BackOn 15 March, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published a new report examining integration strategies across the EU. It provides clear evidence of the successes and failures of current policies and recommends changes in order to build a stronger and more cohesive Europe.
Integrating migrants, refugees and their descendants is of critical importance for the future of the European Union. The report examines Member States’ integration policies and action plans for promoting their participation in society, focusing on non-discrimination, education, employment, language learning and political engagement.
The report “Together in the EU: Promoting the participation of migrants and their descendants” shows that despite efforts from 2004 to follow common principles to guide and improve integration across the EU, Member States have widely different approaches to guide and improve integration and inclusion across the EU.
It identifies and compares policies in areas important for successful integration. These include:
- Education: Migrant pupils face some form of school segregation in around half of EU Member States, often despite efforts by the authorities to prevent it. This depicts a worrying reality of migrants and natives living in divided societies.
- Youth: Fewer than half of Member States have action plans or strategies explicitly addressing youth with a migrant background, potentially leading to alienation and even radicalisation.
- Discrimination: 16 Member States do not protect migrants against discrimination on the basis of their nationality or status as migrant, refugee or foreigner, which can mask ethnic and racial discrimination.
- Language: Few Member States provide courses to all residents with limited language proficiency, including citizens of migrant background. At the same time, language learning programmes are rarely linked to employment, and job-specific or on-the-job language training courses are uncommon.
Source: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
