Immigration and Integration

Abstract

Immigration does not belong to the topics that are usually discussed in the context of political liberalism, not least due to its focus on justice and reasonable pluralism in one particular political community, which is often modelled as a closed society. Nevertheless, immigration happens in contemporary liberal democracies, and with it comes the task of integrating the children of immigrants. Political liberalism should therefore be able to provide normative guidelines for the treatment of immigrant children too. This chapter argues that despite Rawls’ neglect of immigration in his political liberal theory, and the liberal nationalist position he expresses in his late theory of international relations, political liberalism ought to say something about the integration of immigrants into a just society. It then outlines requirements of integration of immigrant children in schools, based on theories of integration by authors like Elizabeth Anderson, but also discusses contrary positions, as have been developed, e.g., by Michael Merry, who argues in favour of separation in education under non-ideal circumstances.