21 million immigrants live in Europe-EU back research
No fewer than 21 million immigrants live in the 25 member countries that made up the European Union.
This was the out come of a research backed by the EU on how Europe integrates immigrants into their system which exposed wide variations on how foreign workers are welcome.
The research found Sweden doing the most to help migrants settle - and Latvia the least even when they could do much more according to researchers acting for a consortium of 25 organisations across Europe.
The Migration Integration Policy Index is produced by a consortium of European organisations, led by the British Council and the Migration Policy Group in Brussels which ranks countries on key factors affecting immigrants' lives.
The research looked at policies to integrate the estimated 21 million migrants across 25 EU member states by using 140 indicators including: Immigrants' rights in the workplace, the opportunities for permanent settlement, permission for family to join them and laws to combat racism and prejudice
United Kingdom lead the pack with the most immigrants, while Spain, Germany, Italy and France all ranked next in the top half of the table, with Italy coming out the best.
According to the report, the aforementioned five countries are home to at least half of all the migrants across the continent. But overall, the study found that only Sweden scored highly enough to be classed as a nation entirely favourable to promoting integration.
While the report scores Sweden 100 per cent on the rights it gives to foreign workers and just missed out on the top rating for long-term residency laws, it founds Latvia top of countries restricting foreign workers' rights and gives immigrants little political say in the running of the country.
Researchers scored Sweden and Portugal highest on policies allowing migrants to bring in members of their family - but Austria, Denmark and Cyprus scored lowest.
Sweden was also judged best at giving migrants the right to stay for the long-term, by having what researchers found to be a fair, simple and transparent system.
The UK scored highly in this category and also in the related area of naturalisation - however it was criticised for a special law introduced to rescind nationality, a power used only once so far against a terrorism convict.
Ireland, in contrast, scored worst on long-term residence partly because researchers said migrants' rights to settle were discretionary and related to employment, rather than time spent in the country and links put down.
Ireland's government is now one of many across Europe that is overhauling its migration policies in response to increased movement of people.
Countries to the east of the European Union scored worst in relation to policies allowing migrants to play a full role in local politics.
Reviews of anti-discrimination measures also produced a mixed picture. Despite strong legal guarantees written into its constitution and laws, Germany was dropped down the league table which was not surprising with the numbers of racist attacked in that country of late.
The index is being launched across Europe on Tuesday with individual countries being given separate briefings on the data in the coming months.
TOP RANKED NATIONS FOR INTEGRATION
Sweden
Portugal
Belgium
Netherlands
Finland
Source: Migration Integration Policy index
Analysis: Integrating migrants
WORST NATIONS FOR INTEGRATION
Latvia
Cyprus
Austria
Greece
Slovakia
Source: Migration Integration Policy index
Country profile: Sweden
Sweden's position as one of the world's most highly developed post-industrial societies looks fundamentally secure. Unemployment is low and the economy strong. Public-private partnership is at the core of "the Swedish model", which was developed by the Social Democrats, who governed for most of the last 70 years until 2006.
This mixed economy traditionally featured centralised wage negotiations and a heavily tax-subsidised social security network. The Swedes still enjoy an advanced welfare system, and their standard of living and life expectancy are almost second to none.
The country is also a common destination for refugees and asylum seekers - immigrants make up more than 10% of its population.
Swedes voted in a referendum in 1980 to phase out nuclear power. It was nearly two decades before the first reactor was shut down in 1999. Another followed in 2005. A further 10 remain to be decommissioned.
Sweden is known throughout the world for its neutrality. This policy has led to a number of Swedish politicians taking on international roles, often mediating between conflicting groups or ideologies. With the ending of the Cold War, Sweden felt able to join the European Union in 1995 although it still declines to become a NATO member.
Sweden was one of three EU countries not to join the single European currency. In the first referendum on membership after the euro's introduction in 12 of 15 EU countries, Swedish voters rejected it by a clear majority in September 2003.
Kingdom of Sweden has a population of about 9 million (via UN, 2006) with Stockholm as its capital and covering area of 449,964 sq km (173,732 sq miles).
It has Swedish as its major language and majority are Christian with life expectancy put at 78 years (men) and 83 years (women) (UN) and its main exports are machinery and transport equipment, paper products and chemicals
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