Migration problems are mainly reduced unilaterally to problems that migrants cause in the guest society regarding housing, employment, education and health care. At the same time migration research often focuses on the same reduction: the living conditions of migrants in our society and ghettoization, unemployment, the concentration of migrant children in so called ‘sink’ schools, unsuccessful integration and the sense of insecurity within the native community due to the presence of foreigners. Social workers proceed according to this evidence-based practice. Social workers are committed to the realization of a social policy that needs to accomplish an effective integration of migrants. In this article we question the evidence of the integration policy that is pursued. The reasons for this are multiple, but not least because the integration practices are often very counterproductive. I argue that migrant problems are not confined to the borders of our own community. A social policy of integration, addressed to migrants and other newcomers, which only depends on the conditions of our own society, must fail. Social work has increasingly been drawn into a role of punishment in its work with newcomers. This article looks to enlarge evidence-based practice to a reflexive collaboration with professionals in order to counterbalance the current rejection and submission of ‘unsuccessful’ migrants and newcomers. © 2014, © The Author(s) 2014.

Integration exclusion Evidence-based practice Social cohesion social policy

education evidence based practice center unemployment punishment policy housing Social Work employment human migrant human experiment Child