Women make up almost half the immigrant population in Europe.
The integration policies adopted by the host countries do not appear to be sufficiently adapted to the specific needs and problems of this group. The Assembly is concerned by the situation of immigrant women, a large number of whom live on the margins of society and are confronted by more serious difficulties than those facing immigrant men. When they are married, they are often confined to the home doing housework and isolated from the local community, without real opportunities to learn the language of the host country, thus further aggravating their isolation. When they are employed, they are often doing menial jobs unconducive to greater autonomy or to their integration into the host society. The situation of immigrant women often depends on the legal status of their husband or father and under existing policies they are considered to be dependents.