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Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer GesellschaftenMax Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity

Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity

Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und

multiethnischer Gesellschaften

New Complexities and Challenges of Diversity

Prof. Dr. Steven Vertovec

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New Complexities and Challenges of Diversity

diversity is not what it used to be… – ‘diversification of diversity’, esp. since

c.1990

I. Migration flows / originsII. Migration categories / channelsIII. Social & policy implications

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In-migration, United Kingdom

1993-2002 2002

Eastern Europe

West Africa

Other Africa

North America

Southern Africa

East Africa

other Asia

West Asia

South-East Asia

South-Central AsiaCentral Americ

Caribbean

Middle Africa

North Africa

Other America

South America

North EuropeSouth Europe

West Europe

East Asia

Other Europe

I. Migration flows / origins

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Newham (pop. 243,898) by country of birth source: 2001 Census

Iran Cy prus

United Kingdom

USA

Canada

Poland Non EU countries in Western Europe

EU Countries Republic of Ireland

Other Eastern Europe North Africa

Central and Western Africa

Nigeria

Other Central and Western Africa Keny a

South Africa Zimbabw e

Other South and Eastern Africa Other Middle East

China Hong Kong

Japan Malay sia

Singapore Other Far East

Bangladesh

India

Pakistan

Jamaica

Other Caribbean

South America Australia

New Zealand

Other

Other Oceania

Other South Asia

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Germany - Foreigners

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In-migration, Germany2006

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Proliferation of Legal Statusesand Migration Channels

• EU nationals • Students• Work permit holders • Asylum-

seekers• Sector worker schemes • Refugees• Highly Skilled • Leave to Remain• Spouses and family • Right to Settle• Spätaussiedler • Undocumented

II. Migration categories / channels

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Differing Migration Channel & Legal Status

…even within same country of origin group

e.g. Somalis in UK citizens refugees

exceptional leave to remain

undocumented migrants

refugee status granted in other EU country

asylum-seekers

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Origins & Legal Categories impact upon characteristics of migrant

populations by:

-- gender -- age-- education -- employment -- duration / temporality -- family /

single-- locality / mobility -- class-- modes of transnationalism

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Global Trends

•International Organization for Migration UN Population Division note ongoing diversification of migrants’ countries of origin & channels of migration

•Global Commission on International Migration points to continuing – if not increasing – flows and forms of mobility

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Some implications

• No common process of integration; therefore false to presume ‘one size fits all’ integration policy– ‘diversity-in-integration’ policy, yes… but

diversity is not just a set of big, similar-condition groups

• Social, political and economic success will be determined by how well societies adapt themselves to increasing complexity (not how they fight it)

III. Social & policy impacts

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Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity

Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer Gesellschaften

Hermann-Föge-Weg 11, D-37073 Göttingen, Germanytel. +49/0 551 4956-0, fax +49/0 551 4956-111

www.mmg.mpg.de