IMMIGRANTCITIZENS

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RV

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How immigrants experience integration in 15 European cities

Project co-financed under the European Fund for the Integration

of third-country nationals

PARTNERS

Belgium King Baudouin Foundation (KBF)Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)FranceFondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (Science Po)France Terre d’AsileGermanyExpert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR, Germany)HungaryMTAKI (MTA Etnikai-nemzeti Kisebbségkutató Intézet)Menedék Hungarian Association for Migrants

Managing PartnersKing Baudouin Foundation (KBF)Migration Policy Group (MPG)

Co-funders:European CommissionKing Baudouin FoundationFundação Calouste Gulbenkian Oak Foundation

ItalyFondazione Ismu – Initiatives and Studies on MultiethnicityPortugalHigh Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue (ACIDI)SpainUniversity of LeicesterCentro de Investigaciones Sociológicas Fundacion CIDOB

Branding and Design:

Project co-financed under the European Fund for the Integration of third-country

nationals

ABOUT

Goals1. Increase knowledge of immigrants’ needs, experiences, and aspirations – and policy impacts

2. Help policy actors make recommendations for more effective policies and practices

 3. Show value of surveying immigrants

Cities and countries • Belgium (Antwerp, Brussels, Liège)• France (Lyon and Paris)• Germany (Berlin and Stuttgart)• Hungary (Budapest)• Italy (Milan and Naples)• Portugal (Faro, Lisbon, and Setubal)• Spain (Barcelona and Madrid)

Policy areas• Employment• Languages• Civic and political participation• Family reunion• Long-term residence• Citizenship

Immigrants are an untapped resource to improve policy

ICS is 1st transnational survey that is directly relevant for policy-makers in many areas of integration at local, national, and European level

METHODOLOGY

Target group• not born in the country (first-generation immigrants)• who are or were non-EU citizens or stateless persons • residing in the country for more than one year• holding or renewing any type of legal status• 15 years or older

X Undocumented migrants todayX Descendants of immigrants (2nd generation)

MethodStratified random sample (preferably based on country of birth data from official sources)Centres of aggregation’ method in IT, HU, PTMultiple languages used in BE, HU, IT40-minute face-to-face interviewsTelephone interviews in French in FRGermany (Berlin and Stuttgart)

Sample sizeMinimum of 300 to 400 successful interviewsTotal of 7,473 respondents  

Direct beneficiaries of most integration policies

Random sample and comparable methods

Nearly 7,500 immigrants

EMPL

OYM

ENT

LAN

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AGES

CIVI

C AN

D P

OLI

TICA

L P

ARTI

CIPA

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N

FAM

ILY R

EUN

ION

LON

G -

TERM

RES

IDEN

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CITI

ZEN

SHIP

KEY FINDINGSH

IGH

LIG

HTS

Legal integration makes a difference

Most are or want to be long-term residents or citizens

For few who don’t, they often do not want to settle in country or do not see difference with current status

Few potential family reunion sponsors. For some families, separation is choice. For others, it is due to policy obstacles

Problems regularly reported with treatment by authorities (FR, IT, PT), documents (BE, DE), and dual nationality (DE)

Family reunion, long-term residence, and citizenship help people get more settled, better jobs and sometimes better involved and educated

KEY FINDINGSH

IGH

LIG

HTS

Societal integration involves broader interests, problems, and policies

High interest to participate. Many want more training, speak more than one language, and want to vote (as much as nationals do).

Personal challenges range from language skills to time to study and balancing work and family life

Problems with participation are often local

Immigrants regularly face structural problems in society ● Temporary or irregular work ● Mistrust of foreign qualifications, ● Discrimination ● or Limited public interest in diversity in politics

More potential for needs-based courses, political participation policies, and recognition of foreign qualifications

EMPLOYMENTKey Findings

DOES YOUR CURRENT JOB MATCH YOUR SKILLS AND TRAINING?

HAVE YOU APPLIED FOR RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS? WERE YOU ACCEPTED?

Educated immigrants often get their foreign qualifications recognised if they apply, but few apply.

LANGUAGESKey Findings

Participants highly value courses for learning language and often for socio-economic integration.

Wide range of immigrants participated in language or integration course.

CIVIC AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Most immigrants want more diversity in politics – and many are willing to vote in support of it.

FAMILY REUNIONKey Findings

Family reunion promotes integration of the few separated families who want to reunite

LONG - TERM RESIDENCE

80 and 95% of foreigners are or want to become long-term residents

Policies and the way they are implemented create problems for people applying

CITIZENSHIPKey Findings

3 out of 4 are or want to be

citizens

Eligible people often take years

to apply

Results raise concerns over full

long-term inclusion

www.immigrantsurvey.org

FAMILY REUNIONKey Findings

FAMILY REUNIONKey Findings