Do Obligatory Civic Integration Courses for Immigrants in Western Europe further Integration?
In recent years, there has been a growing chorus of calls for more coherent and efficient immigrant integration policies. In response to these calls, a variety of European states have introduced obligatory civic integration courses and tests for newcomers. This policy brief identifies common features of civic integration policies in place in the Netherlands, France and Germany, and contrasts them with corresponding policies recently put in place in the United Kingdom. It concludes with a discussion of how effective civic integration courses are in achieving their stated goals. (Published 10/2007)