Korea has different initiatives to support family migrants. It makes information available in different languages to support early adaptation to life in Korea, including a welcome book for immigrants by marriage and a guidebook for living in Korea, designed for multicultural families. A dedicated app (called Danuri) also provides essential information for navigating the new society, as does an information call centre for multicultural families (the Multicultural Family Help Line) that operates in different languages. Finally, Multicultural Families Support Centers provide services ranging from counselling on family matters through cultural programmes to language and vocational training.
Supporting the integration of migrant families contributes to greater family stability and enables migrants to better participate in and contribute to the society they live in. One of the key challenges facing policymakers who focus on family migration is promoting the integration of migrant families (Chaloff and Poeschel, 2017). Family migrants often do not benefit from structured integration programmes, such as those made available for refugees who are resettling, or from a job offer, as do labour migrants (OECD, 2017). As well, it may be hard to identify and reach family migrants: integration services, including job placement measures, sometimes focus on families who are dependent on benefits, but many migrant families will not be in this situation – and thus not on the radar of service providers – because it is an admission prerequisite that families can support themselves and do not need benefits (OECD, 2017). Finally, while family migrants are in principle taken care of by the sponsor who will support them economically, the sponsor may not be well placed to provide guidance and support for all aspects of integration. In that sense, investing in integration initiatives for all migrants can be an effective approach (read more on such initiatives in Integration and social cohesion), in addition to creating initiatives targeting family migrants. In any case, it is important to ensure family migrants are eligible for integration measures (OECD, 2017).
While all aspects of integration can impact families, it is especially important consider access to the labour market, sociocultural integration, language and education, and housing (read more about Sectoral approaches to integration as well as on Addressing discrimination and promoting connectedness and belonging in Chapter 2.8 Integration and social cohesion. For aspects related to health, see Health and migration).
To Go Further
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Making Integration Work: Family Migrants, 2017.
- Spitzer, D. Family Migration Policies and Social Integration, 2018. Presented to the United Nations Expert Group meeting on family policies for inclusive societies.
Labour market access
When family members join migrants in the country of destination, they do not always have access to the labour market. The right to work is usually dependent on the immigration status of the migrant, although specific conditions of access vary. Family members may be restricted to certain occupations or only granted the right to work after a certain period of time. Access to the labour market is often more difficult for women, especially when they come from a country where employment is not common for women with a family to take care of (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2017; see details on Access to the national labour market in Labour migration). Countries with an established tradition of immigration tend to provide greater access for all immigrants to their labour markets. Some countries that have only recently begun to experience high volumes of immigration have also begun to offer greater access to migrants and their families, thanks to regional legislation.
Example
The impact of European regional law on access to labour market in countries with a recent tradition of immigration
The European Union’s Family Reunification Directive (Directive 2003/86) enables third-country national family members to gain access to the labour markets of European Union Member States, both in employment and self-employment in the same way as their third-country national sponsors (typically their spouses). Further, the Directive stopped using the labour market test (the so-called community preference) for migrant family members, which greatly enhanced the chances of family members to find a job. Italy and Greece have implemented legal changes accordingly and adhered to European Union law that prescribes strong human rights protections and assistance requirements for regular immigrants.
Source
Robin-Olivier, 2016.
The inability of family migrants to work can cause financial and emotional insecurity, and can have a strong influence on long-term family plans, such as buying a house or having children (Scherer, 2009). Policymakers in OECD countries have found that restrictions on the rights of spouses to work can be a disincentive for potential migrants, which is not in the country’s interest if migrants have skills that are needed (Chaloff and Poeschel, 2017). Efforts to retain whole families can also be beneficial for the country of destination because spouses of qualified migrants tend to be qualified themselves (Chaloff and Poeschel, 2017). Creating barriers or delaying family migrants’ access to the labour market, on the other hand, can push them into the informal market and contribute to the devaluation of their skills and experience (OECD, 2017).
In addition to granting family migrants access to the labour market, policies related to supporting entrepreneurship, recognizing qualifications and supporting vocational training and further education can also effectively support family migrants’ participation in the labour market (read more on these policies in Labour migration). Offering guidance to families in pre-departure orientation on how to prepare their move and search for jobs before moving can be a complementary step (OECD, 2017; for more on Predeparture orientation see Alignment between predeparture and post-arrival support for integration in the discussion of Overarching approaches to manage integration in Integration and social cohesion). In general, policies that support family migrants’ access to the labour market are more effective if they are gender responsive (read more on Gender and labour migration in Gender and migration).
Language learning and education
The importance of language
Knowledge of the language of the country of destination is a key factor enabling migrants to understand, navigate and participate in their new society (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] and European Union [EU], 2018). Family migrants’ ability to support their families, not least their children’s development, is linked to knowing what services are available, how health and education systems work and what employment opportunities they can seek, among other things. The ability to access this knowledge is strongly influenced by language proficiency.
Language knowledge may be a pre-admission requirement or, more often, a post-arrival requirement for family migrants. Family migrants may have to enrol in classes and/or take tests certifying that they have reached a certain proficiency level within a certain period of time (OECD, 2017). Many countries, including most OECD countries, provide publicly funded language training (OECD and EU, 2018, although non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private institutions also offer such courses.
Women may face disadvantages when it comes to learning the language of the country of destination, especially if they are less qualified and have fewer financial resources. Women with higher cultural capital and who are free to attend language courses in person are better placed to learn the language at the level required. They may also benefit from higher economic capital and the possibility to finance language courses in their country of origin pre-departure. Other women will struggle to attend language or civic knowledge courses for various family-related reasons, including domestic and childcare responsibilities, as well as long working hours spent in menial jobs. Chinese migrant women in Canada described this situation as a “catch-22”, challenging to break out of (Man, 2004).
Low language proficiency can contribute to restricting family migrants to household spaces and functions, low skilled occupations and language-specific social networks. It can also limit their ability to access services they need and are entitled to. Lower language proficiency may also create feelings of lack of autonomy and have an impact on the well-being and overall sense of belonging of migrants as they grow older (Pot, Keijzer and De Bot, 2020). If children acculturate and learn the new language faster than their parents, they may then assume the role of interpreters for their parents. However, this can create stressors in the family and further impact the family’s integration.
Policy Approaches
Initiatives to support family migrants’ integration in relation to language and language learning
- Ensure information is provided in different languages to family migrants about basic integration options, including language learning, as well as access to services or the labour market (for example, via interpretation services and translated information materials). Consider partnering with civil society organizations and long-term migrant residents who volunteer.
- Encourage and support language learning. For instance, offer language courses closer to the place of residence so that caregivers can attend.
- Enable caregivers to participate in language classes and integration activities. This can be done by:
- Offering more free or reduced-rate childcare;
- Providing flexible delivery modes of activities that are compatible with childcare (for example, evening schedules, or language learning activities where parents and children can participate together);
- Offering childcare options during activities.
Education of family members
Securing a better education for children is often an important consideration for family migration. Where children go to school can influence the decision of where and when to migrate for the whole family. Also, family migration decisions may be affected by the age of children, with the assumption that younger children may be able to adjust to school better and learn the language of the new country more easily (Ryan and Sales, 2013). Evidence does show that migrants who arrive before school age have little performance and skills differences in comparison to natives, whereas those who arrive later fare significantly worse (OECD, 2017). This suggests that enabling the arrival of children at young age can positively contribute to their educational and overall integration outcomes (OECD, 2017). (Further details on migrant children’s education in Child migration.)
Adult learning programmes can help parents support their children, as well as acquiring language, other skills and qualifications for themselves to participate in the labour market.
Policy Approaches
Initiatives to support families in relation to language learning and education
- Support the arrival of children at preschool age through appropriate measures. For instance:
- Allow children to accompany the first migrating parent;
- Establish incentives for early arrival of families that have small children, such as lower visa application fees;
- Prioritize family reunification procedures for families with young children.
- Ensure that migrant children and adolescents are included in the national education policies and systems.
Note: Some of these measures are drawn from OECD, 2017.
Read more on the importance of language and education for integration in Sectoral approaches to integration in Integration and social cohesion. See more on Youth migration for educational purposes in Youth and migration.
Housing
Housing is a major part of the integration of migrants and their families. Yet in general, housing is not given adequate attention in policy debates. “Housing is often taken for granted” (Grødem and Hansen, 2015), in part because it can be assumed that migrants who can support the family members joining them will also be able to provide accommodation (Chaloff and Poeschel, 2017).
Having “adequate” housing in some countries has been a principal requirement for family reunification. As the laws became more restrictive, this became an element of administrative discretion that, at times, paralysed reunification processes. This happened, for example, in the case of Latin American migrant women who work in the “under-regulated, informal and submerged sector” of domestic work in Spain (Gil Araujo and González-Fernández, 2014). Because they often live at the home of their employers, and have precarious contracts, they often could not achieve the requirements for reunification with their children in their destination country. Migrants sponsoring their families may struggle to secure housing that is not shared with multiple relatives or other migrants, that is not temporary or that is in safe, community-oriented locations.
Policy Approaches
Work with local authorities to address the accommodation needs of migrants
- Create programmes focused on targeted housing planning and assistance to migrant families with children. Provide social housing that is affordable, of appropriate size, good quality, secure, in safe neighbourhoods and with adequate outdoor recreational facilities.
Read more on the importance of housing for integration in Sectoral approaches to integration in Integration and social cohesion.
Key messages
- Family migrants often do not benefit from structured integration programmes in the same way that other migrants (such as labour migrants) do. Yet, while their sponsor may cover their financial needs, the sponsor may not be well placed to provide all the necessary guidance and support for family migrants to integrate successfully in the new country.
- Access to the labour market can be limited for migrants’ family members. This impacts the family’s financial and emotional stability and, ultimately, integration. Policies supporting labour market integration of these migrants, including at pre-departure stage, can effectively support the integration of whole families.
- Language is an important enabler of integration that may be hard for family migrants to acquire. This is especially the case when migrants do not have the time or resources to invest in language learning before and after arrival, for instance because of domestic and care responsibilities. Without language skills, family migrants are less able to support the education of their children and to actively participate in society themselves. Fostering language learning is therefore central for migrant families’ integration.
- Education is a central aspect of migrant families’ lives as both children and parents may be enrolled in educational programmes. Supporting both will enable children to fare better at school and parents to both support their children and improve their own skills to participate in the labour market.
- Housing strongly shapes family life in terms of privacy, stability, and social connections. Although sponsors are required to ensure accommodation for the family migrants joining them, they may struggle and need support to secure housing that is not shared with multiple relatives or other migrants, that is not temporary or that is in safe, community-oriented locations.