At a time when European governments are tightening immigration policies, some countries continue to stand out in the way they integrate new residents. According to a new study, Portugal is the third country that does this best, on a list led by Sweden.
Despite the reinforcement of entry and stay rules, Sweden is the European Union country with the integration policies more robust, according to the index (Migrant Integration Policies Index) of the study center Migration Policy Group, recently released.
The index created by think tank based in Brussels, which assesses the extent to which countries support the integration of foreign citizens, analyzes eight policy areas that affect citizens of third countries: access to the labor market, education, healthcare, permanent residence, family reunification, political participation, citizenship and anti-discrimination legislation.
Each of these areas is made up of various indicators.
“At its core, integration is based on the principle of equal opportunities for all. In this context, the equitable access to rights and services, with minimal barriers, is considered a fundamental principle of integrationreflected in higher MIPEX scores”, states the report.
The index shows that, across the EUintegration policies have remained stagnant in recent years. The average score is 54 out of 100 — just 0.8 points more than in 2019. “This means that, on average, national policies create as many obstacles as opportunities for immigrants to participate and establish themselves in their new country”, reads the report.
“Across the European Union, migrants often enjoy basic rights and some long-term securitybut they still do not have equal opportunities”, says Başak Yavçanco-author of the report and director of research at the Migration Policy Group, cited by .
“The data shows small progress in the areas of education and the fight against discrimination, but a worrying setback in access to citizenship and political participation”, highlights Yavçan.
Sweden in the lead
According to the report, Sweden (86 points), Finland (84) and Portugal (83) are the countries with the best global ranking, followed by Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg and Germany.
The majority of European Union Member States fall into the “moderately favorable”, while Latvia (36), Lithuania (37), Bulgaria and Slovakia (39) occupy the last positions.
Central and Eastern European countries tend to have less favorable integration policies than those in Western Europe (average of 44 versus 63).
Sweden records an overall score of 86 out of 100, although the author admits that the analysis is based on data from 2023prior to the recent legislative changes in this country regarding permanent residence and citizenship.
The country gets particularly high scores on anti-discrimination legislation (100), education (93), access to the job market (91) and permanent residence (90), but presents lower values in family reunificationr (71).
Despite low average scores, migrant integration models vary widely across Member States. Due to the lack of harmonization in this area, only three countries — Sweden, Finland and Portugal — adopt an approach clearly favorable integration, highlights the report.
Some States have evolved in a more inclusive sense: Portugal started to allow families of visa applicants enter simultaneously with these, while Croatia has restricted the reasons that can justify refusing, withdrawing or not granting status.
Employment, health, justice
Immigrants benefit from better access to employment and targeted support in countries in Northern, Central and Western Europe — such as Portugal, Sweden, Finland and Germany — although Ireland is a notable exception.
In Eastern European countries, such as Slovakia, Hungary and Latvia, support is considerably weaker.
Among the countries that have more recently become destinations migratory, Portugal stands out for its inclusive approach to the labor market, supporting both immigrant workers and returning emigrants.
O Access to the job market is more favorable in PortugalSpain, Italy, Greece, Finland and Belgium. In contrast, the biggest obstacles are in Slovakia, Cyprus and Ireland, where newcomers cannot access employment as easily or quickly as nationals.
Portugal is the only country in which family reunification policies are classified as favorable. In addition to Portugal, these policies are also more open in the Nordic countries and in several countries in Southern and Eastern Europe, such as Estonia, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Spain.
At the top of the MIPEX scale, health systems tend to be more “migrant-friendly” in countries with a strong commitment to equal rights and opportunities.
Health policies are considered favorable in Ireland, Sweden and Austria, and slightly favorable in Portugal, Finland, Italy, Spain and Belgium.
Victims are better informed and supported to seek justice in some Member States, notably in Belgium, Finland, Portugal and Sweden. In Eastern Europe, Romania and Bulgaria stand out as relatively favorable environments for defending victims’ rights.
Countries tend to have more favorable measures in the areas of anti-discrimination (overall score of 78), permanent residence (61) and access to the job market (55).
The weakest areas are education (50), access to citizenship (44) and, above all, political participation, which includes the right to vote and stand for election (37).
Political participation, nationality
In terms of political participationamong the countries with the best global scores, are the Nordic countries, Portugal, Luxembourg and Belgiuma.
At the opposite extreme, political participation remains absent or almost non-existent from integration strategies in many Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.
In these cases, despite European standards and some encouraging practices at local level, national policies continue to ignore political inclusion two migrants.
As nationality and citizenship policies continue to be one of the weaknesses of most European countries, especially in Austria, the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe.
On the other hand, immigrants find good opportunities access to citizenship in several countries, such as Portugal, Sweden, Ireland, Finland and Luxembourg.
According to the report, the small progress recorded in recent years is mainly the result of advances in education, the job market and in policies to combat discrimination, while there was a setback in citizenship, permanent residence and political participation.
At the moment, citizens of third countries can apply and vote in local elections in six EU countries: Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden.
In nine countries, voting is possible but subject to strong restrictionssuch as five years of residence, special registration or limitation to certain municipalities, and in 17 Member States it is allowed to join political parties without restrictions.
