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<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Migration &amp; Integration</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
<description>Itinera Institute - Issues - Migration &amp; Integration</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/web/sources/img/logo_itinera.jpg</url>
<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Migration &amp; Integration</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
</image>
<copyright>Copyright 2008, Itinera Institute</copyright>
<language>en</language>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
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<title>What can be learnt from the Dutch integration story?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In what social and economic areas is the gap between autochthones and immigrants closing? And in what areas nothing has changed? What factors are determining? This year report 2008 of the Dutch bureau for statistics is a source of inspiration about the actual situation of the social integration processes. And for a country like Belgium which is very close to the Netherlands according to the Migration Policy Index, this report can be an important source of inspiration on what to do, and what not to do.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-can-be-learnt-from-the-dutch-integration-story/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-can-be-learnt-from-the-dutch-integration-story/</guid>
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<title>Benefits of circular migration</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Circular migration is a continuing, long-term, and fluid pattern of international mobility of people among countries that occupy what is now recognized as a single economic space. According to this MPI Insight, both countries of origin and destination gain from this international mobility because it conforms to the natural preferences of many migrants and makes labour markets more flexible – an important instrument to cushion asymmetric shocks (economic shocks that hit countries differently) in Europe for example. Removing administrative obstacles to mobility and developing flexible long-term residence permits are only two of the many other policy recommendations advanced in this article. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/benefits-of-circular-migration/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/benefits-of-circular-migration/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Off-shoring and immigration of skilled workers fosters competitiveness</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to this Bruegel policybrief, Europe’s corporations are changing the way they do business, in a context of increasing competition and scarcity of top-talent. They are slicing up the value chain and introducing flatter chains of command in order to cut costs and woo the highly skilled workers. Contrary to popular belief, both off-shoring to the near-abroad and immigration of skilled workers can foster European competitiveness and help keep jobs in Europe. This is also highly relevant for a small open economy like Belgium.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/off-shoring-and-immigration-of-skilled-workers-fosters-competitiveness/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/off-shoring-and-immigration-of-skilled-workers-fosters-competitiveness/</guid>
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<title>Credit for knowledge</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The last couple of years we have lived with the illusion that wealth is only a matter of numbers by selling homes to an ever higher price. Yet, we knew wealth is not generated by making one bigger bet after the other, but by technological progress.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/credit-for-knowledge/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/credit-for-knowledge/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Temporary agency work as a transition for a more efficient labour market? Reflection.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Following the lecture of Jan Denys, Randstad, of the 17th of September, Fons Leroy, VDAB, answers.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/temporary-agency-work-as-a-transition-for-a-more-efficient-labour-market-reflection/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/temporary-agency-work-as-a-transition-for-a-more-efficient-labour-market-reflection/</guid>
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<title>Migration policy: Belgium is lagging behind, but progresses</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This OECD report provides a broad update of migration policies and contains notably a “scoreboard” of immigrant employment integration. Belgium appears in the very bottom league regarding the gap between foreign-born and the native-born: It is ranked last but one, just before Poland. The immigrant employment rate in our country appears among the lowest in the OECD area, while foreign-born unemployment rate appears among the highest. In 2006, only one immigrant in two was employed. The outcome improves when the education profile is taken into account (57%), but not enough to change Belgium’s position. Despite these bad performances, one can however note that Belgium has made considerable progress since 2001, especially in the case of immigrant women.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-policy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-policy/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Employment assimilation of immigrants in the Netherlands: Catching up and the irrelevance of education</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This Iza study examines employment assimilation of immigrants in The Netherland. The authors observe marked differences between immigrants by source country: Predictably, non-western immigrants never reach parity with native Dutch, but even the second generation immigrants never fully catch-up. On the contrary, the western, immigrants seem to face no considerable difficulties in the Dutch labour market. The most striking result is however that education is irrelevant for socio-economic position of immigrants once the country of origin has been controlled for, suggesting that immigrants are still subject to discrimination.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/employment-assimilation-of-immigrants-in-the-netherlands-catching-up-and-the-irrelevance-of-education/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/employment-assimilation-of-immigrants-in-the-netherlands-catching-up-and-the-irrelevance-of-education/</guid>
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<title>Immigrants do not squeeze natives out of labour market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ As much as we used to think that squeezing out the older workers out of the labour market (lump of labour fallacy) would translate in to jobs for young people, believing immigrants on the labour market have the same effect on native employment is naïve. This is what follows from this NBER paper by Ottaviano and Peri who pone that immigrants and native jobs can be complementary which means the natives’ wages could go up thanks to immigration.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrants-do-not-squeeze-natives-out-of-labour-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrants-do-not-squeeze-natives-out-of-labour-market/</guid>
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<title>Europe&#8217;s immigration priorities</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to this Bruegel policy brief, purely national migration policies are increasingly ineffective in addressing the EU’s urgent migration challenges. The author identifies high-skilled migration, irregular migration and asylum policy as the key areas for common action, while mid- and low-skilled legal migration and the integration challenge should continue to be dealt with at the national level. Regarding high-skilled immigration, he claims that the European blue card directive needs to be revised so that it genuinely offers access to the entire EU labour market, and that developing countries concerned about brain drain should be offered an opt-out clause.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/europes-immigration-priorities/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/europes-immigration-priorities/</guid>
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<title>With kind regards to the Immigrant</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The reasoning sounds compelling: the more immigrants, the larger the number of potential workers and the more the wage of the native worker is threatened. However, for this argument to hold economically, other additional assumptions have to hold. One is, for example, the conjecture that both workers are competing for the same job. This study on the other hand –  Ottaviano and Peri (NBER, 2007) –  shows that this wasn't true for the United States in the period 1990-2004, so that the average wage of  the American employee benefited both in the long and in the short run from immigration. European and Belgian policymakers therefore have to keep this result in mind when imposing continuously stricter immigration laws.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/with-kind-regards-to-the-immigrant/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/with-kind-regards-to-the-immigrant/</guid>
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<title>Should public authorities subsidise external beauty?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Figures that have recently been published by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre show that health insurance spending for plastic surgery has more than doubled in only 11 years. This example serves to introduce a debate on the desirability of health expenses in general.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/should-public-authorities-subsidise-external-beauty/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/should-public-authorities-subsidise-external-beauty/</guid>
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<title>The impact of EU migration on native workers.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This DWP paper found no statistically significant impact of migration from the new EU Member States on claimant unemployment, either overall of for any identifiable subgroup. In particular the authors found no adverse impacts on the young or low-skilled, nor on wages, either on average or at any point in the wage distribution. Thus, the impact of EU migration on the labour market is not negative now, and given the changing demography, could become a real asset.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-impact-of-eu-migration-on-native-workers/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-impact-of-eu-migration-on-native-workers/</guid>
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<title>What we can learn from return migration?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to this EUI paper, a large part of the return migrants from the Maghreb positively evaluate their migration experience. Migrants that left as students or employees, for instance, often go back to occupy high-quality jobs, become self-employed or even employer. But returnees do not form a homogenous group. The high value that returnees may attach to human capital transfer and skill acquisition abroad will determine whether they will consider their migration experience as a success – or not. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-we-can-learn-from-return-migration/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-we-can-learn-from-return-migration/</guid>
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<title>Languages and Economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ As 59% and 53% of Flemish people master French and English, only 19% and 17% of the Walloon speak Dutch and English. The economic impact of this is not to be underestimated.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/languages-and-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/languages-and-economy/</guid>
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<title>Ethnic background matters on labour market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ More evidence from the Netherlands shows that non-western immigrants never reach parity with native Dutch on the labour market, says this IZA working paper. Ethnic background thus seems to matter in explaining the underperformances of immigrants. Labour market integration therefore requires policies on various fronts such as unemployment, job quality and relation to education and upward mobility. Belgium is only just starting with unemployment….]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ethnic-background-matters-on-labour-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ethnic-background-matters-on-labour-market/</guid>
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<title>Migration flows do not only react to economic incentives</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This study of the Catholic University of Leuven offers a structural explanation of migration patterns to European countries between 1980 and 2004. The authors demonstrate that migration flow react to economic incentives, mainly with regard to the labor market, but also to cultural and colonial linkage. They show that the response of migration patterns to shortages in the labor market is highly efficient, while immigrants are not foremost attracted by high levels of social expenditure.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-flows-do-not-only-react-to-economic-incentives/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-flows-do-not-only-react-to-economic-incentives/</guid>
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<title>European Blue Cards: What are the main stakes</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Frédéric Docquier analyses the Belgian and European migration policies in the context of an ageing society that looses some of its qualified workforce to the rest of the world. He concludes that a selective migration policy that respects certain crucial principles is not neccesarily pernicious for the countries of origin. The question should rather be: what's in it for the host countries?]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/european-blue-cards-what-are-the-main-stakes/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/european-blue-cards-what-are-the-main-stakes/</guid>
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<title>Immigrant's educational dispersion and disadvantage</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This IZA working paper confirms what many studies found before: immigrant's educational dispersion exceeds that of natives. This derives from very low achieving immigrants who fall considerably behind 'worst' achieving native students. This is not different for Belgium. The author suggests that factors such as language, family structure and socio-economic status are important in explaining these differences. Surprisingly, even the immigrants' country of origin explains only a very small part of immigrant's achievement. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrants-educational-dispersion-and-disadvantage/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrants-educational-dispersion-and-disadvantage/</guid>
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<title>Belgium is likely to lose the international war on talent</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This NBER article found that the more educated are more likely to emigrate and that more-educated migrants are more likely to settle in destination countries with high rewards to skill. Belgium will therefore have to make efforts in becoming more attractive in the context of an international war on talent. Given our tight labour market and limited income dispersion, many challenges lie ahead.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-likely-to-lose-the-international-war-on-talent/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-likely-to-lose-the-international-war-on-talent/</guid>
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<title>Highly educated immigrants even more important than highly educated Belgians on labour market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to the Socio-Economic Council of Flanders, many highly educated immigrants work under their qualifications and skills level. Unemployment is also 7 times higher compared to highly educated Belgians. Not only is this a waste of societal capital but also a discouraging example for the rest of the immigrant community. The solutions will have to come from all parties involved. The government has to set up and implement a proactive diversity policy, but employers and employees will have to contribute too, through life-long learning or the study of a second official language for example.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/highly-educated-immigrants-even-more-important-than-highly-educated-belgians-on-labour-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/highly-educated-immigrants-even-more-important-than-highly-educated-belgians-on-labour-market/</guid>
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<title>Demography is destiny</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc de Vos offers perspectives on the new demographic predictions for Belgium and warns that structural scarcity on the labour market can engender a real workforce crisis. He pleads for a mobilisation that includes selective immigration but warns that immigration is not a magical solution and that it implies long term consequences.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/demography-is-destiny/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/demography-is-destiny/</guid>
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<title>Migration from the new member states: trends and misconceptions</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The successive enlargements of 2004 and 2007 have lowered barriers to intra EU mobility. This explains the enormous increase of new member states immigrants to the EU 15 countries – and especially to countries like the UK that have open labour markets. According to this study of the Institute for Public Policy Research, the British economy has benefited from this migration flow through the supply of a young, dynamic, increasingly educated and hard working workforce. Only drawback: because of economic, financial and demographic factors, arrivals from the new member states will start to fall and eventually stagnate. This suggests that, as the other old member states, Belgium will have to diversify its remedies to face challenges like ageing or skilled workforce scarcity: migration alone and open labour markets will not be enough.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-from-the-new-member-states-trends-and-misconceptions/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-from-the-new-member-states-trends-and-misconceptions/</guid>
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<title>Does citizenship matter? The economic impact of naturalisations in Germany</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Several reasons could explain why citizenship affects the labour market performance of immigrants. First, productivity could increase thanks to unrestricted market access, second a reduction of the administrative burden that could increase labour opportunities and thirdly it could enhance the employer’s willingness to invest in human capital. This study, shows an immediate positive naturalization effect on wages and on wage growth. But, as often, differences between immigrants seem to play a considerable role as well. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-citizenship-matter-the-economic-impact-of-naturalisations-in-germany/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-citizenship-matter-the-economic-impact-of-naturalisations-in-germany/</guid>
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<title>Does cultural diversity affect productivity?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The immigration debate has long ago stopped of being a social or a cultural one only. The general economic impact of interactions among a rising and increasingly diversified number of people is now widely recognised – just think about ageing. But is a culturally diversified society more or less efficient than a culturally homogenous one? The potential benefits – a wider variety of goods, services and skills – could be outweighed by potential costs such as racism and prejudices. Using EU 15 data, it is shown that cultural diversity stimulates productivity.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-cultural-diversity-affect-productivity/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-cultural-diversity-affect-productivity/</guid>
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<title>Does employment protection help immigrants? </title>
<description><![CDATA[ Severe employment protection legislation (EPL) creates an information gap between native and immigrant workers. Because of sociological barriers – language, experience in the labour market, union membership etc. – the latter are less aware of their rights, and the duties of the employers. This information asymmetry creates a hiring asymmetry in favour of the immigrant worker: the fewer the worker is informed the lower the hiring cost, thus creating a comparative advantage that will benefit to the immigrant worker.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-employment-protection-help-immigrants/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-employment-protection-help-immigrants/</guid>
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<title>Educational inequalities among immigrants</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A precondition for immigrants’ integration is their point of departure for labour market success: their education and ability. Whereas most studies disguise the diversity within the immigrant population by focusing on average educational attainment of immigrants vis-à-vis natives, this paper examines educational inequalities among immigrants in eight high immigration countries. The results indicate that for almost all countries immigrants’ educational dispersion is considerably higher than for natives. In most countries immigrants’ high educational dispersion derives from a considerable group of 'worst' achieving immigrants who fall considerably behind 'worst' achieving native students.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/educational-inequalities-among-immigrants/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/educational-inequalities-among-immigrants/</guid>
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<title>Does immigration affect the Phillips curve? Some evidence from Spain</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Immigration can help to moderate wages

What is the impact of immigration on inflation? Spain experienced a drop in unemployment by 15 percentage points over the period 1995-2006, with roughly constant inflation. This paper estimates that the fall in unemployment since 1995 would have led to an annual increase in inflation of 2.5 percentage points if it had not been largely offset by immigration, a finding that suggests that immigration can help to suppress inflation as unemployment falls and labour market shortages appear.  The Spanish example suggests that also the Belgian economy, with rising inflation and a labour market with increasing shortages, could benefit from more immigration.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-immigration-affect-the-phillips-curve-some-evidence-fom-spain/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-immigration-affect-the-phillips-curve-some-evidence-fom-spain/</guid>
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<title>How open economies absorb large immigration flows</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Several decades of research have shown that the effects of immigration flows on wages are surprisingly small. This IZA paper explores alternative channels by which open economies absorb immigration flows. Unprecedented massive immigration into Spanish regions in the period 2001-2006 led to a large expansion of employment in high immigration regions. The main absorption channel has been within-industry changes in the skill composition of sectoral employment (the typical industry in a high-immigration region has increased the share of low educated workers in its workforce, relative to the same industry in a low-immigration region). The authors conclude that, overall, Spanish regions have absorbed immigration flows in the same way as US local economies. With its small and open economy also Belgium could benefit from more immigration.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-open-economies-absorb-large-immigration-flows/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-open-economies-absorb-large-immigration-flows/</guid>
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<title>Integration and assimilation are inseparable</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos contests Turkey’s prime minister Erdogan’s labeling of assimilation as a crime against humanity. A degree of assimilation is the natural result of integration. What is more, in western democracies assimilation is a requirement of integration in view of our common and individual citizenship.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/integratieenassimilatiezijnonafscheidelijk/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/integratieenassimilatiezijnonafscheidelijk/</guid>
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<title>Belgo-Turkish: A bridge or a Breach between Turkey and the European union?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Migration is a fact of life, a helpful boost to ageing populations, but also a source of division. This study of the King Baudouin Foundation explores the identity of the different Turkish communities in Belgium. While emphasizing the potential of Belgian-Turks as “intercultural ambassadors” between communities, it sheds light on the lack of integration of some categories of migrants, like married women and the young. It suggests the development of inclusion policies directed towards migrants associations and civil society organisations working with migrants.  ]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgo-turkish-a-bridge-or-a-breach-between-turkey-and-the-european-union/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgo-turkish-a-bridge-or-a-breach-between-turkey-and-the-european-union/</guid>
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<title>Immigrant workers and temporary work: a front united?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos reflects on the recent improvement of the jobless rate for young immigrants in Flanders and connects it to the proposal to restrict the duration of temporary work. He defends temporary work limitations but warns that less temporary work also means less work opportunities for the weakest groups as long as the regular labour market stays rigid.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrant-workers-and-temporary-work-a-front-united/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrant-workers-and-temporary-work-a-front-united/</guid>
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<title>Does migration to Belgium reach record heights?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In 2005, more than 90,000 foreigners migrated to our country, a historical peak. This official number exceeds to a great extent the figure in periods when immigration was actively encouraged by the government. In this study Nicolas Perrin (UCL) observes a “statistical magical trick”: Belgian official migration statistics do not take into account the (since 1989 exploding) number of asylum seekers. The researcher stresses the discrepancy between the official numbers and reality. He also believes that official statistics suggesting a stable “foreign population” in Belgium are flawed. More specifically, the “foreign population” is underestimated since the number of Belgians born as a foreigner is not taken into account.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-migration-to-belgium-reach-record-heights/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-migration-to-belgium-reach-record-heights/</guid>
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<title>Labour migration to the EU is a win-win</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Also in the EU labour migration constitutes a massive win-win: total remittance flows fade the transfers for Official Development Aid (ODA). In this study, the European Commission for the first time completely mapped these remittance flows. It turns out that migrants in the EU sent about 20 billions euro to third countries in 2006. In the same year 200 millions euro flowed back from Belgium to countries of origin outside the EU, mainly in North Africa.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/labour-migration-to-the-eu-is-a-win-win/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/labour-migration-to-the-eu-is-a-win-win/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Can migration save ageing?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Immigration raises the population of a country. But what is its impact on ageing and its financing? Almost zero according to the Center for Immigration Studies who raised the question for the United States. Even if migrants are young, they get older and do not reverse the age pyramid. As ageing will not be compensated by increased immigration, genuine policy reforms will be needed to address its budgetary implications. The study demonstrates how raising the retirement age can be a very effective measure.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-migration-save-ageing/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-migration-save-ageing/</guid>
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<title>More diversification for migration policies</title>
<description><![CDATA[ With a labour market more and more global and more and more qualified, the French migration policy does not promote enough the work migration and favors to much the ‘family’ migration. This is the result of this OECD study which recommends to France to diversify its migration policy introducing a dose of selected, temporary and qualified migration. Belgium should pay attention as it shares common migration characteristics with France, such as a dominance of lowly qualified migration and workforce shortage in key sectors.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-diversification-for-migration-policies/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-diversification-for-migration-policies/</guid>
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<title>The need for a targeted labour migration policy in a welfare state</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Just like Belgium, the Netherlands are attractive for low-skill migrants but less attractive for highly-qualified migrants. This study of the Dutch Centraal Planbureau (CPB) explains this observation by pointing to the welfare state with a relatively high degree of income distribution. Extensive welfare steeds need to put an extra effort to be attractive (financially or otherwise) for highly-qualified migrants. Possible efforts include more fiscal advantages during the first years of stay or simplified procedures for this group of migrants. It furthermore seems wise to only carefully admit low-skill migrants on a temporary basis.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-need-for-a-targeted-labour-migration-policy-in-a-welfare-state/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-need-for-a-targeted-labour-migration-policy-in-a-welfare-state/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Globalisation: panacea or pandemic?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Globalisation is a real phenomenon that both enraptures and divides public opinion. At the occasion of an international forum, Marc De Vos offers general perspectives on the components, the consequences, the challenges and the future of globalisation. Globalisation is neither panacea nor pandemic but at the bottom line a force for better health.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/globalisation-panacea-or-pandemic/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/globalisation-panacea-or-pandemic/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/Globalisation%2020-10-07.pdf" length="10538696" type="application/pdf" />
</item>
<item>
<title>No everybody is equal with respect to poverty</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Non-European inhabitants have a 30% chance to live in poverty here in Belgium. This is the result of a King Baudouin Foundation report which is the first one to draw a systematic picture of poverty among foreigners in Belgium. So far traditional stakeholders in poverty alleviation policy did not adequately take into account the growing relation between migration and poverty. We face an important challenge: how to prevent the emergence of a “poverty generation” and to improve relations between the different communities in Belgium.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/no-everybody-is-equal-with-respect-to-poverty/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/no-everybody-is-equal-with-respect-to-poverty/</guid>
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<title>The war for talent is open.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Belgians live longer and have fewer children, this is a fact. In order to compensate for the foretell shortage of qualified workforce we will have to compete with other OECD countries for qualified and employable migrants. According to this publication of the Hamburg Institute of International Economics, we should compare our migration policies with those of countries with a tradition of economic immigration such as the United States, Canada or Australia.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-competition-for-talent-is-open/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-competition-for-talent-is-open/</guid>
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<title>Belgian healthcare policy is not adapted to grey migration.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Migration and ageing are no isolated phenomena: immigrants/foreigners are increasingly part of the collective ageing of our society, causing new integration problems. This study of the King Baudouin Foundation investigates the impact of this evolution on both the host community and people of foreign origin. In terms of social assistance, health care and social protection, host country Belgium has not always carried out the adaptations which the migrant population considers as crucial. The study warns for “copy-pasting” our own model of elderly care. Autonomy is an important value for elderly of foreign origin, whereas indigenous elderly rather consider the feeling of familial “dependence” as vital.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/grey-migration/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/grey-migration/</guid>
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<title>Muslims integrate less and more slowly than non-Muslims.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A study for the UK finds that Muslims integrate less and more slowly than non-Muslims. A Muslim born in the UK and having spent there more than 50 years shows a comparable level of probability of having a strong religious identity than a non-Muslim just arrived in the country. Specifically, high levels of income as well as high on-the-job qualifications increase the Muslims’ sense of identity. Economic integration and cultural integration apparently are not a spontaneous couple. There is also no evidence that segregated neighbourhoods breed intense religious and cultural identities for ethnic minorities. This result equally casts doubts on the foundations of the integration policies in Europe.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/muslim-immigrants-and-the-integration-conundrum/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/muslim-immigrants-and-the-integration-conundrum/</guid>
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<title>Migration is no One Way Street.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In a globalising labour market, migrants no longer make once and for all migratory decisions. Global workers return, move on, or become circular movers. In Germany, more than 60% of migrants from guest worker countries are indeed repeat migrants. The global circulation of the migrant labour force is often under exposed. The result of its dynamics can be a win-win-win for the migrant, the host country and the origin country.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-is-no-one-way-street/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/migration-is-no-one-way-street/</guid>
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<title>Can Belgium be inspired by the French reforms?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In May 2007, the French elected a new president: Nicolas Sarkozy. In June 2007, his political party, the UMP, won the legislative elections. During  these two political campaings, Nicolas Sarkozy and his Prime Minister promoted a broad reform programme linked to many social and economical issues (pensions, labour market, migration, taxation,...). Could Belgium find some inspiration in the French reforms?
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-belgium-be-inspired-by-the-french-reforms/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-belgium-be-inspired-by-the-french-reforms/</guid>
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<title>To protest is healthy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The prohibition of a protest rally against political Islamism is the wrong decision for the wrong reason, argues Marc De Vos. We should not evolve into a culture where every contestation of absolute tolerance is labeled as absolute intolerance.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/to-protest-is-healthy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/to-protest-is-healthy/</guid>
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<title>The American Dream is still alive</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The USA remains an example of successful immigration policy. While American politics are in turmoil over limiting immigration, the figures for upward economic mobility of immigrants in the US remain striking. A country that absorbs more than one and a half million of immigrants per year is still able to provide economic integration and strong upward mobility between generations. However, the growing number of low skilled immigrants presents a challenge to upward mobility.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-american-dream-is-still-alive/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-american-dream-is-still-alive/</guid>
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<title>Inclusion on a labour market in permanent transition</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The modern transitional and dynamic labour market requires a policy that enables change for the employers while guaranteeing its success for workers and job seekers. Without change work becomes a dead-end street. On the other hand, change by itself is no guarantee for inclusion. The Netherlands are often seen as an example for transition without exclusion. However, the position of immigrants on the Dutch labour market is less successful, but not uniformly negative either.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/inclusion-on-a-labour-market-in-permanent-transition/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/inclusion-on-a-labour-market-in-permanent-transition/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Is the brain drain driven by female ambition?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Female migration to OECD countries has been increasing significantly in recent decades. A more surprising result is that this is also true for the highly skilled. This actually means that women are over represented, given their relative under representation in tertiary education in many less developed countries. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/is-the-brain-drain-driven-by-female-ambition/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/is-the-brain-drain-driven-by-female-ambition/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Immigration's Economic Impact</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Economic immigration can be a win-win game for the immigrant and the economy of the host country. But is an inflow of low-wage labour bad for the income of the native population? Controversial and contradictory data abound on this issue. For the U.S., the presidential Council of Economic Advisers now offers a positive verdict. In general immigrants are not competitors; rather they promote the development and income of the indigenous labour force.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrations-economic-impact/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/immigrations-economic-impact/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Are there perverse asocial effects to ethnic diversity?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Immigration and growing ethnic diversity are facts of life that force many countries to adopting deliberate integration policies. A thought-provoking empirical study for the USA shows how ethnic diversity generates noticeable short term asocial effects within the local community. Trust is lower, altruism and community cooperation rarer, friends fewer. In the long run, however, the famous American melting pot has so far succeeded in overcoming fragmentation by creating new and more encompassing identities. Does Belgium have the short term problems without a long term solution?]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/are-there-perverse-asocial-effects-to-ethnic-diversity/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/are-there-perverse-asocial-effects-to-ethnic-diversity/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Earnings Prospects for People with Migration Background in Germany</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Are new nationals only half-nationals on the labour market? How the colour of your skin can determine earnings prospects on the labour market, irrespective of your nationality. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/earnings-prospects-people-with-migration-background-germany/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/earnings-prospects-people-with-migration-background-germany/</guid>
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<title>The Fiscal Cost of Low-Skill Immigrants to the U.S. Taxpayer</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Should we side for good immigration only? What is the cost of low-skill (legal and illegal) immigrant households? The authors of this Heritage Foundation Special Report argue that government should limit immigration to those who will be net fiscal contributors. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fiscal-cost-low-skill-immigrants-to-the-us-taxpayer/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fiscal-cost-low-skill-immigrants-to-the-us-taxpayer/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Getting Immigration Reform Right</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Can we organise and control the flows of immigration? Ray Marshall from the Economic Policy Institute analyses the consequences of the “Immigration Reform and Control Act” (IRCA) implemented in the United States in 1986. He offers potential solutions for a more efficient immigration policy. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/getting-immigration-reform-right/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/getting-immigration-reform-right/</guid>
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<item>
<title>How Immigrants Affect California Employment and Wages</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Do immigrants hurt the labour market options of native workers and steel local jobs? The Public Policy Institute of California gives a clear negative answer after analysing the effect of the immigration inflow on the employment, population, and wages of U.S. natives in California between 1960 and 2004. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-immigrants-affect-california-employment-wages/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-immigrants-affect-california-employment-wages/</guid>
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<title>A European Blue Card Proposal</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Is selective migration needed to salvage an ageing European Union? Bruegel research fellow Jakob von Weizsäcker favours a selective migration policy and pleads for a European “blue card” analogous to the American “green card”. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/european-blue-card-proposal/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/european-blue-card-proposal/</guid>
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