Inclusion and social cohesion are factors that work together when it comes to the healthy integration of migrants in host communities and implies the mutual adaptation of migrants and the host society. Social inclusion refers to the process of improving the capacity, opportunity and dignity of people in unfavorable conditions based on their identity, so that they can participate in society. Social cohesion, although it does not have a universal definition, is related to a sense of belonging to a community, and with solidarity and tolerance among its members. Both processes are promoted in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and in the Global Compact on Refugees.

According to the recently launched World Migration Report 2020, globalization and increases in migratory flows have meant new challenges to maintain social cohesion between increasingly diverse social, cultural, ethnic and religious groups, in addition to their varied socioeconomic status and reasons for migrating.

One of the biggest challenges is to fight against the negative image of migrants in some media and other circumstances. These types of messages encourage intolerance, discrimination, racism and xenophobia towards those seeking new opportunities outside their country of origin. This rejection can be linked to negative effects on the physical and mental health of migrants, their labor and cultural contributions can also be impaired which affects the potential benefits for the host communities.

To encourage social cohesion, the report indicates, it is necessary and useful for states to work on social inclusion actions and policies. The approach that each country takes to reduce the exclusion gaps may vary, but its incorporation will help to face discrimination and marginalization (at the level of inclusion) and to reduce the risks of tensions, disorders and disturbances (at the level of cohesion).

 

Characteristics of social cohesion policies

The World Migration Report 2020 provides three main ideas regarding policies that can facilitate the inclusion and cohesion of migrants:

  1. Policies that address both integration processes will be more effective if they are not carried out in isolation. On the contrary, work must be done in multiple spheres of society to ensure that migrants are not marginalized and reduce the chances of social tensions between groups with different characteristics.
  2. Policies should be generated in an inclusive manner. This means that the conditions required for migrants to access certain initiatives (such as political participation, naturalization, or family reunification) must be considered, reasonable and welcoming for those who want to opt for them.
  3. National policies should take into account the knowledge of local authorities and migrants, in order to optimize opportunities for inclusion; that is, to make use of the knowledge that exists at the local level and from the perspectives of migrants and take it to higher levels.

Social inclusion is lived in a personal and varied way by each individual, and implies particular needs for certain types of migrants, such as low-skilled workers, victims of trafficking or diasporas, to name a few. However, there are superior efforts that can be developed to facilitate the reception of migrants and cohesion in their target communities, such as access to linguistically inclusive services, access to education without restrictions through administrative procedures, and the recognition of qualifications which allows migrants to access jobs that match their skills and training.