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2021 | Book

Migration and Integration Challenges of Muslim Immigrants in Europe

Debating Policies and Cultural Approaches

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About this book

As the impetus of globalization continues to gather pace, more and more people leave their homes pursuing dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. Muslim immigrants converging on Europe from widely divergent communities scattered throughout North Africa, the Middle East and South-East Asia, represent a great variety of local cultures and traditions. Trans-Mediterranean networks form the basis of migration routes and are key factors in the destinations of these migrants and in the overall process of immigration, be this towards Europe or other Muslim countries. South-North fluxes intertwine with South-South fluxes, among which the Gulf Arab countries stand out as a prime destination, not only for low-skilled labour. Different situations emerge, within a variegated discourse on co-existence, integration, assimilation and the preservation of identity. The adoption of this transnational dimension incorporating both destination, and points of origin, enables the investigation of migration to move beyond a purely Eurocentric approach. Thus, different national patterns are analyzed with a focus on a number of significant case-studies. By debating policies and cultural approaches the aim is to add innovative scholarship to the challenge of integration. Cross-cultural pluralism on the part of the nation states comprising the European Union is one avenue for moving the dialogue between different cultural frameworks towards a more compatible form.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Introduction
Abstract
This chapter is an introduction to the volume. The inherent heterogeneity of the Muslim world is presented as a fact which has augmented confusion and created uneasiness in attempts to understand more thoroughly the social and political phenomena connected with peoples’ mobility from and to Muslim countries. Changing lenses to investigate case-studies of relevance in this field is pointed out as one of the main objectives of this collective work. The Mediterranean migration pattern is highlighted by the inclusion of several viewpoints, trying to define a broader picture incorporating both destination and points of origin. The ‘Islam factor’ is introduced in its complexity, as it refers to the challenge of managing diversity among Muslim migrants. This is dealt with as a challenge both for Europe, and for the countries and regions of the Muslim world most involved in the phenomenon of migration and mobility, such as North Africa and the Gulf Arab region. The authors emphasize that the objective is to shed light on specific cultural, economic and juridical aspects related to the development of new models of cooperation on migration issues. Integration and belonging are tackled as two important aspects that are not necessarily interlinked in ‘migration projects’ of Muslims in their South–North and South–South mobility. Exploring the complexity of this phenomenon by the analysis of some significant case-studies, related both to Europe and the Muslim World, is pointed out as a major objective of this volume, in order to try and define a ‘constructive co-existence’ as a first necessary step towards a much more intricate process of integration.
Elena Maestri, Annemarie Profanter
Chapter 2. Migration and the Muslim World: Perspectives and Challenges
Abstract
This chapter tackles the phenomenon of migration with a specific focus on Muslim perspectives, approaches and reactions to it. Diversity and pluralism within Islam are discussed as facts that cannot be neglected when dealing with Muslim migrants and refugees, either in their European destinations or in their Muslim destinations and/or transient areas. The concept of migration (hijra) is explored in the light of the history of Islam, according to some contemporary Islamist perspectives and within a well-defined juridical dimension. This is considered as a challenge for Europe, but also as a challenge for the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) ever more involved in the phenomenon of migration and mobility. An analysis of migratory issues in the Arab Gulf countries then follows. These are confirmed as the top south destination of labour migrants, coming from Muslim and non-Muslim communities alike. The migration pattern in this region is explored in its main dynamics and shortcomings. The issues of statelessness and refugees are thorny and have become ever more serious since 2011, both here and in the MENA at large, where some countries have been increasingly confronted with greater instability and conflicts. A question arises: which form of cooperation with Europe? The chapter concludes by emphasizing the role of education in bridging the gap between origin and destination cultures, and the need for more effective coordination between European and Muslim countries in this direction.
Elena Maestri
Chapter 3. Migration, Integration and Belonging: Pakistani Migrants in Britain and in the United Arab Emirates
Abstract
This chapter focuses on migration, integration and belonging among Pakistanis in Britain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I introduce the notion of ‘migration project’ as an analytical framework in order to integrate social theory and migration studies. Integration, which is invoked as a socio-political tool in most European countries, requires a top-down approach insofar as efforts of politicians, policy-makers and civil society are considered necessary in order to implement policies, laws and adjustments to encourage and pursue the integration of migrants. Belonging, which is constructed and experienced by migrants in their everyday life, requires a bottom-up approach, and it does not involve any intervention from the top in order to be pursued, but migrants experience a sense of belonging regardless of any policy aimed at integrating them in the social fabric. A comparison between the two countries, which rely on different state structures and societal organization, is not possible and is likely to lead to misunderstandings. The chapter aims at discussing forms of governance of Pakistani migration in different contexts. It sheds light on integration and belonging as contextual and dynamic concepts, and it would be misleading to think of them as strictly interrelated or use the terms interchangeably.
Gennaro Errichiello
Chapter 4. Migration Changes and Integration Challenges in the Moroccan Case
Abstract
The changing nature of the migration phenomenon has influenced the Moroccan context in a different way and has transformed it into a transit and destination country for sub-Saharan migrants. This chapter analyses the evolution of migration trends in Morocco, considering the relation between migration and development in more marginalised areas of the country, such as the Rif region. Moreover, it considers the impact of the increasing flow of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa on the institutional, political and social dynamics in Morocco. In this context, the role of Europe is seen to be crucial in influencing the evolution of migration policy, and financing aid to support Moroccan institutions in migration management. Particular attention is given to the programme Mediterranean City-to-City Migration, financed by the European Trust Fund for Africa, due to its bottom-up approach, in order to identify positive and replicable models of positive coexistence.
Altea Pericoli
Chapter 5. Ceuta and Melilla: Integration or Coexistence in a Plural Society
Abstract
Analysing current multicultural Europe, the particularities of Ceuta and Melilla could represent a model for the possible evolution of other European cities in coming years. More than fifty percent of the people living in the two Spanish cities located in North Africa have a Muslim background. At the same time, the other half of the population conserves a European cultural heritage. Although Spanish traditions were predominant for a long time, the increased presence of people of Moroccan origin has led to a progressive introduction of Muslim practices in everyday life. This fact has represented a challenge for authorities that must adapt social and political structures to the present context, and even consider the future scenario when Muslims represent a majority in Ceuta and Melilla. Integration policies in the 1980s and the 1990s were not effective enough, and there is now a clear division between that part of society identified with the European tradition and the other half living in line with their Islamic heritage.
Sergio Castaño Riaño
Chapter 6. The Veil as Perceived and Real Boundary for Spanish Muslim Youth: Case by Case Regulation in Light of Discrimination and Individual Rights Claims
Abstract
After decades of European society’s preoccupation with usage of the Islamic headscarf, the debate remains ongoing, and related legal claims are met with conflicting decisions at the European, national and regional levels. In this chapter, couched within the broader European context, an analysis of the unique Spanish example offers insight into why legal contestations regarding the veil are managed on a case by case basis, rather than met with more uniform regulation or rulings. As part of this, a qualitative study of Muslim youth in Madrid illustrates the veil’s multiple and varied meaning, and highlights encounters with hijab discrimination. Such encounters, both within this study and as evidenced throughout Europe, have been repeatedly argued to infringe upon fundamental rights to non-discrimination and religious freedom enshrined in European legal frameworks. Going forward, in ensuring the protection of rights in increasingly heterogeneous European societies, the veil controversy could move towards a better resolution via legal and policy approaches to rights as being interdependent rather than hierarchical, reflecting the intersectional nature of the debate.
Colleen Boland
Chapter 7. Resource Mobilization and the Institutional Frameword of Islam: The Integration of Muslim Turks in Germany
Abstract
Integration is a dynamic process that includes the contribution of both the host state and the target minority group, and both actors set the limits of inclusion and exclusion, where integration itself could be defined through disintegration. Despite the fact that the host state defines the legal framework that identifies who is to be included or not within the host society, still the minority group plays an important role in this process, through its organizational and mobilization capabilities. The case of Turkish Muslims in Germany is an obvious case of this dynamic process since it reveals the defects in the process of integration, through pointing out the lack of organization, and the different platforms that organizations adopt towards the process of integration, as well as the inconsistent and indecisive role of the German state in defining the ‘integration process’, and in applying it. Both actors have taken different routes towards the integration process, the German state wanting to develop a Euro-version of Islam that fits with its secular values and which is supported by organizations such as the DITIB. At the same time it is faced with an opposing trend represented by organizations that aim to impose their own version of Islam which contradicts the principles of secularism, such as the Milli Gorus. These opposing trends have been clearly reflected in the issue of the headscarf debate, and the incoherent legal stance taken by the different German lander towards this question. The problem lies mainly with the top-down approach adopted by both actors that does not deal with the real problems of integration. There are different political agendas adopted by the host state and the sending state and its own opposing political groups that operate within the host state, leaving the target minority group left out of the whole equation and thus impeding the entire integration process. A grass-rooted bottom up approach that understands the ‘identity’ and needs of the target community, and also of the host community, could be a step forward towards defining ‘integration’, and choosing the most suitable mechanism a step towards a real application.
Menna Taher
Chapter 8. Immigration in Europe and Italy: Different Perspectives, Shared Challenges?
Abstract
The attraction of Europe as a destination for immigrants has been increasing constantly over the last decades. The existence of established trans-Mediterranean networks form the basis of Arab immigration, originating mainly in the Maghreb but recently also in the Masherq. Throughout the EU, irregular entries have been increasing and a system of clandestine immigration and irregular stays has emerged ever since restrictive policies of European countries took effect. A framework is provided on European migration policy as well as the asylum, migration and integration fund (AMIF) and, beyond the definition of a common European Asylum System, the strategies adopted to support legal migration to EU States in line with the needs of the labour market are analyzed and interpreted with reference to the construction of an identity which is based on multiple belongings and transnational trajectories. From this macroanalysis the focus shifts towards the case study of Italy which is often the first point of arrival in Europe and is considered a key player in the Mediterranean region, having traditionally held a role as bridge or transit country as a result of the central geographic position of its southern shores in the Mediterranean. Following an overview of Italy’s traditional Mediterranean policy and Italian immigration history, the political agenda of the alternating left- and right-wing governments and their diverse focus on immigration policies is outlined. Moreover, the presence of Islam and, hence, the massive influx of immigrants of Muslim faith is analyzed in the light of the identity construction of the countries’ Muslim population. An analysis of the “Italian integration model(s)” with reference to the immigration policies and regional differences is provided. The essence of this chapter sheds light on the fact that in Italy, and in many other European countries, many different laws have dealt with immigration, but practically none with the cultural or religious impact of the presence of an immigrant population and their original cultural reference system. The mosaic of languages, cultures, religions and ethnic groups constituting the so-called immigration population is discussed with reference to points of origin.
Annemarie Profanter
Chapter 9. Conclusion
Abstract
In the conclusion of this volume the authors insist on a new model of inclusion conceived as a process that cannot ignore, as a pre-requisite, the need for solid cooperation in education and culture with and within the Muslim world. Without such a pre-requisite, any integration effort could end up being perceived by many Muslim immigrants as a threat to their identity. A re-thought multilateral approach is recommended in order to bridge the gap between Muslim identities and European citizenship schemes. The necessary coordination between Europe and the educational, economic and financial institutions of neighbouring Muslim countries is emphasised as an essential step towards the need to enhance human development in immigrant communities and to manage interculturalism in an effective way. This is indicated as a huge challenge, but the authors argue that the concept of a new pattern of constructive co-existence in our European societies is a crucial one: this is a pattern able to prevent those crises that have been emerging when efforts to either manage or manipulate Islam have involved host countries and hosted communities.
Annemarie Profanter, Elena Maestri
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Migration and Integration Challenges of Muslim Immigrants in Europe
Editors
Annemarie Profanter
Elena Maestri
Copyright Year
2021
Electronic ISBN
978-3-030-75626-0
Print ISBN
978-3-030-75625-3
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75626-0