Samenvatting

Migration for reasons of employment, education, safety and family reunification, a common thing in our present-day world. To counteract potential instability generated by the flow of migrants, host countries strive for integration of migrants into their societies. The Netherlands, considered an example of successful immigrant integration, has implemented a civic integration exam and strict rules for migrants. South Korea is a new immigration destination which has experienced severe anti-immigration sentiment because of its immigration policy. Since 2000, South Korea has implemented a multiculturalism policy that accommodates migrants and maintains migrants’ cultures. This policy has resulted in many complaints among Korean nationals about welfare benefits granted to immigrants and lack of immigrant assimilation. To address this critique, in 2009 the Korean government initiated the Korea Immigration and Integration Programme (KIIP) while still holding on to the multiculturalism policy. Despite the KIIP implementation, the level of immigrant integration in Korea today remains low.

This research uses Dutch immigration and integration policies as a model to identify ways to improve the Korean immigration situation. The researcher conducted desk research and an email interview to identify deficiencies in the KIIP and possible remedies. This research recommends six improvements of the KIIP to stimulate immigrant integration in Korea. First, the government should make the KIIP compulsory. Second, the government should implement a participation declaration requiring migrants to declare their intention to integrate. Third, the government should impose a deadline for completion of the KIIP and penalties for those failing to pass the programme in the allotted time. Fourth, the government should charge migrants for the KIIP. Fifth, migrants who can speak Korean or who have started the integration process should be eligible for benefits. Sixth, the same requirements for social benefits should apply to both migrants and Korean citizens. Before adopting any changes, however, the Korean government should make its approach to immigration
and immigrant integration more consistent. Currently, the government implements a multiculturalism policy as well as the KIIP. Contradictions between these two strategies confuse immigrants and hinder the ability of the Korean government to host migrants. The researcher recommends the Korean government to choose civic integration and to adopt aspects of the Dutch approach in order to help solving its current immigration issues.