challenge. Brazil, for instance, has faced increasing immigration from neighbouring countries, particularly Venezuela. But it has used this opportunity to settle migrants across the country, while respecting the wishes of migrants to establish connections with family members and social networks.

In 2018 the government adopted an innovative relocation programme, “Operação Acolhida” (Operation Welcome), which helped to ease the pressure on its border state of Roraima. The programme has a three-fold purpose: provide immediate humanitarian assistance, support integration, and facilitate voluntary resettlement to other parts of Brazil. After providing emergency support such as food, water, and medical care at reception centres, the programme helps migrants register and obtain legal status. This helps them gain legal employment, access public services, and move freely within Brazil.¹⁷

^‍Through cooperation between government agencies, NGOs, and international organisations, migrants are given help as they relocate to
areas where local governments and communities have the resources to better support integration. The decision to relocate is voluntary, but suggestions on where to move are based on factors such as migrants’ skills, local economic needs, family connections, and social networks. The programme has successfully relocated more than 100,000 migrants, and a 2021 survey found that Venezuelans in the programme had better access to housing, healthcare, education, and formal jobs after being relocated.¹⁸

^‍A New Place to Work

Successful integration programmes provide a pathway to employment. Canada, for instance, has a targeted and comprehensive employment programme for skilled immigrants to become self-sufficient relatively quickly. Even migrants without a formal job offer can gain permanent residence via the Express Entry programme, which considers an applicant’s skills, work experience, English language proficiency, educational background, and financial resources. Once a migrant resides in Canada, the government’s approach focuses on accelerating language acquisition, career-specific training and apprenticeships, bridging programmes, job-seeking assistance, and digital skills training.

Successful integration programmes also adapt when necessary. As recently as 2023, Canada proposed changes to address delays that prevented skilled migrants from finding jobs quickly.¹⁹

More than three-quarters (76%) of the world’s refugee population are hosted in low- and middle-income countries.²⁰ Some of these countries have piloted policies and programmes that help refugees become self-sufficient in tandem with wider economic development goals.

Jordan, for example, has hosted nearly 700,000 Syrian refugees since 2011, giving the country the second-highest share of refugees per capita in the world.²¹ In 2016 the Jordanian government made it easier for refugees to participate in the labour market, and easier for employers to hire them. That entailed waiving work permit fees and setting up mobile work-permit stations. Non-employer-specific work permits allowed refugees to find work across the country in sectors such as agriculture and construction.

In collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the government also expanded infrastructure development projects, which helped create jobs for both Syrians and locals. Collectively, these initiatives helped reduce unemployment rates among Syrian refugees, and Jordanians reported greater trust in the refugees.²²

^‍Language: A Cultural Bridge

‍Beyond the practical matters of employment and housing, the more intangible cultural issues are no less important. Programmes anchored in teaching practical skills are also an important cultural bridge.

Mastering the host-country language, for example, is widely considered an important factor for a migrant to participate and succeed in the host-country’s labour market²³—and it also has a profound effect on their ability to integrate into society.²⁴

^‍Effective language training programmes tend to have three key traits: they are accessible, affordable, and tailored to match migrants’ individual abilities. But as anyone who has tried to learn a language knows, the motivation to learn a new language is also central—and even here governments have tools at their disposal.

To encourage migrants to learn the host-country language, some countries implement tangible benefits or rewards systems for attending courses or reaching a certain language level. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland all link completion of language programmes clearly to incentives or rewards, including speedier access to residence or citizenship. South Korea offers additional points on the residency applications of migrants who complete the Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP), which comprises five levels of language proficiency plus 50 hours of “Understanding Korean Society”.²⁵‍

“Cultural Mentors” and “Neighbourhood Mothers”

An interesting policy arena for facilitating integration is the creative use of “cultural mentors”, who help migrants learn the new way of life while building social networks and a new community.

Since 2004, Germany has used the “Neighbourhood Mothers” (Stadtteilmütter) Programme to integrate immigrant women and families by building social networks and promoting cultural exchange. These Neighbourhood Mothers are women from immigrant backgrounds who have been trained to provide information and support, and who speak the same languages as the migrant communities.

As new migrants join a nation, they contribute to an ever-evolving national story—the collective narrative that is shaped by a nation’s history, identity, and culture—which in turn influences the values, traditions, and norms that the people hold dear.

These women help newcomers navigate the public system, understand local norms, and access healthcare, education, and childcare. Using public spaces such as schools and community centres, they host workshops on topics ranging from parenting to civic participation. In group activities, migrant families can discuss their concerns, learn about German culture, and improve their language skills.  

The Neighbourhood Mothers Programme has raised school attendance in several cities (including Berlin) and also improved healthcare access. The benefits have extended beyond those in the programme, helping foster greater social cohesion in neighbourhoods with high immigrant populations.²⁶

^‍‍Stewarding the Nation’s Story and Culture

As the number of migrants are projected to increase in the coming years, so too will the pressures on governments. Amid that rise, there may be temptation to stick to ideological positions. But there is perhaps a more meaningful and productive discussion around the best approaches for integrating new migrants. Governments that do this well stay focused on safeguarding livelihoods—for migrants and current citizens alike—but also pay attention to cultural differences and issues of identity.

As new migrants join a nation, they contribute to an ever-evolving national story—the collective narrative that is shaped by a nation’s history, identity, and culture—which in turn influences the values, traditions, and norms that the people hold dear. Effective government leaders will harness the opportunities inherent in immigration, while stewarding a rich and resonant national story.