Dissertations and Theses

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Department

International Relations

First Advisor

Jean Krasno

Second Advisor

Jeffrey Kucik

Keywords

Immigration, integration, multiculturalism

Abstract

The movement of peoples across borders has often been a prominent issue in the context of international relations, both historically when looking at the mass waves of European immigration throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and even more so in the current context of our globalized society with its increasingly complex migration patterns. As present-day crises and hardships continue to force individuals to flee their home countries, receiving states must address the various ramifications associated with granting entrance to the new influx of migrants. Regardless of the causal factors that prompt immigrant groups to leave their home countries, they are for the most part subject to uncoordinated integration programs, if any, that the receiving states may have in place. International protocol designates certain immigrant categories such as asylum-seekers or refugees as temporary, yet the reality is that the vast majority of immigrants are unlikely to return home, but rather establish roots in the countries to which they migrate. Upon arrival to the receiving state, immigrants are confronted by immediate barriers such as language and discrimination, which impede and delay an expeditious integration process. While the goal of complete integration includes many different facets of development and is dependent upon on multiple factors, receiving states should strive to adopt and implement coordinated and comprehensive integration mechanisms. These policies should allow immigrants to attain equal opportunities to those of their native-born counterparts, with frameworks that allow for increased access to education, economic mobility and social inclusion among other prime factors of integration. In my thesis, I will study the differences that exist between multiculturalism and assimilation in a comparison study.

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