Marriage Migration and Integration

Spouses constitute the largest category of migrant settlement in the UK (40% in 2009). In Britain, as elsewhere in Europe, concern is increasingly expressed over the implications of marriage migration for integration. In some ethnic minority groups, significant numbers of children and grandchildren of former migrants to the UK continue to marry partners from their ancestral homelands. Such marriages are presented as particularly problematic. A 'first generation' of spouses in every generation is thought to inhibit processes of individual and group integration, impeding socio-economic participation and cultural change for both parties in the marriage. New immigration restrictions likely to impact particularly on such groups have thus been justified on the grounds of promoting integration. The evidence base to underpin this concern is, however, surprisingly limited. The principle aim of this project is to enhance understanding of the relationships between marriage-related migration and these complex processes of integration, providing much needed new grounding for both policy and academic debates.

Discussion of integration is also characterized by differing and often partial understandings of the concept, which is contested and politicized. In this project, we adopt a multi-level conceptualization of integration as:

1. Referring to processes of migrant and host society interaction:

a. Spanning several domains (structural, social, cultural, civic, political and identity). These may be separate or interacting.

b. A two-way process affected by both the actions and attributes of migrants, but also by factors in the receiving society which may facilitate or impede integration.

2. Part of discourses of national belonging, which may themselves be perceived as exclusionary.

Indicators used to measure integration in quantitative research may also however be used as indicators of related concepts of ethnic inequality and cultural difference, complicating assessments of the integration impact of transnational marriages. In order to disentangle the effects of transnational marriage from those related to ethnic minority membership, we need not just survey research, but the more complex information provided by qualitative methods.

This project will focus on the two largest UK populations involved in this genre of marriage migration: Pakistani Muslims and Indian Sikhs. To reflect the diversity of these populations and localities in which they are settled, research will focus on two geographical areas with differing characteristics: West Yorkshire and Bristol. In the first stage of the project, we will analyse available quantitative data to create a background picture of the associations between transnational marriage and various indicators of integration. We will then carry out semi-structured interviews with 64 couples to generate a new body of qualitative data with which to explore processes underlying associations identified in the quantitative data, and identify new avenues for enquiry. In order to bring the role of transnational marriage in these processes to the fore, participants will be sampled through pairs of siblings with contrasting marriage choices, i.e. where one sibling's marriage is transnational, and one took place within the ethnic population in the UK. Together, these two stages of research will allow us to develop nuanced understandings of the relationships between marriage migration and processes of integration in these significant populations. The comparisons between regions, and between ethnic groups will allow us to identify impacts particular to certain contexts, and those which are common in all, and so may also have relevance for other migrant spouses and their partners. These improvements in understandings are necessary not only for scholarship in this area, but also to inform service provision and assist in developing more targeted policy interventions.

This research and its findings will be useful to four primary groups of users:

1. National policy makers: To inform integration and spousal immigration policy. Where the research identifies particular processes influencing aspects of integration, policy may be developed to target these processes more specifically. This could help reduce the danger that policies are seen to target groups rather than issues, something which in itself may undermine the perception of equality necessary for integration.

2. Practitioners: To inform practice, advice, and service provision. Those for whom the research will be most relevant will depend on the nature of factors identified by the research, but are likely to include organisations involved in language training, employment training and career guidance, education, marriage/relationship guidance, and advice agencies.

3. Community and religious organizations: Issues of marriage choice and immigration are significant concerns for many community organizations and religious bodies in Britain. Local NGOs, mosques and gurudwaras may be asked for advice, or offer services related to these issues. Marriage and immigration are also issues of relevance to national organizations such as the UK Shariah and Sikh Councils, and bodies representing particular groups or issues such as An-Nisa and Karma Nirvana. Findings from this research could inform the advice and services provided by such organizations. A local example of such impact from Charsley's earlier research is the development of services for migrant husbands by a South Asian community organization in Bristol previously offering services only to women.

4. British Indian Sikh and Pakistani Muslim populations would benefit from any improvements to advice or services, or refinements to policy informed by this research. The latter would also be of benefit to those engaged in transnational marriage irrespective of ethnicity.

To ensure users have the opportunity to benefit, we will involve them in the research from the outset. At the start of the project, two Local Stakeholder Workshops and a National Workshop will involve representatives from groups 1-3 above. During these workshops, users will have the opportunity to contribute to the design and content of the research, ensuring that topics most relevant to their needs are addressed. A mailing list and other communication strategies will enable ongoing involvement of stakeholders throughout the course of the project. The local and national workshops will be repeated towards the end of the project to disseminate findings and identify possible impacts from the work.

We plan several further activities to address a wider audience:

- A COMPAS 'breakfast briefing' event. This popular series of events target Westminster officials and other interested parties on their way to work, and is later podcast.

- Publication of a concise high-quality briefing publication for non-academic users, to be made available at all project events, and distributed to other users and relevant mailing lists.

- A project webpage hosted by the University of Bristol, and linked to the COMPAS and Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship websites. The webpage will provide information about the project, updates and downloadable outputs. New items will be advertised on the newfeeds of the two research centres.

- Press-releases and other web publicity (with the assistance of COMPAS and University of Bristol publicy officers)

- Short research briefings on the COMPAS weekly blog, and as guest blogs for various sites publishing on immigration issues.