New report from NordForsk: Research in migration and integration

Seven research projects funded through the Joint Nordic-United Kingdom Research Initiative on Migration and Integration 2019-2024 have explored the structural, cultural, and social dimensions of integration, including the role of education, housing, labour market access, and community networks.

Key findings and outputs of the projects are summarized in a new report, highlighting that integration succeeds when local actors, institutions, and migrants themselves have agency and when policies recognise the complexity of people’s lives rather than imposing one-size-fits-all models.

Key findings include:

• Refugee policies have mixed results: Norway’s dispersal policy gave only small job benefits, while Scotland’s wider access to social housing reduced homelessness among refugees.
• In Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom, there are tensions and contestations between local and national governments over integration policies and practices.
• Young people of immigrant background often have higher educational ambitions than majority peers, and in Norway and Sweden they are more likely to enter into and progress quickly in higher education.

“A key strength of the initiative was its commitment to broad dissemination, ensuring that new knowledge reached schools, communities, and decision-makers across the Nordics and the UK. We are proud that the funded projects produced knowledge that is both academically robust and directly useful for policymakers working on migration and integration,” says Senior Adviser Bethina Strandberg-Jensen.