Integration actors can struggle to find up-to-date, comprehensive research data and analysis on which to base policies, proposals for change and projects to achieve equality in their country. Instead they may find anecdotal, out-dated information and piecemeal statistics that are too disconnected from the real impact on people’s lives to assist in formulating improvements.
The MIPEX aims to address this by providing a comprehensive tool which can be used to assess, compare and improve integration policy. The MIPEX includes 31 countries in order to provide a view of integration policies across a broad range of differing environments.
The tool allows you to dig deep into the multiple factors that influence the integration of migrants into society and allows you to use the full MIPEX results to analyse and assess past and future changes in policy.
For help on how specific groups can use the MIPEX, click on a category to access the user toolkit:
Government | Advocacy | Global Actors | Research | Press
The third edition of the MIPEX covers more countries and more policies. With new analysis over time it can identify the changing trends in Europe.
The third edition adds:
• Bulgaria, Romania and the USA.
• A new policy strand on the education of migrant pupils.
• New indicators to match new EU standards on labour market integration.
• New indicators on the implementation of policies.
With new analysis of changes over time the MIPEX identifies the changing trends in integration policy. Bulgaria, Romania and the USA have been added to the 25 European Union countries, Switzerland, Norway and Canada of the second edition.
A new policy strand on the education of migrant pupils adds 27 new policy indicators to those on labour market mobility, family reunion, political participation, long-term residence, access to nationality and anti-discrimination.
Indicators have been updated, including the addition of 40 new indicators. 12 indicators expand the strand on labour market mobility and others measure how the way policies are implemented can facilitate or hinder participation (e.g. consultative bodies, language/integration tests).
First edition
The Migrant Integration Policy Index was first published in 2004 as the European Civic Citizenship and Inclusion Index. It was the first time that the policies of the EU-15 towards migrants had been presented in a concise, transparent and comparable format. The 2004 Index was positively received by target audiences - NGOs, governments, academics, press and European Institutions such as the European Commission and European Parliament. It was launched in Brussels, Madrid and London.
Collaboration
The 2004 MIPEX was a collaboration of the British Council, Migration Policy Group, Foreign Policy Centre and University of Sheffield. It was part-funded by the Barrow-Cadbury Charitable Trust and Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
Second edition
The second edition of the MIPEX, conducted in 2007, measures policies to integrate migrants in 25* EU Member States and Canada, Norway and Switzerland. It uses over 140 policy indicators covering six policy areas which shape a migrant's journey to full citizenship: Labour market access; Family reunion; Long-term residence; Political participation; Access to nationality and Anti-discrimination. The MIPEX II was launched to the international press in Brussels in October 2007 followed by national events across Europe to stimulate discussions and debate.
*The MIPEX II application was accepted prior to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in January 2007.
Collaboration
The MIPEX II partnership was led by the British Council together with MPG and co-financed by the European Community under the European Commission DG Freedom, Security and Justice INTI (Integrating Third Country Nationals) programme.
The British Council and Migration Policy Group led a Network of Partners comprised of 25 partner organisations, with Research Partners at Sheffield University and the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
The national partners were: Danish Institute for Human Rights (Denmark); INED (France); Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (Germany); Institute of Public Affairs (Poland); NCCRI (Ireland); Fundació CIDOB (Spain); King Baudoin Foundation (Belgium); Association for Canadian Studies (Canada); e2 (Finland); Hellenic League for Human Rights (Greece); Synigoros (Greece); Menedek (Hungary); Fondazione ISMU (Italy); ASTI (Luxembourg); FORUM (The Netherlands); Norway´s Contact Committee for Immigrants and the Authorities (KIM) (Norway); Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal); CEIFO (Sweden); SFM (Switzerland); Commission for Racial Equality (UK); Immigration Advisory Service (UK). The 5 migration experts sitting on the Index scientific advisory committee were Prof Joaquín Arango; Prof Virginie Guiraudon; Prof George Kolankiewicz; Prof Marco Martiniello and Prof Rainer Baubock.
MIPEX demonstrates how countries can do better in creating the legal environment in which immigrants can contribute to a country’s well-being, where they have equal access to employment and education, live in security with their families, become active citizens and are protected against discrimination.
Since policies are one factor influencing integration, MIPEX can be used as a starting point to evaluate how policy changes can improve integration in practice. This information must be sourced from official statistics, budgets, project and scientific evaluations, government reporting, and evidence from NGOs, courts and migrants.
Further research should investigate whether a policy is working in practice and answer how changes in integration policy are:
1. based on evidence and international standards
2. funded and implemented
3. evaluated for those who are supposed to benefit
4. analysed for their broader impact on society
5. improved based on new evidence.
Who's using MIPEX?
The Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) stimulates debates, informs high-level reports and is used for civil society action on migrant integration policy across Europe.
The MIPEX has been referenced in several high-level reports including the Council of Europe’s policy recommendations on measures to improve the democratic participation of migrants and the Fundamental Rights Agency’s annual report citing the MIPEX as an example of a complementary socio-legal information source.
It has been used in a variety of situations and by a variety of stakeholders, from the UK’s House of Lords to non-governmental and church organisations and the media using comparable data to influence and inform debate.
The MIPEX has caught the attention of governments, NGOs, researchers, the media and even banks, successfully providing factual information to enhance policy debates, studies and action in the field of migrant integration.
Inspiring civil society action
The MIPEX data has been used by civil society to make assessments of proposed legislation on migrant integration; examples include the UK’s Runnymede Trust and Ireland’s Cross Care Migrant Project.
Stimulating debate via the media
The media across Europe has also increased attention on the MIPEX with national newspapers concentrating on their country ratings, helping to spread fact-based information to inform national debates.
Who produces MIPEX?
The MIPEX project is led by the British Council and the Migration Policy Group. 37 national-level organisations, including think-tanks, non-governmental organisations, foundations, universities, research institutes and equality bodies are affiliated with the MIPEX project alongside the British Council offices in 31 countries across Europe, Canada and the USA.
The research is designed, coordinated and undertaken by the Migration Policy Group in cooperation with the research partners. The publication, including the results and country profiles, were written by the Migration Policy Group. The national partners, along with British Council offices, will hold a series of events in 2011 to launch debates across Europe and North America.
The MIPEX III is produced as part of the project: Outcomes for Policy Change, co-financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
The MIPEX coordination team:
Anita Cassidy, Project Assistant, British Council
David Sorrentino, Communications Manager, British Council
Jim Hollington, MIPEX III Project Director, British Council
Thomas Huddleston, Central Research Coordinator, Migration Policy Group
Elodie Journeau, Research Assistant, Migration Policy Group
Eadaoin Ni Chaoimh, Research Assistant, Migration Policy Group
Jan Niessen, MIPEX III Project Director, Migration Policy Group
Keti Tskitishvili, Senior Project Manager, British Council
Emilie White, Communications Manager, Migration Policy Group.
Follow the MIPEX
The MIPEX is an on-going monitoring and assessment tool. It not only reveals past policy changes, but it also allows you to assess the impact of policy changes as they occur or create scenarios to experiment with different ways to improve your country’s score.
You can share the MIPEX findings and your own scenarios through your preferred social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter by clicking on the share buttons. You can also follow updates and opinion articles on our blog pages and stay informed through our e-newsletter.
Debates will take place in person at events across Europe, the USA and Canada as well as online via webinars to build recommendations for national policy improvements. You can stay up to date on these and new developments as new countries and findings are added to the MIPEX in the future by following the MIPEX:
Who supports MIPEX?
The Migrant Integration Policy Index enjoys strong support from integration policy actors across all participating countries in Europe, the US and Canada.
The Signatories to the MIPEX are people who use the MIPEX in their own efforts to improve integration policies in their countries and encourage others to do so. By signing the signatories state that they:
- Support the EU's goal to grant comparable rights and responsibilities for all of Europe’s residents by 2014. All EU Member State governments agreed to this in the 'Stockholm Programme'.
- Support a better informed and more evidence-based approach to integration policy.
- Value learning from European legal standards on integration and from the progress made in other countries.
- Are interested to know and use the MIPEX results as part of their own efforts to evaluate, compare, and ultimately improve the outcomes of their country’s integration policy.
Endorsements
The Migrant Integration Policy Index enjoys strong support from integration policy actors across all participating countries in Europe, the US and Canada.
‘Over the years the MIPEX continues to be a valuable tool for mapping and assessing existing integration policies in the European Union. I am pleased to support this initiative, especially as the third edition covers all EU Member States and more policies relevant to integration. The MIPEX provides a good basis for the analysis of trends in Europe. It is worthwhile to note that many Member States generally perform better, in terms of migrant integration policies, in those areas where Union law exists such as family reunification, long-term residence and anti-discrimination.’
Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Home Affair
MIPEX Online Tour
