Integration policies and measures in English (0,7 MB)

Integration policies and measures in Russian (0,7 MB)

Having remarkably increased after World War II, the immigration into the countries of Western Europe, partially encouraged by the countries themselves, has made integration one of the most important political issues in almost all European Union countries. Alongside such traditionally popular immigration destinations as Great Britain, Germany, France and Nordic Countries, former so called “immigration source countries” such as Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece are facing immigration and integration problems today. The issues of immigration and integration have become the focus of political arguments in almost all the countries. In addition, the issue of immigration has made its way into political debates on the European Union level directing the Union towards the development of uniform immigration and integration policy. The initial post-war optimistic outlook on fast and effective integration during one generation and the “multicultural era” of the 1970s is now being replaced by considerably more pessimistic views about the possibility of immigrants and native population co-existing in equality and harmony. The belief that the integration policy in effect so far has failed is becoming dominant in many European countries. In some countries the criticism is based on the idea that continuous immigration has placed some strain on the viability of the welfare state model. In others, the focus is on the difference in values of the immigrants and native population stemming from their cultural backgrounds, which leads to the fragmentation of society and the decrease of both internal and external security.