Spouses constitute one of the largest categories of migrant settlement in the UK. Concern is sometimes expressed over the implications for integration of marriage related migration. In some ethnic minority groups, significant numbers of children and grandchildren of former immigrants continue to marry partners from their ancestral homelands. Such marriages have been represented as particularly problematic, a 'first generation' of spouses in every generation inhibiting processes of individual and group integration, socio-economic participation and cultural change. Recent restrictions on marriage-related immigration to the UK have been justified on the grounds of promoting integration, echoing policy developments elsewhere in Europe.
This policy briefing is part of the project Marriage Migration and Integration.
The final report for the project can be found here.
