International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe

Infobox IMISCOE
name = International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe


image size = 150px
caption =
type = Network Of Excellence
acronyms = IMISCOE
head = Prof. Rinus Penninx, Scientific Coordinator
status = active
established = 2004
website = [http://www.imiscoe.org/ www.imiscoe.org]
parent =
subsidiaries = European Commission
commons =
footnotes =

IMISCOE

IMISCOE is a [http://cordis.europa.eu/fp6/instr_noe.htm Network of Excellence] that is funded within the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Commission. Networks of Excellence were meant to overcome the fragmentation of European research by integrating European institutes and researchers on a variety of topics, from biomedicin to human migration. These networks were not only meant to provide European leadership in the theme concerned, but also to form a reliable basis for policy and to inform society.

IMISCOE was iniated in 2004 and integrated European institutes and researchers to pursuit studies under the themes of international migration, integration and social cohesion. It's seceratariat is located in Amsterdam at the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies ( [http://www2.fmg.uva.nl/imes/ IMES] ).

Background

IMISCOE partners decide to join forces to overcome the fragamentation of migration research and provide a secure infrastructure which might help to formulate adequate answers to problems and questions that come with human migration. Human migration into and within the EU, is namely a fundamental issue of politics and policy today and is set to remain so for years to come ["Trends in International Migration", OECD, SOPEMI, 2001] . At the end of the 20th century more than 20 million foreigners were living in the countries of the European Economic Area ["Replacement Migration", Population Division of the United Nations, 2000] . In 2001, about three quarters of the total population increase in the EU was due to net inward migration and only one quarter to natural increase ["First results of the demographic data collection for 2001 in Europe", Eurostat Website: Statistics in Focus] . This will have far-reaching consequences for the member states and for the EU as a whole—how to manage demand- and supply-driven migration, how to integrate the resident immigrants, how to adapt institutional arrangements to preserve social cohesion?

IMISCOE focuses on issues as migration and its regulation, citizenship, mobility, housing, health, policy making, discrimination, religious diversity, economy and age and generations.

Aims

IMISCOE provides an infrastructure for migration researchers to jointly develop innovative research programmes and publish the results of their research, develops training for PhD students and offers access to a wide variety of migration research, data and expertise.

IMISCOE works closely with representatives from official international, national, regional and local bodies such as the European Commission Directorate-General of Justice and Home Affairs, Social Affairs and Employment, representatives from NGOs, funding organisations and other stakeholders (including, for example, Metropolis Project, the European Science Foundation, the Migration Policy Group, the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization).

References