Politicisation of migration

• Political issue

  States now have policies to control migration and absorb migrants into society and deal with increased cultural diversity. More recently these policies have become linked to national security and anti-terrorism.
• Assimilation

  This aimed to encourage migrants to adopt the values, language and customs of the host country. However, some hybrid identities may not be willing to abandon their culture.
• Multiculturalism

  This accepts migrants wish to retain a separate culture. However, in practice this acceptance may be limited to more superficial aspects.
• Shallow diversity

  Surface level diversity e.g regarding chicken tikka masala as Britain's national dish is acceptable to the state.
• Deep diversity

  Wider level diversity, an institutional understanding of diversity not just surface level.
• Critics 


  They argue that multicultural education policies celebrate shallow diversity and superficial cultural differences whilst failing to address deeper problems facing children from migrant backgrounds.
• Castells 


  Castells argues that assimilationist policies are counterproductive because they mark out minority groups as 'culturally backward'. This can lead to minorities emphasising their differences, such Islamic fundamentalism then governments develop anti-terror policies to target them.
• Working class


  These ideas encourage WC to blame ethnic minorities for social problems, resulting in racist scapegoating (divide and rule)