European-American Immigration Convergence

Abstract

Will similarities in the nature of the twin problems of controlling unwanted immigration and absorbing newcomers lead to a convergence of European and American immigration and integration policies? A conference of 70 leading American and European researchers and policymakers in Charleston, South Carolina on May 13–14, sponsored by the European Communities Studies Association, discussed the gap between immigration goals and realities on both sides of the Atlantic, and worried about whether current steps taken to promote integration will be successful. They reached apparent consensus on three points: 1) immigration pressures in Europe and the United States are rising and are unlikely to abate soon; 2) there is no compelling economic or demographic case for opening borders to mass migration; 3) there are no clear historical or contemporary models that provide beacons to guide integration policies.