How Europe can Benefit from Immigration-Related "Diversity" - A Policy Paper

This article is based on a selection of the findings and insights emerging from “DIVERSE”, Diversity Improvement as a Viable Enrichment Resource for Society and Economy, a research-project realized with the aim of contributing to “reinvent” the European migrants’ integration model, in order to sustain both the positive interethnic coexistence and the long-term development of European societies. Implemented from January 2014 to June 2015 in ten EU countries – Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden –, characterized by very different migration experiences, the project had identified three major levers to maximise migrants’ potential contribution: (1) enhancing the recognition of migrants’ skills, knowledge and competences (here after: SKC); (2) promoting the awareness of the advantages provided by the implementation of Diversity Management (here after DM) practices; (3) improving migrants’ civic and voluntary involvement. After a presentation of the theoretical premises on which the project was based [sections 1-2] and the description of the project activities [section 3], the article will focus on both the major impacts and the critical insights emerged in relation of each lever [section 4]; finally, it will develop some policy implications in order to make these levers crucial components of a wider strategy aimed at benefiting from immigration-related “diversity”, reinforcing both the economic competitiveness and the social cohesion of European society [section 5].