Language proficiency among immigrants and the establishment of interethnic relations: a comparative analysis of Bilbao, Lisbon and Rotterdam

Despite the increasing interest in exploring language proficiency among immigrants as a quintessential element for their economic integration in the host country, less attention has been devoted to the social impacts that destination-language proficiency may have on enhancing interethnic contacts between immigrants and the native population. This research aims to shed light on this latter topic, discussing if being a native-speaker immigrant in the host country or, for those immigrants who are non-native speakers, having a stronger command of the destination-language may increase their likelihood of interacting with the native population. Moreover, we question if there are significant differences in the interaction patterns between these two groups and the natives, presenting the cities of Bilbao, Lisbon and Rotterdam as a territorial frame. The analysis is based on data gathered through the GEITONIES survey. The results obtained indicate that native-speaker immigrants generally tend to show more interaction with the natives. Nevertheless, for immigrants not sharing such cultural similarity, those with a higher level of second-language proficiency clearly show stronger bonds with the native population; in both cases this can also be related to individual, group or place related variables

Intégration de voisinage dans des villes Européennes Pluri--ethniques: résultats du projet GEITONIES

This special issue of Finisterra is based on the findings of the GEIT ONIES project, and intends to shed some light on questions relating to ethnic diversity, social relations and participation in urban settings. The research was conducted in 6 European cities: Lisbon, Bilbao, Thessaloniki Rotterdam, Vienna and Warsaw and the neighbourhood context was adopted as the field of research. A random survey was implemented to 3600 residents in 18 neighbourhoods in the six cities. The papers included in this special issue of Finisterra – Revista Portuguesa de Geografia, focus on processes of change and social relations at the neighbourhood level and stress the role of place and time in the development of positive inter-group contacts, representations and integration.Integração ao nível do bairro em cidades europeias multi-étnicas. Resultados do projecto GEITONIES . Este número especial da Revista Finisterra apresenta alguns resultados do projecto GEITONIES e tem como objectivo debater questões relacionadas com a diversidade étnica, as relações sociais e a participação cívica e política da população imigrante e não-imigrante em meios urbanos. A investigação decorreu em 6 cidades europeias: Lisboa, Bilbau, Salónica, Roterdão, Viena e Varsóvia, sendo o bairro a escala de análise adoptada para a investigação. Por conseguinte, efectuou-se um inquérito, aplicado a uma mostra aleatória de 3600 indivíduos (imigrantes e nativos) residentes em 18 bairros multiétnicos das seis cidades. Os artigos incluídos neste número especial da Finisterra – Revista Portuguesa de Geografia centram-se nos processos de mudança e nas relações sociais ao nível do bairro, e salientam o papel do lugar e do tempo no desenvolvimento de contactos interétnicos, de representações positivas e da integração nos territórios de residência.Intégration de voisinage dans des vill es Européennes Pluri- -ethniques. Résultats du projet GEITONIES . Ce numéro spécial de la revue Finisterra présente quelques résultats du projet GEITONIES qui a comme objectif de débattre des questions relatives à la diversité ethnique, aux relations sociales et à la participation civique et politique de populations immigrées et autochtones en milieu urbain. La recherche a eu lieu dans six villes Européennes: Bilbao, Lisbonne, Rotterdam, Salonique, Varsovie et Vienne. L’étude s’est déroulée à l’échelle du quartier. On a lancé une enquête par questionnaires qui a porté sur un échantillon aléatoire de 3600 individus (immigrés et autochtones), résidents de 18 quartiers pluri-ethniques des six villes concernées. Les articles de ce numéro spécial de Finisterra-Revista Portuguesa de Geografia sont principalement orientés sur les processus de changement des relations sociales au niveau du quartier. On s’y est soucié de l’environnement géographique et des périodes de contacts inter-ethniques qui peuvent jouer dans les représentations d’intégration de ces lieux de résidence et soulignent le rôle du lieu et du temps dans le développement de contacts inter-ethniques.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EU and US approaches to the management of immigration: Portugal

The European Union and the United States are areas of immigration, and both are entities of multi-level governance facing the task of managing international migration. However, unlike the United States most European states do not consider immigration as a matter of national interest. In the US a regulated immigration system aims to enhance the benefits and minimise the drawbacks of immigration. The country’s bi-partisan immigration policy receives strong support from a wide variety of stakeholders. In Europe the emphasis is on immigration restriction and prevention, reflecting the position of most stakeholders that the costs of immigration outweigh its benefits. Immigration is a sensitive and sometimes controversial issue, as is demonstrated in recent elections in a number of European countries. On both sides of the Atlantic migration ranked high on the agenda throughout the nineties. Changes in the size and direction of migratory movements as a result of global developments, EU enlargement and NAFTA received a great deal of attention. The ways in which migration policies are designed and implemented were reviewed and underwent some important changes. In 1997, the US Commission on Immigration Reform presented its final report to Congress, proposing important changes in US immigration policies and management. In Europe the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty empowered the European Union’s institutions to act on migration, changing intergovernmental co-operation among member states into the development of joint policies on immigration and immigrant integration. A new debate emerged on the role of immigration to address economic and demographic imbalances. The events of September 11 did not in themselves have an impact on the foundations of immigration policies’ governance structures, or lead to changes in them, other than those already proposed. The events added, however, a range of other issues to the overall policy agenda (issues related to the fight against terrorism became a top priority) and the immigration agenda (where security issues became a priority). This resulted in a stagnation of the further development of immigration policies (the best example probably being the US- Mexico migration agreement) and in a refocusing of attention on countering the victimisation of immigrants and the straining of community relations. It is against this backdrop that MPG launched the project EU and US approaches to the management of immigration in an attempt to identify the main drivers of immigration management in EU and US systems of multi-level governance. Building on an understanding of how migration needs are assessed and translated into policy on the national or state level, the project focused on the way in which national or state governments promote their immigration related interests within the federation (in the case of the United States) and the Union (in the case of the European Union). How successful are the different entities in shaping common policies according to their needs? Do they consider centralisation (which the extension of EU powers suggests), or decentralisation (as the campaigns of some states for a greater say in immigration matters suggest) more useful for realising their immigration-related goals? The reports on fourteen EU Member States, three candidate countries and one associated state each have four chapters: • The first chapter reviews the (emerging) debates on migration and pays particular attention to the terms of the debate. It examines whether migration is debated in terms of control, security and restriction, or rather in terms of migration management and the assessment of migration needs. It asks whether the terms of the debate are different for different types of migrants, for instance irregular migrants vs. highly qualified migrants. The chapter analyses whether immigration has been linked with and embedded in larger discussions about social and economic policies for the future. In particular, it looks at the debates around the labour market and demography and considers whether and how immigration has been considered as an option for meeting emerging challenges in these areas. • The second chapter provides an inventory of stakeholders and an analysis of their activities. It gives a detailed account of who is responsible for which area of migration management in the different government departments. It also covers the activities of the various non-governmental organisations active in this field. The central question is which groups (within government, employers, trade unions, NGOs, academics and other experts) assess national migration needs, which instruments and mechanisms they use to make these assessments, and how they assert influence in the political decision-making process to translate these assessments into policies. • The third chapter provides an analysis of migration management in the areas covered by three of the most important Directives proposed by the European Commission (on admission for employment, family reunification1, and long-term residents). Rapporteurs compare the national legal framework with the proposed European measures, and assess the degree of convergence between the two. The chapter addresses each of the substantive points dealt with in the Commission’s proposals and sets out the corresponding national provisions, if such provisions exist under the current system. Recent and impending changes of national law are also examined, with a view to assessing whether immigration management rules are moving closer to or further away from the proposed European legislation. • The fourth chapter offers concluding remarks and evaluations by the rapporteurs. It addresses the Commission proposal for an Open Method of Co-ordination and considers whether such a mechanism would fit well with existing policy-making structures. Where appropriate, the chapter looks more closely at the proposed Guidelines and evaluates the degree to which they are already tackled in national policy. The impact of the European Employment Strategy on immigration management is also assessed. The fourth chapter also gives the rapporteurs an opportunity to make recommendations and to suggest alternative benchmarks for future debates and policy developments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Immigrants in Lisbon: routes of integration

The origins of this research lie in a report on the integration policies aimed at the immigrant population of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, written within the scope of an international research project co-ordinated by Harlan Koff and hosted by the Ethnobarometer Program1: Migrant Integration in Selected European Cities: a Comparative Evaluation of City-based Integration Measures2 (Koff, 2002). The work now undertaken further investigates the issues analysed in that report and is part of the Project “Reinventing Portuguese Metropolises: migrants and urban governance” of the Centro de Estudos Geográficos of the University of Lisbon, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (POCTI 38599/GEO/2001). It was not until recently that Portugal became a destination area for international migrations and, thus, the percentage of immigrants and ethnic minorities in the resident population of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area is lower than is the case in other capital regions of Central and Northern Europe. However, over the past 25 years, just like in other Southern European metropolises, there has been a significant growth in the number of foreign citizens, which has taken place alongside the ethnic and cultural diversification of those living in the Lisbon region. At the same time, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area has also undergone a process of social and spatial restructuring, with the reinforcement of the spatial segregation mechanisms based on ethnicity. Moreover, the development of ethnic enterpreneurship and the cultural and social practises specific to certain immigrant groups has led to the intensification of the original forms of appropriation of Lisbon’s urban space, the Martim Moniz area providing a paradigmatic example [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A longitudinal study of perceived health during pregnancy: antecedents and outcomes

Perceived health was studied longitudinally in a sample of 364 nulliparous women. Psychosocial, contextual, and biomedical factors were taken into account to predict medically relevant versus benign symptoms which were then used to predict perceived health over time. The results of structural equation modeling showed that pregnancy adjustment and medically relevant symptoms which were affected by social support, perceived stress, and negative affect predicted later perceived health. The outcomes of perceived health were examined during the third trimester in terms of medical care utilization and emergency room visits. Perceived health solely accounted for medical care utilization, while emergency room visits were accounted by medical care utilization and perceived stress

Becoming a part of ‘elsewhereness’: on the self‐perceived integration of Swedish immigrants in Portugal

This article discusses the self-perceived integration of Swedes permanently residing in Portugal. The knowledge of how EU citizens, particularly Swedes, live and integrate into Portuguese society is limited. The conceptual framework on self-perceived integration takes its points of departure from the concepts of a sense of belonging to society and place, feelings of discomfort and coping tactics. Using a semi-structured interview guide, 36 in-depth interviews with Swedes permanently residing in Portugal were conducted. Whereas some of the permanently residing Swedes have no ambition of integrating into Portuguese society, others display a strong selfperceived feeling of being integrated within the community where they live. The added value of this paper is that it shows the complexity behind the construction of the feeling of self-perceived integration of Swedes in Portugal. Building a feeling of self-perceived integration depends on many factors and is not a linear process.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio