Based on legal-philosophical research, and informed by insights gleaned from empirical case studies, this book sets out three central claims about integration requirements as conditions for attaining increased rights (ie family migration, permanent residency and citizenship) in Europe:

(1) That the recent proliferation of these (mandatory) integration requirements is rooted in a shift towards ‘individualised’ conceptions of integration.

(2) That this shift is counterproductive as it creates barriers to participation and inclusion for newcomers (who will most likely permanently settle); and is normatively problematic insofar as it produces status hierarchies between native-born and immigrant citizens.

(3) That the remedy for this situation is a firewall that disconnects integration policy from access to rights.

The book draws on perspectives on immigrant integration in multiple EU Member States and includes legal and political reactions to the refugee/migrant crisis.