Іmmigrant empowerment and inclusive social competitiveness

Amid accelerating global shifts, geopo­litical instability, demographic transitions, technological disruption, and economic frag­men­tation, Europe faces the urgent challenge of sustaining competiti­veness while safeguar­ding social cohesion. Migration intensifies this challenge, making immigrant empowerment central to long-term resilience. This paper investigates microfinance as a strategic lever for inclusive competitiveness, hypothesizing that access to financial tools enhances immigrantsʼ entrepreneurial capacity, finan­cial autonomy, and civic participation, thereby reinforcing institutional trust and contributing to host economiesʼ adaptive competitiveness. A PRISMA-guided systematic literature review (2010–2025) across Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar identified 973 records, of which 31 peer-reviewed studies met the inclu­sion criteria. Bibliometric mapping with VOSviewer revealed three thematic clusters: entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and institutional trust-linking microfinance to immigrant empowerment and systemic resi­lience. Evidence from Spain, Germany, and France shows that microfinance programs foster business formalisation, reduce welfare dependency, and increase civic participation, while adaptive innovations during COVID-19, such as repayment moratoria and digital lending, enhanced household stability and sustained local demand. The findings confirm the hypothesis across three levels: at the micro-level, microfinance strengthens indivi­dual entrepreneurship and resilience; at the meso-level, it builds social networks and trust; and at the macro-level, it contributes to inclusive competitiveness and systemic stabi­lity. The scientific novelty of this study lies in bridging migration, finance, and competiti­veness within a unified multi-level analytical framework. Policy recommendations include dismantling credit barriers, embedding finan­cial literacy into microfinance schemes, and expanding inclusive digital finance as integral components of Europeʼs competitiveness agenda