European Economic and Social Committee

Hearing onImmigration and integration:

cooperation between regional and local governments and civi l society organisations

Organised by the European Economic and Social Committee, the Generalitat de Catalunya and Barcelona City Council with the collaboration of the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona

and the Catalan Labour, Economic and Social Affairs Council2 and 3 February 2006 at the Casa Llotja de Mar, BARCELONA

Summarized key aspects of the speeches

Mr Malosse – President of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship - European Economic and Social Committee

The European Economic and Social Committee has the role of being the voice of those who do not normally have one. It represents the interests of all EU citizens as the construction of Europe does concern everybody. Key words as coexistence, cohabitation and integration of immigrants have to be part of European policies. Migration is an old phenomenon, mainly due to bad living conditions in countries of origin. All countries have to consider the consequences of migration, but one can wonder if they are ready to do so. Good integration policies would allow enriching the society by combating social exclusion and discrimination; thus, local initiatives are fundamental for the efficient implementation of integration policies. Integration policies do touch any field of society and any kind of reality.Nowadays one of the main problems related to immigration is linked to the management of the migration flows on the borders, for example, in the Mediterranean area and the EU external borders have to cope with people who desperately want to enter EU territories.

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The objective of the Hearing is to think how to integrate these migrants and how to avoid social exclusion. The best practices from different local realities constitute the content of good integration policies and give the migration concept a human dimension. The EU needs help form the local authorities to find solutions and manage as efficiently as possible integration policies, which will make the EU more prosperous and immigration a win-win process.Therefore, it is the time of Europe and all the citizens who just arrived!

Ms Pratt - Deputy Head of Unit, Immigration and Asylum Unit, DG Justice Freedom and Security - European Commission

The Common Agenda for Integration: the European Policy Context

The Common Immigration Policy called for by the European Council in Tampere 1999 set as a priority the strengthening of integration policies for immigrants. Therefore, integration has to be seen as a key part of immigration policy. In November 2004 the European Council adopted The Hague Programme setting out the development of the common EU immigration policy up to 2010. The main four objectives are:

Completing the establishment of the common European asylum system More effective management of migration flows (closer cooperation to prevent

illegal immigration and better coordination of immigration policies) Working more closely with third countries in the management of migration flows Establishing a European framework in which to develop integration policies

The Programme has a strong focus on operational delivery (monitoring and evaluating existing policies more closely; improving practical co-operation; increasing the information flow, exchanging good practice especially at local level) and calls for the development of a coherent European framework in which to strengthen integration policies. Its main elements are the implementation of the Common Basic Principles1 at EU and national level, the empowerment of the role of the National Contact Points on Integration2 and the Handbook on integration for policy-makers and practitioners. There are proposals of establishing an

1 There are 11 principles in all; the first one emphasizes that integration is a two-way process of mutual adaptation from both the migrant and the host society; the second emphasises the basic values the EU is based on as equality, the rule of law, respect for human rights and for the democratic process; other principles deal with key aspects of the integration process as e.g. participation in the labour market and language knowledge. 2 Senior officials from each Member State deal with integration issues and meet about six times a year in Brussels for the exchange of information and good practice. They also help to monitor progress by preparing a national report on integration as a contribution to the Annual Report on migration and integration which the Commission issues. Furthermore, they have developed a Handbook on integration whose second edition should be published in autumn.

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integration web page and a European Integration Forum3 next to the Annual Reports on Migration and Integration.The Programme gives also a new impetus to the development of the external dimension of immigration (better targeting and coordination of EU policies in partnership with third countries to manage migration flows more effectively). On asylum two pilot Regional Protection Programmes are now prepared by the EC. In addition, at the end of last year the European Council formally adopted a global approach to migration, which includes a series of priority actions to increase dialogue and cooperation with, in particular, Africa and the Mediterranean countries.

Ms Terrón – Secretary General of the Patronat Català Pro Europa , Representative of the Government of Catalunya in Brussels, Belgium

Common norms on immigration policy are indispensable; inner market, common citizenship, European rights, cohabitation, social inclusion, etc. are calling for a well-structured and shared immigration policy within Europe. Europe has to face to consequences of the migration phenomenon, which is growing day by day. The increase of immigration in the last years forces the different levels of a government, from the EU to local, to adopt an attitude with regard to it. Therefore, integration policies have to be developed and have to be efficiently implemented to face the pressure of the migration flows, which is a structural and ever-ongoing situation. Spain due, among other reasons, to its geographical situation, is on the lead regarding immigrants’ reception as a large amount of foreigners try to enter the EU through it.

Ms Ballarín – Councillor of Treasury of the Barcelona City Council, Spain

In Barcelona, after 5 years the immigrating population tends to get more stable and slightly to decline; from 1999 to 2002 the immigrant population has been increasing very quickly and, for example, between March 2001 and March 2002 a growth percentage of a 52.1% with more than 3% per month has been registered (censed immigrant population).Most immigrants who arrive to Barcelona are Latin Americans and dogged by a socio-economic situation, which affects social cohesion and welfare. There are many challenges for the regional and national governments when talking about immigration. Fortunately, a change in the approach has taken place in the Spanish Government. The Spanish Constitution confers exclusive competence as regards, immigration and rights of foreigners to the national government, which implies that the national government must fulfil both normative and executive functions as regards these subjects, although the organs of the Autonomous

3 The European Forum would include EU institutions, EU umbrella organisations and pan-European organisations and practitioners would thus have a voice in the development of the EU approach to integration.

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Government may also execute them. La Generalitat de Catalunya has thus limited competences. It has normative and executive functions in culture, urbanism, housing, social services, employment, teaching and health. Integration policies have to be driven by all levels (national, regional and local) following the criteria of closeness (availability of jobs, reunions of families, etc.).An initiative that has to be mentioned in this context is the regularization process the Government in Spain decided to undertake in 2005 and by which Spain managed to combat partly illegal phenomena linked to immigration and underground realities.

Ms Simó – Honourable Minister for Welfare and Family Affairs, Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain

The Catalunya Plan for Immigration 2005-2008 foresees cooperative policies within the management of immigration. It promotes a Europe of proximity by sharing experience and information, especially with neighbouring countries as, in the case of Spain, Northern Africa. Migration flows are very heterogeneous and therefore no general rules can be applied. Immediate challenges due to the EU Enlargement must also be taken into consideration. In this general framework Catalunya has to be capable to offer good integration policies in housing, work, etc. and has thus to establish and maintain a dialogue with all social partners available on the territory. Such policies have to offer a dignified integration of immigrants and their insertion has to be led by the principle of equality and equal opportunities. There is a need of promoting concepts as the plurality of languages, religions and cultures, and of scanning and monitoring institutions to assure that they are suitable for welcoming the newcomers.

Ms Ros –General Secretary for Immigration, Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain

Nowadays we do have to adapt policies to realities and we need common views on regulation in order to help an effective integration. Barcelona’s population has been growing up to more than one million from 2000 to 2005; 90% of which due to immigration and family reunions. The changing of the society has been seen negatively and the general opinion is that the government does not intervene enough. Managing and changing the perception of people is the government’s challenge. The integration of immigrants is nowadays a cultural and political project, which constitutes a challenge, but also a great opportunity in Catalunya. Therefore, integration of immigrants should not be lived as a difficulty. The challenge of cultural pluralism relates to the rights of all people guaranteed by fundamental rights; equal

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opportunities stand above everything; governments are asked to combat discrimination due to cultural or religious reasons. A few months ago a decree has been adopted to implement integration policies (Plan of a project of shared citizenship). The Catalan model of integration is a successful one and a flexible one. It has not been defined because of its ever-changing character related to migration issues. Access to social services and access to housing are just two of the key elements of the Plan and its economy-making in integration. The aim is to build a base of indicators that will allow Catalunya to monitor the development in migration policies year per year. The Catalan model tries not to make differences except the ones needed to create equality. The additional social costs due to integration policies are seen as an investment and not as a burden. The coordination between administration and civil society has also existed but gain further relevance nowadays. More economic resources are therefore needed to facilitate the coordination of all institutions working in the field of migration. The network has to be consolidated in 2006 and social agents have to better coordinate their work. The Catalan model focuses especially on:

More space for participation among stakeholders in social affairs Better institutional participation Responsible and accountable network of entrepreneurship, social agents and

citizens Implementing projects of integration and best practices

Particular attention is also given to the hosting policies. The hosting system tries to achieve the migrant’s autonomy (for example there are free courses of Catalan language in all Catalonia). Indicators for the migrant’s independence are the knowledge of the language, the knowledge of the territory and institutional framework in Catalunya, and the guided integration into the labour market.

Ms Takács – Executive Officer, City of Budapest, Hungary

Migrants’ issues are dealt within the Ministry of the Interior in the Office of Immigration and Nationality (OIN). The key aspects are access to social services, employment, housing, education, language teaching and healthcare. Social services are provided by the Social Department of the Local Government (directed by the Ministry of Interior, it provides benefits according to the local and central social regulations), the Family Assistance Service (accountable to the local government, it provides mental and social help for individuals, families and groups) and the Child Welfare Service (accountable to the local government, it provides assistance for families in bringing up their children). In addition, the Refugee Welfare and Integration Division of the OIN provides social services. The Labour Service, reporting to the Public Employment service, does instead grant help for unemployed people and gives out work permits for foreigner citizens, etc.

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In terms of housing, there are several reception centres for asylum seekers, recognized refugees (they can stay up to six months and their stay can be renewed for another six months period) and authorised persons (allowed to stay up to 18 months). The Refugee Welfare and Integration Division of the OIN provides housing benefits after the Social Department of the Local Government has issued the authorisation. They can be granted to persons authorised to stay or to recognized refugees. They are given only after a contract has been signed meaning that one has to pay in advance 1-month rent plus two months caution. Housing benefits last up to six months with the possibility to be renewed twice and cover max. 60% of the total amount of money that has to be paid as rent. All these conditions make it almost impossible for a person who is in need to apply for the benefits. The Home-creation assistance is also provided by the Refugee Welfare and Integration Division of the OIN and is meant to facilitate the acquisition of a flat or family house to refugees within five years of being recognized as a refugee (max. 80% of the price with a repayable interest-free loan).The educational system in Hungary foresees free access to education for immigrant children who have a legal status in Hungary. If the time of the residence is less than 1 year, then the parents have to apply for it. Higher education is free only for recognized refugee or settled persons. Foreign degrees are recognized according to the conventions. The financial support for education is very low due to a lack of information and to the too small amount of money handed out.As to integration from a linguistic point of view, the Refugee Welfare and Integration Division of the OIN provides free language courses (360 hours within a year) for recognized refugees; but there is a big shortage of language schools (for example, in Budapest, there is only one). The national health care system grants a health insurance card to employed or dependent persons (spouse, child) who do pay the insurance fee. The Local Government can take over the insurance fee for recognized refugees, settled persons for max. 1 year (renewable).

Ms Jäger – Head of Division, Reception, housing and integration of immigrants, Land Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

In Schleswig-Holstein 5% of the population are migrants. The biggest group are the Turks followed by Polish, Ex-Yugoslavian and Ex-Soviet Union persons having mostly relatives in Schleswig-Holstein. In 2002 an Integration Programme was established on the whole territory of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Also the Schleswig-Holstein Government elaborated integration policies stressing that the as most important factors for it are the acquisition of the language, intercultural education, labour market integration, social housing, access to health care and social services. Integration policies are meant to enhance equal participation and mutual cohabitation and are defined by its objectives, as there is no definition of integration itself.

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The elaboration of the integration concept (guided by the Ministry) was a process, which tried to involve as many stakeholders as possible. Liaison groups, workshops and study meetings were organized to pinpoint problems and to specify the main fields one has to consider in implementing an integration concept meant to be efficient and sustainable. After the definition of the main fields of action, the Schleswig-Holstein Government decided to spread the content of the integration concept in June 2002. The data concerning immigration, collected by the integration concept, are very exhaustive and aimed to create awareness of the existing problems among the population and institutions. The integration concept calls for better cohabitation and demands as one of the first steps the improvement of language teaching.The implementation of the integration concept is generally speaking dependent on how local authorities manage to take it over and promote it within their manifold realities. NGOs and association of any kind play a significant role in it. The Schleswig-Holstein Government helps to exchange best practices by organizing meetings where different municipalities can meet and show and integrate their specific integration concepts with others.

Ms Obrador-Sole – Diputació de Barcelona representing ERLAI

ERLAI is a Brussels-based network, comprising regions, cities and local authorities from 6 EU Member States with an interest in immigration and asylum. Its aims are:

Building awareness of relevant EU policy and funding tools Contributing to enlarge the regional/local perspective into EU policy making Learning how other regions and local authorities operate Developing showcase of good practice Exchanging targeted partner searches

Therefore, ERLAI organizes seminars with EU institutions, regular meetings within members, surveys on EU funding gaps, newsletters, web pages ad works with an enlarged membership up to 26 regions and local authorities. The objectives ERLAI pursues are:

Representing the voice of local authorities and regions within the EU Strengthening the ERLAI network and activity Reinforce the local/regional dimension at EU level and contribute to the European

debate Keep on bringing practitioners and policy makers together Set up thematic working groups Organize training and information Compare different legal frameworks

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Enlarge the network to new membersThese objectives require the commitment from local offices and more involvement of/from EU institutions (financial support, networks, etc.).

Ms Demsic – Head of the Youth Office, City of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Slovenia is a particular case when talking about immigration. There have been no integration policies before 1991. When Yugoslavia split up, big and extreme nationalistic feelings came up in the different states to proof and show one’s own identity and culture. The Slovene nation became thus a population with a single spoken language – Slovenian. But this was not the case beforehand as other languages were present on the territory (for example Serbo-Croatian). From the state level no effort has been done to overcome this change following an intercultural approach. The Youth Office of the City of Ljubljana implements projects having as a target group the 2nd

generation of immigrants to overcome the differences created by the upheavals and changes of 1991 (for example citizenship problems: it was easier to get Slovenian citizenship for somebody coming from Argentina having Slovenian blood than for somebody living there for years). One third of the population of the city are in fact young people.The Project the Youth Office is carrying out for the moment has as a target group young people living in the workers’ district. The project’s aim is to integrate young people under the guidance of the Youth Club present in the workers’ district. The redline for the project Sports Playground against Racism and Xenophobia is awareness building. The project got the attention of many persons and also people originally not involved in the project got interested and contributed in carrying out different tasks as building a bowling track, etc. The idea of the project started with a German volunteer who worked in that district and tried to overcome stereotypes and prejudices based on ignorance by his work.

Ms MacDonald – Head of the International Projects Division, Scotland

Attracting and retaining Fresh Talent – the Scottish experience

In the 2030ies Scotland’s population is projected to decline below 5 million. In order to face this fact along with the ageing of the population, Scotland promotes immigration to guarantee economic growth and a diverse and dynamic society. Fresh Talent is thus defined as ”a long-term initiative to attract and retain bright, talented and motivated people to live and work in Scotland and contribute towards the growth of our economy and the diversity of our society.” The First Minister launched Fresh Talent in February 2004. The New Scots’ report outlines a range of measures to be taken forward to help new talent flourish alongside home-grown talent. To attract people to come to Scotland one has firstly to understand how Scotland is seen from outside and to analyse what the country could offer to people. Therefore, the aim

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of the project is to position modern Scotland as a great country to live, learn, work, visit, do business and invest. Getting the attention from international journalists, develop a network between the public and private sector in producing and distributing promotional material are just two examples of what Scotland can do to attract people. To support migrants, a Relocation Advisory Service was set up in October 2004 with immigration specialists among the staff. Special attention is also drawn to students who are warmly welcome to work with Scottish universities and colleges to promote Scotland and Scottish education. Concerning the business sector, advice is given through the Relocation Advisory Service and its specialists in these topics. The Fresh Talent project also stresses that over 25 million people with Scottish ancestry live around the world and promotes the idea of returning home to Scotland in different parts of the world.

Mr Bronsveld – International social relations’ officer, City of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

The Rotterdam Islam debate

Since the terrorist attacks in the US, Spain and the UK, and the shooting of Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam, there have been discussions about Islam and the immigration phenomena. The outcomes and the position differ from place to place. For example, the position of a Muslim in Rotterdam is different from a co-religionist in Amsterdam. In Holland, Pim Fortuyn stated that Islam is a “backward culture”. Fortuyn and his party Leefbaar Rotterdam were elected in the Rotterdam city council gaining 17 out of 45 seats starting from zero. In May 2002 Pim Fortuyn was shot and this was the first politically motivated assassination in Holland since the 16th century. After Fortuyn’s death the Leefbaar party, the Christian-Democrats and the Conservatives formed a new city government. A coalition that is still in power; on March 7 there will be city-council elections in the Netherlands. The city of Rotterdam organized debates on Islam. Firstly, internal ones: the representatives of different Islamic communities in Rotterdam – among others the Turkish, Moroccan and Somali communities – participated in these discussions. Rotterdam citizens’ could in such a way learn that Islam is a very adaptive religion. There were eleven internal debates and about 2000 citizens took part. Secondly, there were information meetings with informative lectures concentrated in January 2005 where about 1500 citizens took part. The big public debate started in February 2005. Seven evenings were organized in the Rotterdam World Trade Centre with the following key topics:

The We and They, the us and them feelings, amongst both Muslims and non- Muslims Religion and the constitution: the state and the church Position of women and homosexuals On mosques and minarets: Islam as a new religion in Rotterdam Education and economic situation

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Safety and terror “Slotdebat” (final debate with high officials as the Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende

and the controversial Islam expert Prof. Tariq Ramadan)The public debates were well covered by the local media, especially the Rotterdam City television. Still there is a long way to go. Last week a national research institute (Sociaal Cultureel Planbureau) found an unemployment rate among people with a non-Dutch cultural background of 40% (for Dutch youth it is 20%).The promises officials made at the final debate were:

1) The City government would elaborate the conclusions of the debates in a so-called Rotterdam Charter. It was done but the Charter states that people in Rotterdam will have to talk Dutch in the streets. This is the policy of a city fearing everything coming from outside and not the policy of a city that wants to be Europe’s port to the world.

2) The City government would discuss and make plans with the civil society organizations of people with a migration background. Unfortunately the different parties in the present coalition do not agree upon such a policy.

Ms Roumet – Secretary General, European Liaison Committee for Social Housing

Social housing is a right for everybody and has a long historical relationship concerning migrants. The housing agenda has to be connected to an integration policy. Unfortunately this was not at all the case for long time. Nowadays the high unemployment rate demands an integration policy - might it be the Anglo-Saxon model of multiculturalism or the French one of assimilation? There are both valid but do not really answer the needs of the migrants properly. An integration policy can only be efficient when people do know where to stay and live. Questions as what is the ideal house or what is the housing image of migrants have to be analysed more deeply. The housing image of migrants does mostly not differ from the one of originally local people. The biggest barrier for integration and social housing is the discrimination of migrants. Segregation evolves and problems end up in conflicts (fears, intimidation acts, etc.). Another aspect that has to be considered is the overrepresentation of migrants’ groups in certain areas. Integration of migrants can only succeed if social mixing is happening. Therefore we would need more flexible housing actors. Finland introduced an integration contract between the authority (giving housing and assistance) and the migrant (studying the language and the environment he lives in). An urban renewal has to be carried out to guarantee social and ethnic mix within areas and we still miss data and research in the new Member States. The leitmotiv of the society has to be that we can only integrate people if we accept them and we have never to forget that integration of native poor persons is as important as integration of migrants.

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Mr Krieger – Research Manager, European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions

Migration policies are nowadays very high on the European Agenda. NGOs, local and regional authorities are the key actors in transmitting the right policies and projects. Subsidiarity is thus a key word in this context. We have to consider local authorities as the major innovators within migration policy and try to improve the quality of integration by bringing together best practices of cities in and out EU.

Mr Valenti – Chief Executive for the Department of Integration and Citizenship, City of Brescia, Italy

10% of the population in Brescia are immigrants and the percentage is rising very quickly in the last years (plus 1.4 % every year). The unemployment rate in Lombardy is about 4.5% and the one in Brescia is ~3.9%; among immigrants it raises up to 6%. When one talks about immigrants in Brescia, one has to consider especially African, South American and Pakistan communities.There are several problems of cohabitation and an orientation service helps in creating a bridge between locals and immigrants. This service has been transformed in a proper institution with about 20 specialized persons. Having a dialogue concerning immigration and integration is difficult due to the existing political panorama. Brescia talks about cittadinizzazione, a process on how to become a citizen. A one stop shop policy helps through a single bureau for integration to assist in the implementation of this process. This bureau helps the migrant to set up businesses, to avoid conflicts with the local system and to fix housing contracts with the bank (100% assistance). Brescia did not yet encounter open conflicts and tries to avoid them by focusing on:

Qualification courses Intercultural education Plurality in dialogue Italian language courses Inter-religious dialogue Policies to avoid the concentration of immigrants in single areas Assistance in getting a workplace (unfortunately 40% of all work places, i.e.; in the

public sector, are out of reach for foreigners)

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The final aim is to fully integrate immigrants in the city and to guarantee them the right to vote also by the use of intercultural mediators.

Ms Pellilä – Development consultant, Project Leader, Social Services, City of Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki has 559 000 inhabitants; 29 000 are immigrants (5.2%; in whole Finland 2.1%). The largest immigrants’ groups are Russians, Estonians and Somali but there are all in all 147 different nationalities present. The unemployment rate among immigrants (28%) is much higher than the one among locals (9%) due to recognition problems of prior vocational qualifications, lack of social networks, language skills, employers’ attitudes and economic recession.The city offers individual integration plans according to the Act of Integration of Immigrants (from care and shelter to education, rehabilitation and employment services) for an integration period of three years. The Majakka-Beacon project responds to the need to develop employment and rehabilitation services for immigrants. It was planned together by the cities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, two training organisations, three immigrant organisations and the rehabilitation foundation. The aim of the project is to develop the empowerment of rehabilitation and employment services, to organise comprehensive training programs for job coaches, to set up information campaigns for immigrant communities and work places.The project embraces about 150 immigrants living in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa who are unemployed and/or have health and social problems. Through supported employment services (job finder and language teachers for example), resource-oriented planning of support services (expert teams) and guidance and counselling, the project tries to implement a re-integration of immigrants. In addition, information campaigns and information dissemination stress the importance of intercultural coexistence.

Ms Munch , Project Coordinator, Office of Diversity and Integration, City of Oslo, Norway

Oslo Extra Large – for a more embracing city against racism and prejudice

Tolerance, mutual respect and understanding are the cornerstones of OXLO. Oslo is a city where all peoples are considered equal and they all share the same basic rights and duties.OXLO as a project focuses especially on children, youth and minority groups, and follows an interactive approach by encouraging carrying out diverse projects. OXLO started in response to a racist murdering and was initiated by the mayor in 2001. It tries to highlight the needs of immigrants and to understand how the city is working against xenophobia in its different institutional frameworks. It awards best practices shown

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throughout the city with the OXLO ambassadors certificate and sends out regularly newsletters. The key aspects OXLO is working with are language teaching, day care centres and a network of information and experience sharing. The project encourages cooperation, homework assistance, recruitment and qualification courses (in 2001 the Action Plan of Employment and Better Qualification was implemented). In addition, OXLO coordinates the yearly week of tolerance in November where different projects in combating xenophobia are presented and the OXLO Prize is awarded. In 2005, for example, a youth club was the winner. The city of Oslo and OXLO have also established a taskforce of representatives of NGOs, the municipality, youth workers, etc. who offer guidance and advice in conflict situations.

Mr Martin – Director of the «   École de la deuxième chance   », Midi-Pyrénées, France

The Second Chance School of Midi-Pyrénées

Questions of immigration and integration do not fall within the region’s skills, but since 1998 a decision in favour of a budget to be used for the politique de la ville has been taken. Toulouse is an economically and demographically expanding city and differences arise especially in disadvantaged urban districts (zone urbaine sensible); there the unemployment rate among young people without diplomas has increased from 30% to 50% in 10 years.The Second Chance Schools is a European Project that started in 1998. The school was created in September in 2003 on the initiative of the Regional Council of Midi-Pyrénées and the first students were welcomed in January 2004. Creating a network of NGOs, professional trainers, institutional partners, government services and the economic world started the project. The students of the Second Chance School are in average 22 years old (from 18 to 30 years), without diploma, with linguistic problems and almost no professional experience. 40% are men and 60%women. Courses in the school focus on:

Estimating the level of knowledge Elaborating an individualized and common training plan Networking with professionals Visiting production sites Getting to know companies and the Labour Law system Training in different places Sports and arts activities Cultural activities Knowledge of the social environment Follow-up activities after the schooling

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The principle of the educational system is that everybody can change, but the change has to be developed by the person’s own will. There are no sanctions and the work environment is an open and friendly one with daily and permanent monitoring and assistance. The team consists of 9 professional and motivated trainers and the budget available is 1,2 million Euro (2005) used for the courses and for facilitations as multimedia and documentary resources.Until now, the Second Chance School had 230 students since January 2004 and in average 74% are working or continuing with further qualification courses after the school.

Ms Holck – Integration consultant, City of Copenhagen, Denmark

The Integration Council in Copenhagen

The Integration Council focuses on all major challenges in the field of local integration. It is composed by ethnic minority representatives and professionals and has been established in 1999. On 7 March 2006 it will be for the first time elected democratically and directly by persons with an immigrant background (no citizenship is required; just the fact of living regularly in Copenhagen is a must). The Council’s objectives are:

- Represent the interests of ethnic minorities - Guide politicians, committees and local administration of the city on how to

secure an efficient and coherent integration policy- Strengthen Copenhagen as a diverse and multicultural city for all its citizens- Fulfil the watchdog function in the municipality- Give new impetus, advice and ideas on behalf of integration policies- Set up written and oral hearings (in 2005 there were 38; ten more than in 2004)- Participate in working committees, seminars and conferences to maintain and

better the network needed to establish good integration policiesFrom 2002 until 2006 the Integration Council focuses especially on ethnic equality and the elimination of discrimination in all spheres of society (Year of Ethnic Equality in 2003; International Day of Diversity; “White domestic help case in fall 2004; the project Nightlife for everybody; the proposal of establishing an Ombudsman against discrimination at local level) and the new integration policy from 2005 decided by the Municipality of Copenhagen (policy development in relation to new social, cultural and labour market issues, and housing policy initiatives in the area of integration, etc.)Within the system of local government, newly arrived refugees and immigrants are covered the first three years by the Act on Integration, which states that they have to receive language courses and introductory courses in the Danish culture and social system. They also receive assistance in employment matters and housing. Major challenges in the field of integration in the municipality of Copenhagen are:

Mix of minority and majority children in schools and kindergartens Prevention of ghettorisation and segregation in housing

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Better employment rates among ethnic minorities Higher participation rate of minorities at all levels in the municipality Increase the possibilities to create an intercultural dialogue Strengthen active citizenship and democratic participation among ethnic

minoritiesThe Integration Council should therefore get more visibility and more power in being a watchdog and a representative of minority interests.

Mr Melicías – President of the Organisation de la Misericordia, Portugal

Portugal has traditionally been country of emigration across the Oceans, but the last two centuries it became an immigrant country (Eastern Europe, Russia, Africa, etc.). During the 70ties there were 700 000 refugees due to the phenomena of the independence of colonies who quickly integrated in the local society.There are no national minorities in Portugal and the general principle is that everybody should share the soil available. The Portuguese Constitution is based on a universalistic concept in which all are considered citizens. To get the Portuguese nationality one has to live in Portugal for 6 years and double citizenship is also allowed. The principle of equality with no discrimination favours integration policies and the role of the media as intercultural reflectors also encourages very good integration policies. Being Portugal a very diverse society, it can be a good example for the rest of Europe in terms of integration and tolerance. The Portugal model is based on the idea of intercultural and multilinguistic coexistence and demands the absolute respect of cohabitation. In 1996 the Government created the High Commission for Immigration and Minorities. Its main objectives are to motivate the participation of local government and to increase the participation of society in all fields and levels of local life. The High Commission offers advice, technical and financial help. Next to the High Commission there are many NGOs and associations that are active in the field of immigration and integration. All in all in Portugal there are about 450.000 immigrants (135.000 in Lisbon) and about 88 associations working on behalf of their interests and integration. Projects as Second Generation Elections and Black Brother/White Brother (2 languages, 2 cultures) work for a better cohabitation and promote the idea of growing up in an open society. Integration has to be mutual and tackled at local level; it cannot be a one-way initiative.

Mr England –Deputy Director of Social Services, City of Leeds, UK, representing Eurocities

Eurocities has been established in 1986 and is a network of large European cities. Its membership is open to democratically elected city governments with a population of more

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than 250 000 inhabitants. Currently 123 major cities in 32 European countries are part of the Eurocities network. The aims of Eurocities are to exchange information and learn from each other, to improve governance and to lobby urban dimension and interests at a European level. On behalf of migration the Social Affairs Forum and the Working Group on Migration develop manuals on how to organise dialogues about Islam, to coordinate the exchange of best practices and to analyse and follow up the developments of The Hague Programme and its impact on cities. Migration is a central concern to cities, because most migrants live in cities and the governments have to tackle problems as housing, discrimination, social cohesion, economic development, etc.Cities thus have to develop sustainable strategies at all levels of government, based on impact assessment and experience to combat social exclusion and inequalities in income, housing and health. An example for a project is the Services for Elders from ethnic Minorities (SEEM), a European project involving the cities of Leeds, Lille, Dortmund, Gottenburg-Gunnared, Ghent and Bucharest. The SEEM’s objectives are to combat the isolation of ethnic elders, raise the profile of their needs and their contribution to society, and to improve consultation and involvement. Respect, equality, user empowerment, cooperation, partnership, evaluation and sustainability are the SEEM principles. As best practices within the SEEM project one can mention the Dementia Café (Leeds Black Elders) and the Geron Foundation (Bucharest).

Mr Sanahuja – Director, Technical Cabinet of Immigration, Adjuntament de Barcelona, Spain

Immigration in Spain has been growing drastically in the last 6 years. It is mostly out of economic reasons. Especially in the South illegal immigration happens very frequently. Historically Spain has been a country of emigrants and not immigrants. Due to economic reasons immigration is growing and affecting particularly bigger cities. For example, in January 2006 Barcelona counted 260 000 persons having a different nationality from Spanish and being in possess of a residence permit. The biggest percentage, 35%, resides in Ciutat Vella (old town of Barcelona) and comes from Latin America. The Municipal Plan of Immigration (2002) calls for real integration (equality towards law, equal duties, rights and opportunities for everybody living in Barcelona, acknowledging cultural diversity, etc.). It promotes the concept of cohabitation and combats the creation of parallel worlds. Specific actions are carried out by the town hall to guarantee social cohesion:

- Policies for hosting (access to basic rights: education, health, etc.)

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- Language learning- Urban policies to prevent the creation of ghettos due to ethnic origin

The weak point in Spain on behalf of integration policies is the access to housing. The laissez-faire policy in this field leads to abuses and discrimination towards immigrants asking for housing contracts. Projects as the rehabilitation of the neighbourhood and the establishment of public facilities and cultural centres combat urban segregation. As far as labour market integration, there are courses offered by the agency Activa for people coming from foreign countries with residence permit. A process of regularization tried to lower the percentage of illegal immigrants and to combat underground economies and criminality.

Mr Angrisano – Chief Executive for the Labour market with responsibility for immigration, Campania Region, Italy

Campania is on the one hand an arrival and transit area for immigrants, on the other hand an area where immigrants want to stay and to work, especially in the agricultural sector. In the last ten years the migration phenomenon changed and more and more people come to Campania. At the end of 2003, the residing immigrants were 65 400, four times the amount of 1991; those with a permit of stay more than 110 000; estimating also illegal immigrants the number raises up to 160 000. The biggest groups come from Morocco, Eastern Europe and Ukraine. They live mostly in urban areas as Naples, Caserta and Salerno but recently also the provinces of Avellino and Benevento face an increase of immigration. Concerning gender, male immigration from Africa prevails while female one prevails when looking at the figures for immigrants coming from Eastern and Central Europe and Southern America. All in all Campania hosts more than half of all foreigners present in the Italian Mezzogiorno. Immigration is no more only a transit phenomenon in Campania, but it got a stable character and thus the administration has elaborated various integration policies to avoid social exclusion and to guarantee fundamental rights. Until today 310 projects have been financed and 13 442 417 Euro have been used for hosting programs, intercultural education, research, etc. Also a Service of intercultural mediation has been promoted by the regional administration through the project MIRA. 14 intercultural mediators work for a better intercultural cohabitation and integration. A proposal of a new integration law including the right to administrative vote has been discussed and approved by the regional council. Nowadays in the province of Naples the estimate numbers of immigrants are 54 500 – 94 500. The Ukrainian community is the biggest (15 400-37 400). The second biggest one is the one from Sri Lanka (4 500-8 600). In the province of Caserta the phenomena of immigration started in the 70ies and for the moment the three major immigrant groups are from Central Europe, Maghreb and Sub-Saharan area. In the whole province of Caserta there are about 21 000-30 000 immigrants

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who mainly are attracted by the work places offered in agricultural field, which is the most important economy sector in Caserta.In the province of Salerno immigration got significant at the end of the 80ies. It is characterized by female immigration and most immigrants work in the domestic field and in assisting elderly people. The estimated number of immigrants is 20 000-24 000. In the provinces of Avellino and Benevento, immigration is a very recent phenomenon. They are the provinces with the lowest numbers in Campania (Avellino: 5 400-8 700; Benevento: 2 800-3 100).

Mr Pariza – Member of the EESC and rapporteur of the opinion “ Immigration and integration: cooperation between regional and local governments and civil society organisations” of the European Economic and Social Committee

The fundamental rights and values should be those guiding the European Fund for Immigration concerning immigration in Europe. Integration is a key process and it is bidirectional. Integration means equality and has to be lived by both sides – the local community and the immigrant one, because immigration as a phenomenon does affect both groups of persons. The local society has to cope with the fact that shelter and fundamental social services have to be given to immigrants and therefore local communities have to be fully involved in integration policies. All communities and persons have to work together and promote consultation and information policies as a first step are indispensable. Integration policies have to tackle with:

Language teaching Shelter Access to jobs in equal conditions Access to health Adaptation of social services Diversity management

In Spain the biggest failure of integration policies is to be seen in the field of labour market access. Much work has to be done in this field to guarantee sustainable integration plans.

Ms Diez – Member of the European Parliament

The European Union is not able to give any European solution for the moment. A European Immigration Policy would include a long list of different topics (legal/common legislation, entry regulation, well-defined social policy, etc.). Europe has to be aware that the migration phenomenon is a general one and linked to many other aspects of European Governance. Immigration is a modern fact and not temporary (it is mostly stable). Thus, Europe needs a common approach on behalf of immigration. The ever-growing problems linked with immigration will not be solved until Europe dares to face

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them. Europe cannot continue to react only when it is needed! The European territory is characterized by many different nationalities and until now we have only national policies facing immigration and integration. What Europe needs are policies, which do invest in countries of origin of immigrants. Only by doing so, major problems after the immigrants’ arrival can be avoided and people can be prevented from fleeing from home. Mr Pajares – Expert from the European Economic and Social Committee

Mr Pajares summarized the main issues that have been discussed during the Hearing and stressed particularly the following aspects concerning immigration and integration:Europe is characterized by very different situations and experiences when talking about immigration and integration. We have to tackle with a complex and intertwined reality facing also the reality that institutional frameworks do –necessarily- differ from each other. For example, in Catalunya, the Secretary of Immigration hosts the Plan for Immigration, in Brescia the Sportello Unico per l’Integrazione deals with integration policies and in Copenhagen it is the Integration Council within the municipality representing immigrants’ interests.Immigrants seek for better live conditions and therefore we have to give importance to the local communities and realities where immigrants and asylum seekers try to settle. Catalunya, for example, tries to implement the integration and citizenship plan and Schleswig-Holstein set up a network of social actors to understand better the immigrants’ needs.At a European level, ERLAI and EUROCITIES stress the importance of migration topics and establish various networks of main actors in the social field to exchange best practices, etc.The most important topics discussed in these two days of the hearing have been social housing, language, education and intercultural mediation. Access to citizenship and the right to vote have also been considered as key aspects for better integration policies.

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