Grappling with the Complexities of Migrant Life

​​More than 40 million immigrants live in the European Union. The number is considerably greater if one includes their children and grandchildren. According to EU statistics, the vast majority of immigrants are "well integrated in their social environment."

In the crucial areas of education and occupation, however, the performance of immigrants and their offspring considerably lags behind that of the local population.

Yet, in light of constantly growing global competition and its low birthrate, the EU can ill afford not to take advantage of the potential of its immigrants.

An independent organization that consults the EU Commission on issues of integration has compiled a 100-page handbook reviewing established procedures from the integration policies of 25 EU countries (before the accession of Romania and Bulgaria) as well as those of Norway and Switzerland.

The report, published in all the official languages of the EU, is aimed at decision-makers and experts involved in the integration of immigrants – state officials at the local, regional, and national level, social partners, service providers, immigrant associations, self-help groups, and aid organizations.

Permanent, institutionalized integration

The first chapter of the book deals with the question of how integration can become a permanent component of political strategy and public services. In Stuttgart, for instance, capital of the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, the office responsible for integration policy is under the direct supervision of the mayor.

Integration issues are at the top of the political agenda. In Ireland, an interpretation bureau has been set up for the health services, as immigrants previously had no access to information and therefore hardly took advantage of the country's medical system.

The second chapter describes how the characteristic living situation of immigrants can be improved. Discriminating landlords, inflated rents, and long waiting lists for subsidized housing are typical. In the two Italian regions of Umbria and Lombardy, immigrants can build houses on properties that belong to the community. Local experts and associations offer logistical and technical assistance, including access to bank credit.

The Sicilian city of Scicli bears half the costs of renovations when homeowners agree to rent to immigrants at a low fixed rate for at least five years. Hamburg in Germany pays students a rent allowance if they move to a district populated mainly by immigrants.

In the chapter on economic integration, there are examples of how the integration of immigrants in the job market can be promoted. In Denmark, five regional information centers issue immigrants and refugees so-called competency cards, which list their qualifications and field of expertise. Sweden offers qualified immigrants a three-week long traineeship in their respective profession so that they can prove their abilities directly on the job.

An Italian bank has introduced a small credit program in order to provide immigrants with the opportunity of becoming entrepreneurs. Chapter four describes how integration strategies can be coordinated, financed, and evaluated at the local level.

Andreas Halbach, head of the German division of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), regards the integration handbook as a "good approach to moving forward."

Even though integration in Germany could be speeded up, the political direction is the right one; exchanging information on tried and tested methods is the basis of a successful integration policy, says Halbach. "Even though national policies differ, there are nevertheless common issues." This was demonstrated in the first integration handbook.

European societies in a state of flux

Published in November 2004, it reported on introductory courses for new immigrants and refugees, presented opportunities for immigrant participation in civil society, and described signs of successful integration.

The subsequent handbook also made no claims to delivering patent recipes for successful integration. After all, the administrative structures, welfare systems, and the relations between citizens and the state are as different in the various EU countries as their relationship to their immigrants.

In addition, the composition of the migrant population is not only different from country to country, but also from location to location.

European societies also find themselves in a state of flux. Rapid economic and social changes have influenced social mechanisms and institutions such as the family, upbringing and education, political parties, unions, religious organizations, and voluntary work.

"Integration is not easy to plan, but is rather a protracted and non-linear process," stressed the authors of the handbook. "Integration has many faces and requires a wide spectrum of the most varied players with a tremendous ability to adapt."

Daniela Schröder

© Qantara.de 2007

Translated from the German by John Bergeron

Qantara.de

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Handbook on Integration 2007 (PDF file 5.1 MB)