Social Inclusion, Integration and Citizenship - Policy overview: from multiculturalism to cohesion - MRN: Migrant Rights Network

Publication: towards progressive immigration policy

(42 page .pdf)

Migration Opportunity
Map Project (MOMP)

Publication: Migrant Voices, Migrants Rights

Social Inclusion, Integration and Citizenship

Policy overview: from multiculturalism to cohesion

Policies on integration and multiculturalism underwent a sea-change in 2002. The shift was away from policies emphasising diversity to policies focusing on promoting cohesion and a new emphasis on the need to build a stronger sense of shared identity and belonging. The catalysts behind these changes were mainly the Northern England disturbances in the summer 2001 - as well as the events of 11 September 2001. In the aftermath of the disturbances a series of reports were commissioned to investigate the causes. [1] The prognosis was of high degrees of segregation and disadvantage often reinforced by initiatives and programmes premised on promoting diversity and cultural difference. This marked a sharp shift away for multicultural policies aimed at promoting respect for cultural difference and an increased concern about diversity in public debate.

The Cantle report following these investigations recommended the promotion of community cohesion and the establishing of a stronger notion of citizenship based on common principles prioritised over cultural differences. The promotion of cohesion initially marked a changed policy in response to difficulties experienced by settled, second generation ethnic minority communities. However, this approach has come to encompass more recent migrants too. The Community Cohesion Panel reporting in 2004 made recommendations for ‘managed settlement’ policies to complement ‘managed migration’ policies. Community cohesion approaches are being developed through numerous initiatives and schemes that aim to break barriers between communities in diverse ways.

Following on from these changes there has been increased media debate on the possibility of

Britain

becoming ‘Too diverse’. In 2004 David Goodhart, editor of Prospect magazine, sparked this debate by positing a dilemma for the political left between its values of solidarity and diversity. Frequently fears about the social fragmentation are attributed to immigration. More recently gains made by the British National Party at the 2006 local elections in Barking and Dagenham have prompted concerns about politics and policy engaging the white working classes apparently losing out to migration. This led former Labour Minister Frank Field to question the sustainability of current immigration levels.

The most recent policy statement on integration in 2005 combines race equality policies across public service provision with cohesion policies aimed at young people and immigrants with citizenship-related initiatives. There is a separate raft of policies aimed at fostering refugee integration but the national refugee integration forum this set up has been disbanded. More research is investigating the tensions between indigenous working people and newcomers and anti-immigration. The prominence of policies seeking to emphasize cohesion over the differentiated approach attributed to multiculturalism is highlighted by Tony Blair’s speech on the ‘duty to integrate’ marking in December 2006.

For more on integration policies:

Blair, T (2006) ‘The Duty to Integrate: Shared British Values

Goodhart, D (2004) ‘Too diverse?’ in Prospect magazine

Home Office (2005) Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society

Home Office (2005) Integration Matters: A National Strategy for Refugee Integration (PDF)

Footnotes:

[1] Ouseley, H (2001) Community Pride not Prejudice. Ritchie, D (2001) One Oldham One Future. Clarke , T (2001) Burnley Speaks, Who Listens?. David Ritchie, Oldham Panel, One Oldham, One Future, 2001. Cantle, T (2001) Community Cohesion: A Report of the Independent Review Team

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