Migrations Programme - [01/18/2008]

Examining immigrant integration policies in Spain: presentation of the Migrant Integration Policy Index 2006

The Spanish edition of the Migrant Integration Policy Index 2006 is presented in Madrid at an event organised by the CIDOB Foundation and the British Council-Spain.

In an address that brought to a close the presentation of the Spanish edition of the Index 2006, Secretary of State for Immigration and Expatriate Affairs Consuelo Rumí defined the current term of office as a "commencement" with respect to migration policies, and that Spain's political initiatives would consequently obtain higher marks in the next edition of the Index. The presentation also featured the participation of Joaquín Arango, Professor of Sociology at the Complutense University of Madrid and Jan Niessen, Director of the MPG-Migration Policy Group and the "architect" of the Index. Niessen stressed that the ultimate aim when creating the Index was to help to build a more open, inclusive Europe. The Index evaluates the integration policies of 28 countries (25 from the European Union, plus Canada, Norway and Switzerland) in six main areas of action: the labour market, family resettlement, long-term residence, political participation, naturalisation and anti-discrimination.

The presentation was the final event in a seminar which, under the title "Immigration and integration policies in Spain", brought together a number of experts who discussed different aspects of Spain’s integration policies. Chris Hickey, Director of the British Council-Spain and Josep Ribera, Director of the CIDOB Foundation, opened the seminar, which included an introduction to the results of the Index. Thomas Huddleston, an analyst from MPG, explained the method adopted for organising the Index, while paying particular attention to the data on Spain's integration policy.

The first session of the seminar, which included remarks from Francisco de Argila Lefler, dealt with the economic aspects of the migration phenomenon in Spain. José Antonio Alonso, Director of the Complutense Institute of International Studies, proposed that the model be changed in order to improve integration policies which, he argued, should focus especially on temporary flows and circular migration. Meanwhile, Ramón Mahía, Lecturer in Applied Economics at the Autonomous University of Madrid, highlighted the great importance of immigrant labour for Spain's growing economy, though he warned that this labour model could collapse in the event of an economic recession.

The second session dealt with integration and anti-discrimination policies in Spain. Lorenzo Cachón, Professor of Sociology at the Complutense University of Madrid, criticised the way in which European laws on anti-discrimination have been transposed onto Parliament, thereby determining the country's existing legal framework. Meanwhile, Cristina Blanco, Permanent Lecturer in Sociology at the Basque Country University, expressed criticism of the integration models that have been applied in Spain. Estrella Rodríguez, Director General of Immigrant Integration to the Secretary of State for Immigration and Expatriate Affairs, participated in the session as a commentator.

The final session, which featured some encouraging comments from Carlos Closa, Deputy Director of Studies and Research at the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies, focused on immigration and its political and social participation. Ricard Zapata, Permanent Lecturer in Political Science at the Pompeu Fabra University, proposed moving towards a more participative model for the immigrant, whom he considers to be a political and social actor. Elena García Guitián, Permanent Lecturer in Political Science at the Autonomous University of Madrid, agreed with the aforementioned view in her analysis of the importance of immigrants’ political participation.

The seminar and the presentation of the Migrant Integration Policy Index 2006 drew a numerous audience of experts, students and people linked with the knowledge of the migration phenomenon in Spain.