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the project
The integration of immigrants is a major issue for all Europeans. For centuries, people have migrated from one country to another. Although most have found a place in their new society, tensions between different groups in European countries have been rising in recent times. In order to survive, societies have to find solutions for the tension between old and new citizens. Not only immigrants, but society as a whole has to become integrated. The aim of this project is to contribute to this by initiating a co-operation between institutions for the integration of immigrants, universities and immigrants themselves. The participants come from Denmark, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.
AIMS:
- The primary aim of this two-year project is to set up an effective method for the integration of new immigrants and refugees from outside the European Union into European countries.
- The secondary aim is the development of a refresher course for social workers and volunteers who are going to work with the new method.
- The third aim is to develop a learning programme that enables university students in the field of social work to work with immigrants and refugees.
PREMISES:
- Integration is only possible when both new and old citizens respect democratic values. This implies equal treatment of people from different population groups, of men and women, freedom of choice and freedom of speech.
- Empowerment of immigrants: they should discover their own qualities and build an existence in the new home country, making optimal use of these qualities. This way, society also benefits.
- Networking: immigrants have lost most of their networks by leaving their country of origin. They need new contacts to follow education, find work, and become involved in leisure time activities. They will function more effectively if the network includes people from other population groups than their own. If groups of people have little contact with each other, tensions arise because they perceive each other as strangers. Networking is a way to focus on similarities instead of differences and avoid isolation of minority groups.
- In a democracy, integration should be a two-way process. Democracies are dynamic entities that represent their citizens. When the citizens come from different cultures, society has to adapt. Consequently, the project focuses not only on immigrants but also on other citizens. One way of doing this is by involving volunteers. The contact between an immigrant and a volunteer can create the first circle of integration.
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