Immigration: Concepts, Policies, and Societal Integration Analysis

This assignment delves into the multifaceted concept of immigration, exploring its historical context and contemporary relevance. The paper examines the economic and political drivers behind migration, highlighting the significant demographic shifts and cultural changes it induces. It addresses the challenges immigration poses to national unity and the various policy responses implemented by governments, using Norway as a case study to illustrate debates surrounding national identity, integration, and anti-immigrant sentiments. The analysis further focuses on temporary migration, outlining its benefits to both host and home countries, with specific attention to international students, foreign workers, and the role of cultural diversity in fostering societal integration and mitigating discrimination. The paper utilizes scholarly sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive overview of immigration's complex dynamics and its impact on various aspects of society.

Immigration Concepts
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Question one
Immigration is not a new phenomenon to human history or to the current generation.
People have been constantly moving from one country to the other, exploring different parts of
the world driven by both economic and political motives like search of work and settlement.
Enormous immigration has caused exceptional high levels of diversity and significant changes in
demographic composition, altering many ways and norms of many communities in different
nations across the world. Immigration have challenged strict concepts of national unity1.
Different policy makers across the globe have always considered how to alleviate the
destabilizing effects of high scale societal changes.
For example in Norway, the number of total immigrants and their children increased
significantly between 1995 and 20112.This caused an increase in debates about national identity,
immigration policy and integration. The rising cases of Islam phobia reveals an existing anti-
immigrant notion which alludes that it is deceitful for government to accept cultural multiplicity.
The Norwegian government is making genuine efforts to realize its nationalism as a country
founded on the premises of ethnicity and cultural homogeneity, with inclusion and equality3.
However successful implementation of policies formulated has remained to be a challenge as the
government is trying to carefully mitigate the rise in anti-immigrant sentiments.
1
1.Simmons, Transnational perspective
2.Auestad,Idealised Sameness, 42

The shift in notion of national identity and belonging have been constantly accompanied
with momentous opposition and public fears arising from poor economic performance1. There is
significant concern and the need to hold closely to national identity in terms of culture, values
and
Languages. Some countries have strived to advance cultural conformity and streamlined rights of
migrants.
Question four
More often people move to other countries for a specific and limited amount of time, this
movement is usually motivated by a unique purpose, after which they usually return back to their
home country. Host countries usually accommodate temporary migrants for purposes related to
employment, study, tourism, business and religious activities among others3. There numerous
benefits associated with each of these groups of temporary migrants both to the host and home
countries, making them ideal immigrants.
International students impact positively on the host country’s economy as they inject cash into
the economy contributing to increased flow of money. Most of the time these students receive
funding from the home country to spend in host countries. In 2018 U.S Department of
Commerce published that International students added forty five billion US Dollars4. The nature
of interaction and association between international and domestic students brings both positive
impact in the classrooms, learning institutions and community at large.
Temporary foreign workers brings new and advanced skills to satisfy host country labor needs
without making the host workers feeling threatened over their job securities. They enjoy payment
gap which enables them to invest in their home countries and also integrate new culture and

positive values they acquired while they were in the foreign country5. Cultural diversity enables
cultures and traditions to abandon racism and discrimination. This helps people to be willing to
learn and try other ways of life that maybe advantageous to them.
Temporary migrants have been the great agents of cultural diversification as they interact with a
large number of people within a short period of time. The local people rarely feel threatened by
this group of migrants.
2
23, Peter and Todd,Guest Workers, 694
4.Stein and Vanessa,International Students,
5.Johnson and Jessica, Social Justice,233

Bibliography
Bibliography
Auestad, Lene. 2018. "Idealised Sameness and Orchestrated Hatred: Extreme and Mainstream
Nationalism in Norway." In Nationalism and the Body Politic 41-59.
Depew, Briggs, Norlander Peter, and A Sørens Todd . 2017. ""Inter-firm mobility and return
migration patterns of skilled guest workers." Journal of Population Economics 30 (2):
681-721.
Jönsson, Jessica H, and Heggem Kojan Bente. 2017. "Social Justice Beyond Neoliberal Welfare
Nationalism: Challenges of Increasing Immigration to Sweden and Norway." Critical
and Radical Social Work 5 (3): 2134-2152.
Simmons, Alan B. 2016. Immigration and Canada: Global and Transnational Perspectives.
Ottawa: Canadian Scholars’ Press,.
Stein, Sharon, and Oliveira de Andreotti Vanessa . 2016. "Cash, competition, or charity:
International students and the global imaginary." Higher Education 225-239.