For some years now, global migration has dominated political debate in Europe and Northern America. In the 1970s, while Germany pursued a head-in-the sand policy with regard to migration and ethnic diversity, the Netherlands, Sweden and Canada drew the consequences of migration. They permitted people from other cultures to participate in shaping the future of their countries. This gave rise to changes that encompassed all parties concerned. By challenging the notion of a homogenous national "dominant culture", it was possible to make use of migration as an innovative resource for societal development. The author discusses the prerequisites for these political modernisation processes.