Summary:
This essay examines the legislative provisions that introduced the civic integration programs (pre-entry and entry) initially in the Netherlands- laying the foundations for the so called "Dutch Model" (Michalowski, 2004) - and afterwards in France and Germany, and challenges the a) non divergence and b) divergence discourses of immigration policies around an axis of assimilation for the newcomer immigrants (Joppke, C. & Morawska E. (eds), 2002, Brubacker, R., 2003 and Carrera, S., 2006).
Focusing on the a) the sanctuary character of the integration programs (pre-entry and entry), their connection with entry, residence permits, citizenship and social benefits, b) subject population (scope) and c) political and social environment of the era, this case study argues in favor of a paradox manifested in the process of convergence of inclusion policies for newcomers, in an exclusionary axis.
Avoiding identifying the language component of the civic integration programs and the newcomers' adjustment to the receiving country's value system as indicative of assimilative policies, the present study presents data which prove that policy makers in the Netherlands, France and Germany used positive, politically acceptable language of integration in order to promote policies of border control and exclusion. Through the weakening of the distinct traits of the above mentioned receiving countries' traditional integration models, an attempt was made in order to encourage the objective of migration control for the Muslim, family based, low skilled newcomer immigrants.
Although there is some national variation with respect to the scope and the level of distinctiveness of integration policies, evidence depict that the countries of this case study deviated from the principles of integration and harmonized on a discriminatory basis, in an attempt to deepen the asymmetrical relationship between the receiving country and immigrant. The European Union's supranational system of decision making, provided via the EU Directives on Family Reunification and Status of Third Country Nationals (2003/106/EC and 2003/86/EC) the political opportunity for this strategic decision.
Keywords:
Social inclusion, civic integration programs (pre-entry and entry), multiculturalism, assimilation.
