Basically, it is integration that is lacking or is nonexistent in many regions of Europe. The Czech Republic, for example, has still a long way to go
Another new regional crisis has broken out on the borders of Europe. A revolutionary wave has swept across a number of countries in North Africa and the Middle East, starting from the Egyptian crisis, up to the latest developments of the war in Libya. This has worsened the existing refugee phenomenon with hundreds fleeing from the areas of conflict to cross over southern EU frontiers. All this has sparked a strong debate on the rules and mechanisms used to control the entry of immigrants and protect the frontiers of the Union. The position of Member States differ and are often in contrast. Consider the recent controversy between Italy and France on the validity of temporary Visa permissions issued by Rome, to the rejection by the EU of the Italian illegal immigration decree – and the exchange of words between President Napolitano and Klaus in Prague, that revealed a different approach to the problem. Actually, these differences are just another example of the tendency on the part of governments and European citizens to state that a problem is either national or is the competence of the Union as a whole, according to the convenience of the moment. On the one hand, national positions are asserted by contrasting the concession of competencies on such delicate matters as immigration, visas, political asylum and – on the other hand – we complain about a lack of cohesion and call for a common European intervention when the issue cannot be solved at national level. For this reason, we will not let ourselves be involved in a debate that often proves to be instrumental and prone to demagogy. The only point we wish to make is that we must not be misled in thinking that immigration is a regional problem, or that it merely concerns border countries, nor should we consider it as something new and isolated in terms of time. It would mean that you unaware of the past – of that mass emigration of refugees which took place during the two World Wars, or the more recent ones in the Balkans – or we are not aware of the possible risks that lie ahead. What would happen, for example, to the Centre East countries, including the Czech Republic, in the event of a crisis in the Caucasus – or a political overthrow in a country along its Eastern borders?
The reality is that immigration is not only a constant and inevitable phenomenon, but it also represents an opportunity for economic growth, if not a necessity. The industrial areas of the North East of Italy are able to survive thanks to immigrant labor from third countries, just as in certain agricultural sectors – African laborers for the harvest of vegetables in Italy and Spain, Indian Sikh for cattle breeding in the Po valley – and many others. In the Czech Republic, many sectors such as construction or industrial production, employ workers from Ukraine, and other commercial activities such as small food shops, that are widespread in the districts of Prague, are almost exclusively run by hard-working Vietnamese families.
Basically, it is integration that is lacking or is nonexistent in many regions of Europe. The Czech Republic, for example, has still a long way to go, as was shown in a study by the British Council, with the Migrant Policy Group, that compares the situation of the 27 countries in the EU plus Canada, Switzerland, Norway and the United States. Taken up by a recent article by the Prague daily monitor, the survey rates the Czech Republic positively for opening up its labor market to foreign workers to which the State, however, would not grant adequate support.
Therefore, we are more interested here to analyze what are the concrete actions, EU policies and those of other member States towards immigrant integration. According to a new EU vision, integration is an element for economic, social and cultural cohesion. The Lisbon treaty introduces common measures for the integration of immigrants, foreseeing that: “The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, may establish measures to provide incentives and support for the action of Member States with a view to promoting the integration of third-country nationals residing legally in their territories, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States.” (art. 79,4 TFEU). The task of setting up a new agenda on integration, to coordinate and develop a common model, in order to support common policies and practices of integration at national and local level has been assigned to the Commission. Therefore, central will be the role played by DG Home Affairs, which is now distinct from DG Justice. The result will lead to measures for the integration of new immigrants, support for the creation of new jobs and employment, for learning the language, including access to economic activities. This includes planned efforts towards educational and professional training and the promotion of equal treatment and diversity. All this will be carried out by reinforcing existing instruments, such as the European Forum on integration, the National contact Points on Immigration and European Fund for the integration of third-country Citizens, which has a budget of 825 million euro for the period 2007-2013. But will also done through the creation of new instruments. Essential for the practical implementation of the agenda is integration monitoring, to assess and quantify the effectiveness of the measures, also for financing purposes, on the basis of European indicators. These indicators, such as access to citizenship or permanent residency, education and employment, social services, public functions and civil participation, will be used to assess the degree of integration in the different States and make national policies more effective. An example of these national policies may be found in the document of the Czech Presidency to the EU in 2009 on ‘Integration of Foreigners in the Czech Republic”, which illustrates a series of concrete measures, derived from the State Program for Integration, which is now under the responsibility of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs: the simplification of administrative procedures for the employment of foreigners, a legislative framework that also takes into account foreign citizens in development policies, regulations and measures at local level.
But a new approach will be necessary, including a cultural one, which recognizes not only the necessity of ensuring decent living conditions for immigrants and equal opportunities in relation to European citizens, but also the importance of their integration for the economic system and social and cultural context. An enriching element, rather than a problem.
By Luca Pandolfi