The Immigrants and the Crisis

Abstract

The present economic crisis manifests itself in rising unemployment rates. All over Western Europe immigrants have been hit the hardest by unem ployment. Unemployment is especially pronounced among immigrant youth - 'the second generation' This presents a senous threat to the efforts to integrate immigrants into the Western European societies. A crisis of 'integration policy' will be intrinsically connected to a more general crisis: the crisis of 'the welfare state' facing global restructuring of capitalism and the changing political scene in Western Europe.

The article will draw a general sketch of the restructunng of the industrial system of Western Europe, the impact of this on the migratory system, and on the employment perspectives of immigrants The attempts to formulate policies of 'integration' will be discussed from this perspective. In connection with this, I will also address the issue of whether one can talk about conscious attempts to educate 'the second generation' to be a 'future underclass' of Western Europe.'