IMISCOE Reports – serie

In Europe immigration is a politically burning issue, especially when it comes to the arrival of asylum seekers and illegal labour migrants. Governments want to keep them under control in order to limit their numbers. Yet, traditionally there were strong differences between European states in the extent to which they sought to do so and the instruments employed to that end. Currently, the contours become visible of a common approach towards – notably irregular – migration. This becomes clear from the country studies comprising this volume.

The need to analyse labour market mechanisms in post-industrial Western societies is urgent. Despite laws and policy measures being developed at the European, national and local levels, job-seeking immigrants and ethnic minorities still suffer unequal access and ethnic discrimination. This volume endeavours to understand why. Four chapters dealing with discrimination, gender, equity policies and diversity management present a lively discussion of the current scientific debate. Besides providing empirical evidence, the authors recommend methods for conducting further research in the field and evaluate the actual effects of discrimination-combating policies. One conclusion is that systematic analysis of the labour market and its subsequent equity policies must be supported by hard data, such as statistics. With its state-of-the-art scope and unique thematic exploration, this volume transfers knowledge from social science studies to a more operational realm. From here, both scholars and practitioners can help make equal opportunities more accessible than ever.