We have conducted research on family, employment and housing trajectories among immigrants and their descendants. We organised three successful Advisory Board meetings (2020, 2021 and 2022); a training workshop in 2021; and two MigrantLife symposiums (2022 and 2023). Both symposiums brought together more than thirty researchers from Europe and North America with keynote lectures on the children of migrants, on the third generation and on the projections of migrant populations. We participated in major national and international conferences. Additionally, we advised policymakers on labour market integration of immigrants (e.g. a seminar for UK government Permanent Secretaries; contribution to a report to the Scottish Government; a seminar for UN Inter-agency working group on population data, internal displacement and refugee data). Deliverables of 54 months of the project include: a) 31 completed papers, 13 of which have been published in international journals (or books), b) 2 policy briefs, and c) 62 presentations for the research community, policymakers or general public.
Our research shows significant diversity in family trajectories among immigrants in Europe. This diversity is reduced among the descendants of immigrants, although some patterns observed for immigrants persist among the descendants’ groups (e.g. preference for marriage), whereas others have almost vanished (e.g. large families). The results show that migrant background is strongly associated with partnership patterns, whereas the destination country context significantly influences childbearing behaviour. This suggests that cultural-normative factors are important in shaping partnership behaviour of immigrants and their descendants, whereas structural-economic factors may play a more important role in fertility decisions. The findings of the study underline that the institution of marriage is very slow to change, especially in the communities with marriage-centred family norms, whereas fertility postponement and smaller family size are necessary adjustments to the existing socio-economic context.
Our analysis of employment trajectories identifies the main types of migrants and shows that many women who arrive as family migrants have low employment levels. Women with children are more likely to be inactive than men, but the gender differences are larger for immigrants than for the native population. The results suggest the lack of opportunities for migrant women with children, although preferences may also play a role for some migrant groups. Overall, employment trajectories among the descendants are similar to those of the native populations; however, among some descendant groups conservative family patterns are coupled with low labour market attachment, especially among women. This is likely to have long-term implications for the (financial) well-being of second-generation women.
Our research on housing of immigrants and their descendants in Europe shows that immigrants are less likely to be homeowners and more likely to be social or private renters. Homeownership rates increase across migrant generations; however, we still find lower levels of homeownership and higher levels of social renting among some descendant groups. While low homeownership levels among immigrants are expected (e.g. less time to accumulate resources than the native population; less likely to inherit any property; some may intend to return to their homeland), similar patterns among some descendant groups signal either persistent disadvantage or intergenerational transmission of values and resources. Nevertheless, our research support gradual housing assimilation and integration across migrant generations: the descendants of immigrants with one native parent (or so-called 2.5G) have homeownership levels close to those of the native population.
