Giving Compass' Take:

· The Migration Policy Institute explains how applying evidence-based behavioral insights can help immigrants better integrate into their communities, building up a stronger support system.

• In a politically-charged environment, how can immigrant and refugee rights organizations develop more programs based on these insights? What are some policies that could benefit from a behavioral approach?

• Check out this article about immigration as a social determinant of health.

In many countries, policymakers are looking for innovative ways to build connections between people of different backgrounds and to help immigrants find their footing in a new society. One promising tool is behavioral insights — an evidence-based approach to policy and program design that is grounded in a nuanced understanding of human behavior and how people make decisions in practice. Governments have already employed this approach to "nudge" people into taking action in policy areas as varied as health care and tax compliance, but there has thus far been no systematic effort to explore its potential to support immigrant integration.

This report examines the lessons behavioral research and interventions from other policy fields could offer integration policymakers. In doing so, it highlights common integration policy goals that could benefit from a behavioral approach, including efforts to strengthen community cohesion, address inequalities between immigrants and the broader population, and improve uptake of public services. The overarching aim: to encourage people to make better choices for themselves and the societies in which they live.

Read the full article about behavioral insights for immigrants by Meghan Benton, Antonio Silva, and Will Somerville at the Migration Policy Institute.