COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER EU initiatives supporting the integration of third-country nationals
Date: 2011-07-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Roma, discrimination on the basis of nationality, education of foreigners, family migration, gender equality, integration of migrants, marginalisation, migrant unemployment

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 20.7.2011 
SEC(2011) 957 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER 

EU initiatives supporting the integration of third-country nationals 

Accompanying the document 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals 

{COM(2011) 455 final} 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................ 2 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

4.3. 

4.4. 

4.5. 

4.6. 

4.7. 

4.8. 

4.9. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

EU cooperation in the area of integration .................................................................... 3 

Financial instruments in support of integration of third-country nationals.................. 4 

Lisbon Treaty and Stockholm Programme .................................................................. 6 

Immigration and asylum .............................................................................................. 6 

Legal migration ............................................................................................................ 6 

Asylum ......................................................................................................................... 9 

Integration – a cross-cutting dimension ..................................................................... 10 

Fundamental rights and equal treatment .................................................................... 10 

Employment ............................................................................................................... 12 

Enterprise ................................................................................................................... 14 

Social protection and social inclusion........................................................................ 15 

Territorial cohesion and urban development.............................................................. 17 

Demographics ............................................................................................................ 18 

Youth.......................................................................................................................... 19 

Education.................................................................................................................... 20 

Culture........................................................................................................................ 23 

4.10. 

Sport ........................................................................................................................... 24 

4.11.  Health ......................................................................................................................... 25 

4.12.  Research ..................................................................................................................... 25 

4.13. 

Information and Communication Technology ........................................................... 26 

4.14. 

Statistics ..................................................................................................................... 27 

1 

 
 
  
 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Integration  is  a  multidimensional  process  of  interactions  between  immigrants  and  the 
receiving  society.  It  is  not  a  single  policy  but  a  dimension  which  requires  efforts  in  many 
areas and needs to be taken into account in a wide range of policy developments at various 
levels  and  involving  numerous  actors.  Member  States  are  primarily  responsible  for 
developing  and  implementing  integration  policies  but  measures  taken  at  EU  level  provide 
support to actions in Member States to promote the integration of third-country nationals. The 
EU  has  a  variety  of  instruments,  which  can  be  deployed  to  support  migrants’  integration, 
including financial support, policy coordination and, in certain cases, legislation. 

EU cooperation in the area of integration of third-country nationals has developed since 
the  adoption  of  the  Tampere  Programme  in  1999.  The  Common  Basic  Principles  for 
Immigrant  Integration  Policy  in  the  European  Union  (CBP),  agreed  in  2004,  provide  a 
framework  for  policy  development  in  this  area.  The  Commission's  Common  Agenda  on 
Integration  of  2005  was  completed  by  2010.  Since  December  2009,  the  Lisbon  Treaty 
provides  an  explicit  legal  basis  for  EU  incentives  and  support  to  Member  States'  actions  to 
promote the integration of third-country nationals residing legally in the Member States. All 
harmonisation of legislation is excluded (Article 79.4 TFEU). 

The EU policy context in this area has been further framed by the Stockholm Programme, 
which was adopted by the European Council in 2009, and the Europe 2020 Strategy, which 
identifies as its first headline target the aim to raise to 75% the employment level in the EU of 
women and men aged 20-64, including through better integration of legal migrants. Council 
conclusions were adopted on 'Integration as a Driver for Development and Social Cohesion' in 
June 2010 calling on the Commission to develop a new European agenda on integration, to 
reinforce  tools  for  knowledge  exchange  and  to  facilitate  the  mainstreaming  of  integration 
priorities in all relevant policy areas. 

Integration  and  migration  are  two  sides  of  the  same  policy  coin.  Effective  integration  of 
migrants  into  the  receiving  societies  is  essential  for  the  success  of  any  migration  policy. 
Without  it,  the  migrant,  whether  a  worker,  family  member  or  asylum  seeker,  risks 
encountering  difficulties  in  getting  a  job,  and  faces  the  prospect  of  social  exclusion  and 
poverty  –  a  high  price  for  the  individual  and  a  waste  for  society.  In  the  fields  of  legal 
migration and asylum, EU legislation provides for a common legal framework regarding the 
conditions  of  entry  and  stay  and  a  common  set  of  rights  for  certain  categories  of  migrants. 
Fundamental  rights  lie  at  the  heart  of  European  legislation.  The  EU  must  ensure  fair 
treatment of third-country nationals who reside legally on the territory of its Member States. 

Moreover, the integration process is supported by actions taken in numerous policy areas to 
ensure  employment  opportunities,  inclusive  education  systems,  access  to  health  and  other 
public  services,  access  to  private  services  (banks,  insurance,  etc.),  conditions  allowing  for 
active  participation  in  public  and  political  life  and  building  up  social  and  cultural  ties  to 
achieve  a  feeling  of  belonging  to  the  receiving  society.  Special  efforts  are  needed  to  target 
groups  of  migrants  with  particular  needs,  such  as  young  migrants,  migrant  women,  the 
elderly and refugees. Successful integration requires not only measures to facilitate the access 
of migrants to key areas of society, but also measures aimed at preparing the society to cope 
with  increasing  diversity  and  new  cultural  identities,  to  open  up  its  institutions,  involve 
migrants  and  grant  them  equal  opportunities.  The  design  and  implementation  of  such 
measures  should  be  supported  through  research  results  and  the  ongoing  collection  of 
statistics monitoring the situation of migrants. 

2 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Managing integration is crucial for European economic development and social cohesion, and 
to  realise  the  potential  of  migration.  Achieving  the  Europe  2020  objectives  of  employment, 
education and social inclusion will depend on the capacity of the EU and its Member States to 
manage migrants’ integration, ensuring fair treatment of third-country nationals and granting 
rights,  opportunities  and  obligations  comparable  to  those  of  EU  citizens.  Managing 
integration is also crucial to respect cultural differences and share a common vision of future 
European societies characterised by diversity and multiple identities. 

Migrants'  integration  may  be  hindered  by  the  lack  of  knowledge  of  language,  institutions, 
culture and traditions of the receiving country. In addition, formal or de facto discrimination 
may create obstacles to an inclusive society. To overcome such barriers, efforts are needed to 
support  migrants'  language  learning,  to  assist  them  in  their  introduction,  to  facilitate  their 
access  to  employment  and  education,  to  ensure  decent  living  conditions,  to  improve 
recognition  of  skills  and  qualifications,  to  promote  diversity  at  work  places,  and  to  raise 
awareness  among  the  general  public  of  the  contribution  of  migration  and  migrants  to 
European  societies.  The  EU  must  engage  in  a  two-way  process  of  mutual  accommodation, 
requiring  both  the  strong  commitment  on  the  side  of  the  receiving  society  and  the  active 
participation of migrants. In this process, everyone has to respect fundamental rights, as laid 
down  in  the  European  treaties  and  national  constitutions.  And  a  fair  balance  between  rights 
and obligations must be ensured. 

Effective  integration  policies  need  vigorous  actions  embracing  different  policy  areas  and  a 
variety  of  actors  at  local,  regional  and  national  levels.  This  document  gives  a  factual  and 
concrete overview of the most important integration challenges and recent EU initiatives in a 
number of relevant policy areas to tackle these challenges. These initiatives have been taken 
into account in the development of the European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country 
Nationals. They are described in the context of each thematic policy area, such as: migration, 
anti-discrimination,  employment,  social  inclusion,  cohesion  policy,  education,  youth,  sport, 
health, research and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), in addition to the 
development of EU cooperation in the area of integration. 

2. 

EU COOPERATION IN THE AREA OF INTEGRATION 

EU cooperation in the area of integration of third-country nationals has developed since the 
adoption of the Tampere Programme in 1999. Political debates on integration have been held 
regularly as part of Ministerial conferences on integration (in Groningen 2004, Potsdam 2007, 
Vichy  2008  and  Zaragoza  2010).  Based  on  the  Hague  Programme,  the  Common  Basic 
Principles for Immigrant Integration Policy in the European Union (CBP) were adopted by the 
Council in 2004, providing a framework for policy development in this area.1 These principles 
underline  that  integration  is  a  dynamic,  two-way  process  of  mutual  accommodation  by 
migrants  and  by  the  societies  that  receive  them.  In  this  regard,  the  principles  stress  the 
importance  of  access  to  employment,  acquisition  of  basic  knowledge  of  the  host  society's 
language, history, and institutions, efforts in education, equal access to institutions, goods and 
services and non discrimination. They recall the importance of interaction between migrants 
and  Member  States'  citizens,  as  well  as  migrants'  participation  in  the  democratic  process. 
Finally, they emphasise that mainstreaming of integration policies and practices in all relevant 
policy  areas  and  at  all  levels  of  government  is  important,  as  well  as  the  development  of 

1 

Council document 14615/04. 

3 

 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
indicators and mechanisms to evaluate progress on integration. Following their adoption, the 
Commission proposed a Common Agenda on Integration in 2005 to put the CBP in practice.2  

All proposed EU level actions had been completed by 2010, including: 

•  The  network  of  National  Contact  Points  on  Integration  (NCPI),  created  in  2003,  is  a 
network  of  governmental  experts  in  charge  of  integration  policy.  The  network  is 
coordinated by the Commission, and it aims at fostering exchange of knowledge and good 
practices  between  Member  States  and  strengthening  co-ordination  of  national  and  EU 
integration policies. 

•  The publication of the 'Handbook on Integration for policy-makers and practitioners' (three 

editions published in 2004, 2007 and 2010, respectively). 

•  The  Commission  has  developed  a  European  Web  Site  on  Integration  (EWSI),  which  is 
available  on  http://ec.europa.eu/ewsi  since  April  2009.  It  provides  policy-makers  and 
practitioners  from  all  Member  States  with  a  tool  for  exchanging  information  on  migrant 
integration.  Stakeholders'  engagement  is  crucial  for  its  success.  In  April  2011,  the  EWSI 
had  uploaded  500  good  practices,  1500  pieces  of  news,  2500  links  and  3000  documents. 
Moreover, 700 events had been announced on its calendar and 1200 users had registered as 
members. 

•  The EWSI covers all dimensions of the integration process and gathers information from 
various  categories  of  stakeholders,  such  as  national  ministries,  regions,  local  authorities, 
civil society, academia, private enterprises or international organisations. 

•  The  European  Integration  Forum  is  a  consolidated  assembly  gathering  around  100  civil 
society representatives from all Member States. The Forum is convened since 2009 twice a 
year  by  the  Commission  in  cooperation  with  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee.  As  a  consultative  entity,  it  provides  valuable  input  on  concrete  topics  to  all 
public  administrations  with  competences  on  integration.  The  Forum  has  addressed  issues 
of relevance for the European Agenda for Integration of Third-Country Nationals, such as 
'The  relations  between  migrants  and  the  media'  in  June  20103,  'Active  participation  of 
migrants and strong commitment by the host society' in December 20104 and 'Integration 
through local action' in May 20115, and the involvement of countries of origin is planned to 
be addressed in the sixth meeting in November 2011. 

•  The European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals (EIF) – see below. 

2.1. 

Financial instruments in support of integration of third-country nationals 

The integration of third-country nationals is backed by the European Fund for the Integration 
of third-country nationals (EIF), with an available budget of 825 Million Euro for the period 
2007-2013.  The  general  objective  is  to  support  the  efforts  made  by  the  Member  States  in 
enabling  third-country  nationals  of  different  economic,  social,  cultural,  religious,  linguistic 
and ethnic backgrounds to fulfil the conditions of residence and to facilitate their integration 

2 
3 

4 

5 

COM(2005) 389 final. 
Summary  report  of  the  third  meeting  of  the  European  Integration  Forum,  Brussels  24-25  June  2010, 
http://ec.europa.eu/ewsi/UDRW/images/items/static_38_303506505.pdf. 
Summary  report  of  the  fourth  meeting  of  the  European  Integration  Forum,  Brussels  6-7  December 
2010, http://ec.europa.eu/ewsi/UDRW/images/items/static_38_812142537.pdf. 
Summary  report  of  the  fifth  meeting  of  the  European  Integration  Forum,  Brussels  23-24  May  2011, 
http://ec.europa.eu/ewsi/UDRW/images/items/static_38_992519171.pdf. 

4 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
into the European societies.6 The EIF is targeted to addressing "specific needs" in the area of 
integration  arising  from  the  development  of  the  common  immigration  policy.  It  is  meant  to 
affect  the  opportunities  of  legally  staying  third-country  nationals  to  meet  integration 
requirements  by  their  receiving  society  and  ensure  that  they  have  opportunities  to  integrate 
into all aspects of life other than the labour market. The European Refugee Fund (ERF)7, with 
an available budget of 628 Million Euro for the period 2008-2013, can also finance, among 
other  measures,  actions  related  to  the  integration  of  asylum-seekers  and  beneficiaries  of 
international  protection  whose  stay  in  a  particular  Member  State  is  of  a  lasting  and  stable 
nature.8 Measures funded by the EIF belong to three broad categories: 

•  measures  benefitting  third-country  nationals  directly:  pre-departure  measures  in  the 
countries  of  origin;  reception  by  the  receiving  society;  improvement  of  language 
proficiency; provision of general and practical information and civic orientation; social and 
legal guidance; preliminary actions to facilitate access to the labour market subsequently; 
health; equal access to services; participation of third-country nationals in civic and social 
life etc.; 

•  measures  targeted  at  the  receiving  society:  awareness-raising,  improving  tolerance, 

promoting intercultural dialogue, involvement of the media; and 

•  measures targeted at staff of public and private bodies dealing with third-country nationals 
and  at  policy-makers:  adaptation  of  public  and  private  services  to  dealing  with  third-
country  nationals  and  to  multiculturality;  coordination  of  and  exchange  between  services 
within the Member States; research on the situation of third-country nationals; evaluation 
of integration measures and policies; cooperation between Member States.  

The EIF has enabled Member States to establish national integration strategies where they did 
not  exist,  and  to  strengthen  national  strategies  in  place.  It  has  increased  awareness  of  the 
general public and the capabilities of national institutions and NGOs as regards integration. It 
has also contributed to structures for providing courses for language learning, for addressing 
difficulties  of  migrant  children  in  their  education  systems  and  for  involving  parents  in 
participatory  process  in  connection  with  their  children's  schools.  It  has  also  supported  the 
establishment  of  monitoring  systems,  which  are  crucial  to  follow  up  developments  of  the 
situation  of  migrants  and  results  of  integration  policies.  A  large  number  of  actors  at  local, 
regional and national levels have benefitted from the support of the EIF.9 

Examples of successful co-financed projects are: 

•  The CASA project by the NGO 'Consorzio Sociale Coin' from Italy designed an Agency 
model  able  to  provide  services  to  people  in  need  of  long  term  assistance  -  for  a  better 
quality  of  life  and  to  migrants,  mainly  women  -  searching  for  stable  jobs  for  social  and 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Council Decision of 25 June 2007 establishing the European Fund for the Integration of third-country 
nationals  for  the  period  2007-2013  as  part  of  the  General  programme  Solidarity  and  Management  of 
Migration Flows (2007/435/EC). 
European Parliament and Council Decision of 23 May 2007 establishing the European Refugee Fund 
for the period 2008 to 2013 as part of the General programme ‘Solidarity and Management of Migration 
Flows’ (2007/573), OJ L 144/1. 
European Parliament and Council Decision of 23 May 2007 establishing the European Refugee Fund 
for the period 2008 to 2013 as part of the General programme ‘Solidarity and Management of Migration 
Flows’ (2007/573), OJ L 144/1. 
found  on 
Information  on 
http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/funding/integration/funding_integration_en.htm, and more information 
on national EIF funding on 
http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/funding/integration/funding_integration_en.htm. 

the  EIF  Community  Actions  and  awarded  projects  can  be 

5 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
 
economic integration. The aim was to match the increasing demand for long term cares and 
the offer of migrant workers and thus to facilitate the integration of migrants into European 
society.  

•  The  DIVE  project  evaluated  how  municipalities  use  diversity  and  equality  principles 
when  acting  as  employers,  buyers  of  goods  and  services,  policy-makers  and  service 
providers.  The  DIVE  benchmark  was  applied  in  Amsterdam,  Leeds,  Berlin  and  Rome. 
Cities participating in DIVE committed to a Charter on Integrating Cities, and the DIVE 
benchmark can be used to monitor the implementation of the Charter.10 

•  The 'Migrants in the Media' project by Mira Media from the Netherlands improved the 
interaction  between  migrants  and  EU  citizens  by  promoting  intercultural  competences 
among  programming  and  journalistic  staff  of  national  media  and  media  skills  among 
immigrant organisations.  

•  The MIPEX project (Migrant Integration Policy Index) led by the British Council and the 
Migration Policy Group was developed to assess, compare, and improve integration policy. 
The third edition of MIPEX was published in 2011 and presents a multidimensional picture 
of migrants' opportunities to participate in society by assessing governments' commitment 
to integration.11 

2.2. 

Lisbon Treaty and Stockholm Programme  

Since  December  2009,  the  Lisbon  Treaty  provides  an  explicit  legal  basis  for  EU  incentives 
and  support  to  Member  States'  actions  to  promote  the  integration  of  third-country  nationals 
residing  legally  in  the  Member  States.  All  harmonisation  of  legislation  is  excluded  (Article 
79.4  TFEU).  The  EU  policy  context  in  this  area  has  been  further  framed  by  the  Stockholm 
Programme,  which  was  adopted  by  the  European  Council  in  2009.12  Following  the  new 
Treaty and the Stockholm Programme, the fourth European Ministerial conference took place 
in Zaragoza in April 2010. Ahead of the conference, the Commission presented the report on 
'The  consolidation  of  the  EU  framework  on  integration',  highlighting  progress  to  date  and 
steps to be taken in the context of the Stockholm Programme in order to promote and improve 
integration  strategies.13  Council  conclusions  were  adopted  following  the  Ministerial 
conference on 'Integration as a Driver for Development and Social Cohesion' in June 2010.14 
The Stockholm Programme and Council conclusions called on the Commission to develop a 
new  European  agenda  on  integration,  to  reinforce  tools  for  knowledge  exchange  and  to 
facilitate the mainstreaming of integration priorities in all relevant policy areas. 

3. 

IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM 

3.1. 

Legal migration 

There  is  a  strong  link  between  integration  and  migration  policies,  as  they  address  different 
phases of migrants’ trajectories. In its Communication on migration adopted in May 2011, the 
Commission underlines that successful integration is necessary for maximising the economic 
and social benefits of immigration, for individuals as well as societies.15 In the field of legal 

10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 

See the Integrating Cities website, http://www.integratingcities.eu. 
See www.mipex.eu. 
OJ 2010/C 115/01. 
SEC(2010) 357. 
Council document 9248/10. 
COM(2011) 248 final. 

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migration, EU legislation provides for a common legal framework regarding the conditions of 
entry and stay and a common set of rights of certain categories of migrants.  
So far, five directives have been adopted: 

•  Council Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family reunification; 

•  Council  Directive  2003/109/EC  concerning  the  status  of  third-country  nationals  who  are 

long-term residents; 

•  Council Directive 2004/114/EC on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals 
for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service; 

•  Council  Directive  2005/71/EC  on  a  specific  procedure  for  admitting  third-country 

nationals for the purposes of scientific research; and 

•  Council  Directive  2009/50/EC  on  the  conditions  of  entry  and  residence  of  third-country 
nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment. This Directive (Blue Card) had 
to be transposed by June 2011. 

The Commission has also presented three proposals for new directives: 

•  Proposal of 23 October 2007 for a Directive on a single application procedure for a single 
permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and 
on a common set of rights for third-country national workers legally residing in a Member 
State; 

•  Proposal of 13 July 2010 for a Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-

country nationals for the purposes of seasonal employment; and 

•  Proposal  of  13  July  2010  for  a  Directive  defining  conditions  of  entry  and  residence  of 

third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer. 

Throughout  the  development  of  the  instruments  concerning  legal  migration,  ensuring  an 
adequate standard of living as well as a successful integration into the labour market and in 
the  society  has  always  been  an  essential  aspect.  The  recent  proposals  for  directives  will 
further  strengthen  this  framework,  improving  the  position  of  both  low-skilled  workers,  who 
may  be  most  susceptible  to  unfair  treatment,  and  those  highly-skilled  who  were  also  faced 
with complex procedures and could be uncertain about their rights.  

Obviously, the new legal framework could not assure effectiveness if it is not accompanied by 
clear political guidelines. In strategic terms, the Stockholm Programme stresses that proactive 
policies  for  migrants  and  their  rights  should  remain  an  objective  of  a  common  immigration 
policy and should be implemented as soon as possible. It clearly underlines that the EU must 
ensure  fair  treatment  of  third-country  nationals  who  reside  legally  on  the  territory  of  its 
Member  States.  A  more  vigorous  integration  policy  should  aim  at  granting  to  third-country 
nationals rights and obligations comparable to those of EU citizens. This approach is reflected 
in  both  specific  legal  instruments  forming  the  common  EU  immigration  and  asylum  policy 
and EU integration measures. 

In its 'Annual  Report on  Immigration and Asylum (2010)', the Commission has reported  on 
actions  at  EU  and  the  national  level  in  response  to  both  the  2008  Pact  on  Immigration  and 
Asylum and the relevant priorities of the Stockholm Programme adopted in 2009.16 

16 

COM(2011) 291 final. 

7 

 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
3.1.1.  Family reunification 

Article 7(2) of the Directive on the right to family reunification introduces an optional clause 
enabling  Member  States  to  require  that  third-country  nationals  comply  with  "integration 
measures".  A  few  Member  States  have  introduced  such  requirements  in  their  national 
legislation, for example regarding language and introduction courses and tests. The objective 
of such measures should be to facilitate the integration of family members. The compliance of 
such requirements with the Directive depends on whether they serve this purpose and whether 
they respect the principle of proportionality. Their compliance has to be assessed on the basis 
of the accessibility of courses or tests, how they are designed and/or organised (test materials, 
fees,  venue,  etc.),  and  whether  such  measures  or  their  impact  serve  purposes  other  than 
integration  (e.g.  high  fees  excluding  low-income  families).  The  procedural  safeguard  to 
ensure the right to mount a legal challenge should also be respected. The Commission’s report 
of 17 June 2008 summarises Member States’ transposition of the Directive, identifies possible 
problems and gives recommendations on proper application.17 

3.1.2.  Long-term residents 

The integration of third-country nationals who are long-term residents in the Member States is 
a key element in promoting economic and social cohesion, a fundamental objective of the EU 
stated in the Treaty and recalled by Council Directive 2003/109/EC. In order to constitute a 
genuine  instrument  for  the  integration  into  society  in  which  they  live,  long-term  residents 
should  enjoy  equality  of  treatment  with  citizens  of  the  Member  State  in  a  wide  range  of 
economic and social matters, as defined by this Directive. However, according to Article 5(2) 
of  the  Directive,  Member  States  may  ask  the  third-country  nationals  to  comply  with 
integration  conditions,  in  accordance  with  national  law.  The  Commission  is  currently 
finalising a report on the transposition of the Directive into Member States' national law: the 
expected results might raise some critical points similar to the case of family reunification. 

3.1.3.  Unaccompanied minors 

The EU Action Plan on unaccompanied minors (UAM) 2010-2014 targets persons below the 
age  of  18  who  arrive  on  the  EU  territory  from  third  countries  either  unaccompanied  by  an 
adult, or left unaccompanied after their arrival.18 The proposed EU common approach is based 
on the respect for the rights of the child as set out in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights 
and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), taking into account 
the principle of the best interests of the child. 

According to the EU Action Plan, where return is not possible or in cases where integration in 
the  country  of  residence  is  considered  being  in  the  best  interests  of  the  child,  a  legal  status 
should  be  granted  to  unaccompanied  minors  entitling  them  to  at  least  the  same  rights  and 
protection as beforehand and suitable accommodation should be found. The minors should be 
supported in their path toward successful integration in the host society. 

Finally,  the  EU  Council  conclusions  on  unaccompanied  minors  have  called  on  the 
Commission and the Member States to strengthen actions related to unaccompanied minors in 
order  to  establish  and  improve  measures  for  the  development  of  appropriate  integration 
actions.19  Likewise,  the  Commission  has  been  asked  to  reflect  on  how  best  to  include  the 
UAM  dimension  in  the  next  generation  of  financial  instruments,  as  of  2014,  in  the  field  of 
integration and to address the specific challenges of vulnerable groups, such as UAM, in the 
new EU agenda for migrants' integration. 

17 
18 
19 

COM(2008) 610 final. 
COM(2010) 213 final. 
Council document 10630/1/10 REV 1. 

8 

 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
3.2. 

Asylum 

The reception of asylum-seekers and the integration beneficiaries of international protection 
present  challenges,  which  require  particular  attention  in  the  context  of  EU  measures  to 
support  integration  policies  in  Member  States.  The  objective  concerning  their  integration 
should be to make them benefit from the general framework for integration of third-country 
nationals while taking, at the same time, due account of the specificity of refugee integration. 
Thus refugee integration needs to be mainstreamed into the general framework for integration 
without losing sight of a number of elements that make it different. 

In this context, some of these challenges are already addressed in EU legislation or existing 
initiatives: 

•  The Council Directive 2003/9/EC on reception conditions lays down minimum standards for 
the  reception  of  asylum  seekers  to  ensure  dignified  standards  for  them  while  waiting  for 
the  examination  of  their  asylum  application.  According  to  the  Directive,  asylum  seekers 
are inter alia entitled to accommodation, health care, education for minor children and to 
employment  under  certain  conditions.  The  provisions  of  the  directive  have  an  impact  on 
the integration of beneficiaries of international protection as they cover the first period of 
their  residence  in  the  Member  State.  Negotiations  to  amend  the  Directive  are  currently 
ongoing. 

•  Council directive 2003/109/EC on long-term residents is expected to be amended in 2011 
to include beneficiaries of international protection in its scope. As the long-term resident 
status enables third-country nationals to enjoy a legal status comparable to that of citizens 
of the Member States, including allowing the person concerned to move from one Member 
State  to  another  under  certain  conditions,  its  extension  to  beneficiaries  of  international 
protection will support their integration prospects. 

•  Council  Directive  2004/83/EC  defines  the  criteria  that  a  person  must  fulfil  to  obtain 
international protection in the EU, in the form of refugee or subsidiary protection status. In 
addition,  it  lists  the  rights  and  obligations  attached  to  these  statuses:  residence  permit, 
access  to  the  labour  market,  education,  health  services,  etc.  Negotiations  to  amend  the 
Directive  are  currently  ongoing.  One  of  the  objectives  of  the  proposed  amendment  is  to 
eliminate  the  differences  between  the  rights  of  refugees  and  beneficiaries  of  subsidiary 
protection  which  are  not  objectively  justified,  for  instance  regarding  the  duration  of 
residence  permits  or  access  to  social  welfare,  health  care  and  to  the  labour  market.  The 
amended directive would also take into account the specific integration challenges faced by 
this category of people and the practical obstacles they face, such as lack of documentary 
evidence to support their academic and professional capacities, limited financial capacities, 
general lack of support from the country of origin and would aim to facilitate the recognition 
of  qualifications,  access  to  vocational  training  and  employment  as  well  as  to  integration 
facilities. 

•  The  European  Asylum  Support  Office  (EASO)  has  started  operating  in  2011.  The 
Regulation  establishing  the  EASO20  states  in  its  Article  3  that  "The  Support  Office  shall 
organise, promote and coordinate activities enabling the exchange of information and the 
identification and pooling of best practices in asylum matters between the Member States." 
This could in the future include best practices in the area of integration of beneficiaries of 
international protection. 

20 

Regulation  (EU)  No  439/2010  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  19  May  2010 
establishing a European Asylum Support Office, OJ L 132/11. 

9 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
•  The  EU  pilot  project  to  relocate  beneficiaries  of  international  protection  from  Malta  to 
other  Member  States,  currently  being  implemented,  contains  a  strong  integration 
component both before and after the departure from Malta. Lessons learnt from the Pilot 
Project will inform any future measures related to relocation. 

•  The  further  development  of  EU  efforts  in  the  area  of  resettlement,  mainly  through  the 
implementation  of  a  Joint  EU  Resettlement  Scheme,  will  allow  refugees  with  poor  local 
integration prospects in third countries to settle in the Member States and start a new life in 
a  more  adequate  environment.  Due  to  its  planned  character  and  supervision  by  national 
authorities  and  UNHCR,  resettlement  can  be  developed  with  an  important  integration 
component from the start. 

4. 

INTEGRATION – A CROSS-CUTTING DIMENSION 

4.1. 

Fundamental rights and equal treatment 

The principle of comparable rights, opportunities and obligations is at the core of integration. 
The  EU  must  ensure  fair  treatment  of  third-country  nationals  who  reside  legally  on  the 
territory of its Member States. Integration also implies respect for the basic values of the EU, 
based  on  the  provisions  enshrined  in  the  European  Treaties  and  which  are  common  to  all 
Member  States.21  Fundamental  rights  lie  at  the  heart  of  European  legislation.  According  to 
Article  2  TEU,  the  'Union  is  founded  on  the  values  of  respect  for  human  dignity,  freedom, 
democracy,  equality,  the  rule  of  law  and  respect  for  human  rights,  including  the  rights  of 
persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society 
in  which  pluralism,  non-discrimination,  tolerance,  justice,  solidarity  and  equality  between 
women and men prevail.' 

4.1.1.  Non-discrimination and equal opportunities: a renewed commitment 

Access for immigrants to institutions, as well as to public and private goods and services, on a 
basis  equal  to  national  citizens  and  in  a  non-discriminatory  way  is  a  critical  foundation  for 
better integration.22 Directive 2000/43/EC provides a legislative framework to prevent people 
in the EU from being discriminated against on grounds of race or ethnic origin. In addition, 
Directive 2000/78/EC establishes a general framework for equal treatment in employment and 
occupation,  preventing  discrimination  on  grounds  of  religion  or  belief,  disability,  age  or 
sexual  orientation.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  prohibition  of  discrimination  under  these 
directives  also  applies  to  nationals  of  third  countries,  but  it  does  not  cover  differences  of 
treatment based on nationality and is without prejudice to provisions and conditions relating 
to the entry and residence  of  third-country nationals and stateless persons in the territory of 
Member States, and to any treatment  which  arises  from  the  legal status of the third-country 
nationals and stateless persons concerned. 

In  addition,  Directive  2004/38/EC  specifically  extends  the  right  to  equal  treatment  with 
nationals of a Member State, within the scope of the Treaty, to third-country family members 
of EU citizens exercising their right to free movement, provided these family members have 
the right of residence or permanent residence in the host Member State. In this manner, these 
third-country family members also benefit from the prohibition of discrimination on grounds 
of nationality enshrined in Article 18 TFEU. 

21 
22 

Common Basic Principle 2, Council document 14615/04. 
Common Basic Principle 6, Council document 14615/04. 

10 

 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
This framework is completed by the gender equality directives. EU has a body of directives 
ensuring equal treatment of men  and women in employment and in other areas of everyday 
life. Milestones include Directive 2004/113/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment 
between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services, recast Directive 
2006/54/EC  implementing  the  principle  of  equal  treatment  between  men  and  women  in  the 
field  of  employment  and  occupation  and  Directive  2010/41/EU  ensuring  equality  for  self-
employed workers. 

The  Communication  'Non-discrimination  and  equal  opportunities:  A  renewed  commitment' 
presents a comprehensive approach to step up action against discrimination and promote equal 
opportunities,  recognising  that  the  fight  against  discrimination  cannot  be  won  by  legislation 
alone.23  An  effective  and  properly-enforced  legal  framework  is  essential  for  meeting  the 
objective  of  equal  treatment  but  it  also  requires  changing  attitudes  and  behaviour.  The 
Commission  is  committed  to  ensuring  that  the  existing  legal  framework  is  respected.24  In 
order  to  complete  the  existing  legal  framework,  the  Commission  also  proposed  in  2008  a 
Directive  on  implementing  the  principle  of  equal  treatment  between  persons  irrespective  of 
religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.25 This proposal is being negotiated in 
the Council. Once adopted, the Directive will complete the legal framework as regards age, 
religion, sexual orientation and disability by extending the protection from discrimination on 
these grounds beyond the area of employment. 

4.1.2. 

Strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015 

Promoting gender equality in all initiatives on immigration and integration of migrants is one 
of the important messages of the 'Strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015'.26 
The employment rates of migrant women and women from ethnic minorities are still low in 
comparison  with  natives,  especially  during  the  first  three  years  in  the  receiving  country. 
Remaining gender gaps need to be reduced in both quantitative and qualitative terms. For this 
reason,  there  is  a  strong  need  to  provide  early  support  to  migrant  women  and  monitor  the 
effect  of  such  assistance.  Making  them  more  aware  of  their  rights  and  facilitating  their 
integration and access to education and health care is crucial. Barriers to employment are also 
reflected  in  higher  inactivity  rates  and  higher  long-term  unemployment  rates.  In  addition, 
among  migrants  gender  gaps  tend  to  be  much  wider  and  cause  many  problems  for  women. 
Finally,  active  ageing  policies  and  specific  measures  in  the  pension  sector  are  needed  to 
ensure that women have adequate means when they retire. 

4.1.3.  Roma integration 

Besides  a  strong  legal  framework,  the  EU  has  in  the  past  few  years  committed  itself  to 
improve  the  social  inclusion  of  Roma  by  using  all  instruments  and  policies  at  its  disposal. 
Although a majority of the estimated 10-12 million Roma living in the EU are EU citizens, a 
significant  part  are  non-nationals  or  hold  nationality  of  non-EU  countries.  They  share  the 
same extreme marginalised living conditions in both rural and urban areas and the very poor 
socio-economic  standards.  The  legal  regime  applicable  to  third-country  nationals  residing 
legally in Member States covers also Roma who are third-country nationals residing legally in 
the  EU.  Access  to  the  same  level  of  rights  as  for  other  third-country  nationals  needs  to  be 

23 
24 

25 
26 

COM(2008) 420 final. 
The  Commission  is  supported  by  a  network  of  legal  experts  in  anti-discrimination  providing 
independent information and advice on relevant developments in the Member States, http://www.non-
discrimination.net/. 
COM(2008) 426 final. 
COM(2010) 491 final. 

11 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
ensured.  Roma  also  share  a  number  of  challenges  with  migrants,  including  low  educational 
attainment, labour market barriers, segregation in housing, and difficult health conditions. 

These challenges need to be addressed simultaneously. The integration of Roma will not only 
have  an  important  impact  on  the  individuals  but  also  social  and  economic  benefits  for  our 
societies. Building on the actions implemented so far, and following the 2010 Communication 
on the social and economic integration of Roma27, the Commission has recently published a 
Communication  calling  for  the  implementation  of  an  EU  Framework  for  National  Roma 
Integration  Strategies  by  2020.28  Structures  and  tools  developed  to  support  Member  States' 
integration  policies  can  also  serve  to  remedy  the  particularly  vulnerable  situation  of  Roma 
third-country  nationals.  Roma  integration  can  be  supported  by  a  number  of  financial 
instruments,  including  the  EU  Structural  Funds,  the  European  Integration  Fund  and  the 
European Refugee Fund. 

4.1.4.  EU Fundamental Rights Agency 

The  EU  Agency  for  Fundamental  Rights  (FRA)  helps  to  ensure  that  fundamental  rights  of 
people living in the EU are protected and to make fundamental rights a reality for everyone in 
the EU. Among its tasks, the Agency deals with fundamental rights issues related to asylum, 
immigration and integration of migrants. A specific objective of current and future activities, 
by means of data collection, research, surveys, communication and networking, is to identify 
and  analyse  good  practices  in  Member  States  aiming  to  promote  a  culture  of  fundamental 
rights  in  migration  management  and  integration  policies  and  to  identify  and  analyse  the 
impact of family reunification in relation to social integration and the right to family life. 

In  this  context,  it  is  worth  mentioning  the  EU-MIDIS29  study  providing  the  most  extensive 
data set to date on discrimination and victimisation faced by ethnic minorities and immigrants 
in the EU. The survey is the first of its kind to systematically survey minority groups across 
the  EU  through  face-to-face  interviews  using  the  same  standard  questionnaire.  In  2010,  the 
FRA published reports on the basis of the data collected through EU-MIDIS, such as Data in 
Focus  5:  Multiple  discrimination;  and  Data  in  Focus  3:  Rights  awareness.  Other  relevant 
reports  included  Racism,  ethnic  discrimination  and  exclusion  of  migrants  and  minorities  in 
sport;  experience  of  discrimination,  social  marginalisation  and  violence  among  Muslim  and 
non-Muslim youth; Understanding and preventing discriminatory ethnic profiling; the asylum 
seekers perspective; and the fundamental rights position of Roma and Travellers in the EU. 

4.2. 

Employment 

Employment  is  a  key  part  of  the  integration  process  and  it  is  central  to  the  participation  of 
immigrants, to the contribution immigrants make to the receiving society, and to making such 
contributions  visible.30  The  contribution  of  migrants  to  the  EU  economies  has  been 
substantial. In the period 2000-2005, third-country nationals at EU level accounted for more 
than a quarter of the overall rise in employment and for 21% of the average GDP growth in 
the  EU-15.  This  growing  share  of  migrant  labour  consisted  of  both  highly  qualified  jobs  in 
expanding sectors of the economy and jobs requiring a mix of lower skills.31 

27 
28 
29 
30 
31 

COM(2010) 133 final. 
COM(2011) 173 final. 
EU-MIDIS: http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/research/projects/proj_eumidis_en.htm. 
Common Basic Principle 3, Council document 14615/04. 
Employment in Europe 2008, 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=113&furtherNews=yes&langId=nl&newsId=415.  

12 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
People born outside the EU tend to have fewer employment opportunities than those born in 
the  EU  and  they  often  face  cultural  and  linguistic  barriers  to  working.  They  also  face  more 
obstacles  on  the  labour  market  than  people  moving  between  Member  States.  The  average 
employment  rate  of  those  born  outside  the  EU  aged  20-64  was  6.7  percentage  points  lower 
than that of those born inside the EU in 2009. The gap has widened fast during the crisis (4.7 
in 2008). For third-country nationals aged 20-64 the employment level was 11.4 percentage 
points lower than that of EU nationals in 2009. This gap was even more pronounced among 
women  aged  20-64  (employment  rate  of  49.7%  among  female  third-country  nationals 
compared to 63% for EU female nationals).32 

The  integration  dimension  has  been  promoted  as  part  of  EU  employment  policies  since 
several  years,  including  through  the  European  Employment  Strategy  and  the  Employment 
Guidelines, which call on Member States to pay due attention to the integration of migrants in 
EU labour markets. In line with the Europe 2020 strategy, the European Employment Strategy 
seeks to create more and better jobs throughout the EU. The Strategy provides a framework 
for  Member  States  to  share  information,  discuss  and  coordinate  their  employment  policies 
through the open method of coordination (OMC). 

4.2.1.  An  Agenda  for  new  skills  and  jobs:  A  European  contribution  towards  full 

employment 

The  EU  has  agreed  on  an  employment  rate  target  of  75%  for  women  and  men  aged  20-64 
years  by  2020:  an  ambitious  commitment  to  the  sustainability  of  Europe’s  social  model, 
welfare  systems,  economic  growth  and  public  finances.  The  potential  of  intra-EU  mobility 
and migration from third countries is not fully utilised and is not sufficiently targeted to meet 
labour market needs. The Flagship initiative on 'An Agenda for new skills and jobs' highlights 
the need for more targeted job-search assistance for immigrants: they have been among those 
hardest hit by the recession and their unemployment has also risen sharply. Moreover, skilled 
migrant workers too often occupy jobs for which they are overqualified.33 

In  this  framework,  the  Commission  is  currently  putting  in  place  a  number  of instruments to 
review  the  matching  of  skills  and  supply –  such  as  the  comprehensive  EU  Skills 
Panorama foreseen  in  2012,  the  European  Vacancy  Monitor,  the  European  Job  Mobility 
Bulletin, and CEDEFOP's forecasts on longer term demand and supply of skills – in view of 
identifying economic sectors and occupations currently facing recruitment difficulties or skills 
shortages and therefore limiting economic activity and recovery. Moreover, careful attention 
will  be  paid  to  the  effective  participation  of  the  significant  number  of  low  skilled/low 
educated  immigrants  already  living  legally  in  the  EU  to  promote  their  inclusion  in 
employment and in our societies. 

To  maximise  the  potential  contribution  of  migration  to  full  employment,  migrants  already 
legally residing in the EU should be better integrated, particularly through removing barriers 
to  employment,  such  as  discrimination  or  the  non-recognition  of  skills  and  qualifications, 
which  increase  the  risk  of  unemployment  and  social  exclusion.  The  lower  performance  of 
third-country  nationals  in  Member  States'  education  systems  should  also  be  addressed.  A 
better monitoring and anticipation of skills needs, as well as improvements in the recognition 
of skills and qualifications, also obtained outside the EU, can substantially reduce the ‘brain-
waste’ of highly educated migrants employed in jobs under their skills level. 

32 

33 

Eurostat, EU Labour Force Survey, 
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/employment_unemployment_lfs/data/database.  
COM(2010) 682 final. 

13 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
4.2.2.  Financial instruments in support of employment and social inclusion 

The European Social Fund (ESF) prioritises action to increase the participation of immigrants 
(both  third-country  nationals  and  intra-EU  mobility)  in  employment,  thereby  strengthening 
their  economic  and  social  integration.  Moreover,  the  ESF  can  provide  funding  for  testing 
innovative  actions,  together  with  the  PROGRESS  programme.  The  ESF  can  also  provide  a 
framework  for  mainstreaming  social  innovation  and  for  peer-reviewing,  mutual  learning, 
communication  and  transfer  of  best  practices,  helping  to  improve  the  design  and  focus  of 
integration and social inclusion policies targeting migrants. 

The ESF is one of the EU's Structural Funds, set up to reduce differences in prosperity and 
living  standards  across  Member  States  and  regions,  and  therefore  promoting  economic  and 
social  cohesion.  The  ESF  targets  disadvantaged  persons,  including  migrants  (which  are 
explicitly mentioned in recital 6 and articles 3 and 10), in particular by enhancing access to 
employment. Over the period 2007-2013 some 75 billion Euro are distributed to the Member 
States and regions to help achieve the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Member States 
labour  market  participation 
are 
(approximately 1.5% of the total ESF budget until the end of 2008). 

increasingly  using 

increase  migrants' 

the  ESF 

to 

The  ESF  allocation  (2007-2013)  for  actions  specifically  aimed  at  migrants  amounts  to  1.2 
billion  Euro  (close  to  2%  of  the  total  ESF  budget).  Migrants  and  persons  with  a  migration 
background  will  also  benefit  from  a  range  of  other  actions  notably  from  pathways  to 
integration  and  re-entry  into  employment  for  disadvantaged  people  (9.9  billion  Euro).  The 
funds  available  are  much  more  significant  but  can  not  be  linked  specifically  to  any  single 
target group. In 2009, migrants made up at least 6% of the total number of participants (700 
thousand out of 11 million). This share is much higher in a number of Member States, notably 
24%  in  Austria,  21%  in  Belgium  and  in  Sweden.  Half  of  the  total  number  of  migrants 
benefitting from ESF support is reported from Spain. 

Although less important in amounts, the EU's employment and social solidarity programme – 
PROGRESS  –  also  contributes  to  the  achievement  of  the  Europe  2020  Strategy.  It  was 
established  to  support  financially  the  implementation  of  the  objectives  of  the  EU  in 
employment,  social  affairs  and  equal  opportunities,  as  set  out  in  the  Social  Agenda. 
PROGRESS  has  a  budget  of  743.25  million  Euro  for  the  period  2007-2013,  and  it  covers 
actions in the areas of employment, social inclusion and protection, working conditions, non-
discrimination and gender equality. 

4.3. 

Enterprise 

4.3.1.  A Small Business Act for Europe 

The  entrepreneurship  potential  among  immigrants  needs  to  be  better  exploited.  In  order  to 
make the most of this potential and to foster growth and jobs in Europe, the Commission and 
Member States support and promote migrant entrepreneurs and ethnic minority entrepreneurs 
and  help  these  groups  to  overcome  difficulties  which  might  prevent  them  from  starting  and 
growing  businesses  in  Europe.34  Statistics  from  several  Member  States  indicate  that 
proportionately,  more  migrants  and  members  of  ethnic  minorities  than  nationals  start  small 
businesses.  It  is  important  that  policies  to  encourage  entrepreneurship  in  Europe  take  full 
account  of  the  potential  represented  by  this  group.  Support  measures  and  policy  initiatives 
should help to overcome the specific barriers which might discourage migrants and members 

34 

COM(2008) 394 final. 

14 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
of  ethnic  minorities  to  become  entrepreneurs.  Many  of  the  business  problems  faced  by 
migrant/ethnic entrepreneurs are shared with small businesses in general. 

The problems that appear to affect migrant/ethnic entrepreneurs include: access to finance and 
to  support  services;  language  barriers;  limited  business,  management  and  marketing  skills; 
over-concentration  in  low  entry  threshold  activities  where  the  scope  for  breakouts  or 
diversification  into  mainstream  markets  may  be  limited.  These  problems  are  mostly  due  to 
circumstances  rather  than  discrimination.  Addressing  these  requires  a  range  of  measures,  at 
many  different  levels  of  government.  There  is  still  a  need  to  raise  awareness  amongst  the 
different stakeholders that these problems exist and need to be tackled. 

4.3.2.  European Competitiveness Report 

The  European  Competitiveness  Report  2009  stresses  the  attention  on  the  potential  that 
attracting foreign born, work forces would have for the economic records of the EU.35 While 
international competition for migrants is focusing primarily on the highly skilled labour force, 
comprehensive migration policies need to address future labour market needs across the full 
skills spectrum. High-skilled migrants, including those born in one of the EU Member States, 
have in general lower labour market participation rates, higher unemployment rates and lower 
employment  rates  than  natives  with  comparable  qualifications,  and  they  face  a  substantially 
higher risk of being employed in jobs that do not fit their skill profiles. Therefore, there is a 
need  to  give  third-country  nationals  access  to  professional  training,  recognise  their 
qualifications,  and  benefit  from  their  skills  and  expertises,  in  order  to  improve  their 
productivity  rates.  Such actions must be backed by measures to improve the social, cultural 
and political integration of migrants. Evidence shows that in many cases national approaches 
rely on complementary and more regionally based integration initiatives. 

4.4. 

Social protection and social inclusion 

The  integration  dimension  is  also  promoted  as  part  of  EU  social  policies  through  the 
European  Strategy  for  Social  Protection  and  Social  Inclusion.  The  Strategy  has  set  out  a 
framework for defining common policy objectives in this particular field and the EU Social 
Protection  Committee  is  mainstreaming  social  aspects  of  migration.  The  EU  provides  a 
framework  for  national  strategy  development,  common  policy  objectives  and  coordinating 
policies between EU countries on issues relating to poverty and social exclusion, health care 
and long-term care as well as pensions through the OMC. Integration is also promoted as part 
of EU social policies through the social OMC. 

4.4.1. 

Social protection 

Guaranteeing migrants the same social protection rights as EU citizens is also a key aspect of 
ensuring their successful integration. Member States are in principle still responsible for their 
own  social  protection  policies,  including  the  power  to  set  qualifying  conditions  for  non-EU 
migrants  to  social  security  and  social  assistance  at  national  level.  EU  law36  provides  the 
conditions  for  third-country  nationals  who  are  long-term  residents  within  the  meaning  of 
Council Directive 2003/109/EC: the Directive requires that long term residents shall enjoy equal 
treatment  with  nationals  as  regards  social  security,  social  assistance  and  social  protection  as 
defined  by  national  law.  In  addition,  when  non-EU  nationals  who  have  been  insured  in  one 
national  system  move  between  Member  States,  they  are  protected  by  the  EU  social  security 
coordination  rules,  meaning  for  example  that  the  social  security  contributions  that  they  have 

35 
36 

SEC(2009)1657 final. 
Excluding: the United Kingdom and Ireland, Denmark. 

15 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
paid in one Member State should be taken into account by another Member State.37 The Social 
Protection Committee is responsible for mainstreaming social aspects of migration. 

4.4.2. 

Social inclusion 

Social inclusion policies, both at EU and national levels, tend to focus on specific groups of 
disadvantaged  and  vulnerable  people,  including  migrants.  More  effective  integration  of 
migrants can make an important contribution to the target identified by the EU 2020 Strategy 
to  reduce  by  20  million  the  number  of  people  in  or  at  risk  of  poverty  and  social  exclusion. 
Social inclusion measures targeted at migrants and ethnic minorities generally aim to remove 
the  barriers  blocking  effective  access  to  social  and  health  services,  e.g.  by  developing  the 
intercultural  competences  of  service  providers  and  through  information  campaigns;  targeted 
support  for  children  and  their  parents  through  the  education  system;  or  provision  of  social 
services accompanied by language and civic courses, often targeted at women. 

The  implementation  of  the  common  principles  of  the  Active  Inclusion  Strategy  provides  an 
effective framework combining adequate income support, inclusive labour markets and access 
to quality services for those people at risk of poverty and social exclusion, including migrants. 
Main findings of the Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2010 show that 
important  gaps  persist  between  immigrants  and  the  majority  population  and  that  migrants 
were  hit  particularly  hard  by  the  crisis,  as  regards  income,  employment,  unemployment, 
poverty, health, education and early school-leaving.38 

4.4.3.  The  European  Platform  against  Poverty  and  Social  Exclusion:  A  European 

framework for social and territorial cohesion 

The most vulnerable people in our societies have borne much of the impact of the economic 
crisis  and  they  face  a  greater  risk  of  exclusion.  The  Flagship  initiative  on  'The  European 
Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion' puts focus on young people, migrants and the 
low-skilled  (sometimes  these  three  aspects  overlap),  who  have  experienced  the  greatest 
increases  in  unemployment  and  are  therefore  exposed  to  aggravation  of  their  living 
conditions.39  The unemployment rate  for  non-EU nationals aged  20-64  was  10.9 percentage 
points  higher  than  for  nationals  of  the  same  age  group  in  2009,  and  the  low-skilled  are 
experiencing an increase in unemployment twice that of highly skilled. The economic crisis 
has also further underlined the higher exposure to social risks of migrants, often the first to be 
hit  in  a  context  of  rising  unemployment.  In  2009,  the  unemployment  rate  for  non-EU 
nationals  aged  20-64  reached  20.7%.  For  this  population,  the  loss  of  employment  is  often 
compounded with lack of access to social security safety nets. 

Unemployment rates of persons aged 20-64 by country of citizenship, EU-27 (%) 

3Q2007  4Q2007  3Q2008  4Q2008  3Q2009  4Q2009  3Q2010  4Q2010 

EU 
citizens  Other EU 

Nationals  6.2 
7.5 

6.2 
7.9 

6.1 
8.2 

6.6 
8.6 

8.0 
11.6 

8.4 
11.1 

8.4 
11.2 

8.6 
11.6 

citizens 

Third-country 
nationals 
Source: Eurostat, EU Labour Force Survey 

13.0 

13.5 

13.0 

15.1 

18.4 

19.7 

18.3 

19.2 

37 

38 

39 

Regulation  (EC)  No  1231/2010  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  extending  Regulation 
(EC) No 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 to nationals of third countries who are not already 
covered by these Regulations solely on the ground of their nationality. 
Joint  Report  on  Social  Protection  and  Social  Inclusion  2010,  European  Commission,  Directorate 
General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=750&langId=en.  
COM(2010) 758 final. 

16 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
Around  10.5  million  third-country  nationals  are  at  risk  of  exclusion  (at  risk  of  poverty, 
severely deprived or living in households with very low work intensity), meaning that one out 
of ten at risk of exclusion in the EU has a migrant background. Furthermore, people with a 
migrant background are at risk of poverty to a greater  extent than EU citizens. On  average, 
26%  of  third-country  nationals  are  at  risk  of  poverty,  compared  to  17%  of  EU  citizens. 
Children  with  a  migrant  background  are  exposed  to  a  particularly  high  risk  of  poverty, 
reaching over 30% in a majority of Member States.40 

Setting a comprehensive and effective policy framework for integration is a major challenge. 
The  process  of  becoming  part  of  a  new  society  is  very  complex  and  requires  efforts  in 
different areas to avoid the risk of exposure to poverty and exclusion. There is ample evidence 
of  intergenerational  transmission  of  disadvantage  in  the  migrant  population.  In  addition, 
second  and  third  generation  of  migrants  also  experience  discrimination  in  access  to 
employment as well as to goods and services. Achieving the Europe 2020 objective of social 
inclusion and cohesion will crucially depend on the capacity of the EU and its Member States 
to fit together social and migration policies.41 

4.5. 

Territorial cohesion and urban development 

As shown already, succeeding in the integration challenge is crucial for European economic, 
social cohesion and territorial cohesion. Integration is a process that takes place primarily at 
the  local  level.  The  interactions  and  exchanges  between  immigrants  and  other  residents  at 
neighbourhood  level  are  key  elements  of  integration.  The  level  of  economic  conditions  and 
social  welfare  in  neighbourhoods,  the  feeling  of  safety,  the  condition  of  public  spaces  and 
areas for children and young people, and other living conditions are all aspects that affect the 
image  of  the  people  who  live  in  these  areas.  Disadvantaged  and  in  some  cases  segregated 
urban  areas,  predominantly  in  large  cities,  often  have  a  high  concentration  of  immigrant 
population, and spatial segregation does not contribute to a positive integration process. At the 
same  time,  these  cities  play  an  essential  part  in  shaping  the  urban  interaction  between 
immigrants and society and in building neighbouring policies which support integration. 

Cohesion Policy has played an important role, both in the programming period 2000-2006 and 
in the period 2007-2013, in supporting local and regional actors in their efforts to improve the 
living environment in terms of decent housing, neighbourhood safety, and the availability of 
opportunities  for  education  and  work.  The  contributions  of  the  ESF  (see  above  4.2.2.)  are 
important examples as well as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The ERDF 
supports a range of integration measures in the context of regional development based on the 
objectives  of  convergence,  regional  competitiveness  and  employment,  and  European 
territorial cooperation. The ERDF regulation has been amended42, answering to the needs of 
the marginalised communities. The main elements of the amendment include: 

•  Housing actions target urban and rural areas and should not reinforce spatial segregation; 

•  Renovation and replacement are eligible; and 

•  The  integrated  approach  will  be  implemented  within  the  housing  actions  (including 

education, employment, housing and health). 

40 

41 
42 

Social  Situation  Observatory,  Research  Note  1/2010  "Detailed  analysis  of  the  relative  position  of 
migrants". 
COM(2010) 758 final. 
OJ 2010, L 132/1. 

17 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
The  capitalisation  of  cities'  experiences  through  the  URBACT  Programme  is  an  important 
contribution  in  this  respect.  For  example,  the  MILE  project  –  'Managing  Migration  and 
Integration at Local Level' – was a fast track initiative bridging the framework of URBACT I 
into the successor URBACT II establishing a thematic partnership network of nine cities. The 
project assisted the cities in their development and identification of good practices addressing 
the  following  themes  in  relation  to  migrants'  integration:  enterprise  development,  active 
inclusion in the labour market, and access to services and intercultural dialogue.43 

4.5.1.  Fifth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion – Investing in Europe's 

future 

The  Fifth  Cohesion  Report  underlines  the  role  migration  plays  to  meet  the  demographic 
challenges of some European regions in particular.44 It shows the important role that cohesion 
policy  has  played  in  supporting  the  integration  of  migrants  and  minorities,  either  indirectly, 
through  measures  combating  social  exclusion,  or  directly  by  identifying  them  as  target 
groups.  Moreover,  it  has  developed  a  strong  gender  dimension,  helped  migrant  women  into 
employment,  promoted  their  lifelong  learning,  combated  their  discrimination  in  career 
selection and professions, supported participation and assisted them to start up businesses. 

4.6. 

Demographics 

The  Commission's  Demography  Report  2010  provides  the  latest  facts  and  figures  showing 
how  the  EU  population  has  continued  to  develop  in  line  with  the  projections  highlighted 
already  in  the  Communication  of  2006  on  'The  demographic  future  of  Europe  –  from 
challenge to opportunity'.45 The Communication underlined the need for the EU and Member 
States to seize opportunities to adapt to demographic change in five key areas, one of which 
tackled  the  issues  related  to  'Receiving  and  integrating  migrants  into  our  labour  market  and 
society'.  Our  demographic  picture  has  become  clearer:  growth  is  fuelled  mainly  by 
immigration while the population is becoming older and more diverse.46 

Europe  is  strongly  influenced  by  demographic 
changes,  including  the  ageing  population,  longer 
life  expectancies,  a  declining  working-age 
population  and  migration.  The  large  increase  of 
foreign  population  implies  that  additional  efforts 
are  needed  to  ensure  that  immigrants  have  the 
opportunity to integrate into their host society and 
to allow them to fully contribute to the EU labour 
market  and  economy,  making  use  of 
their 
education  level  and  expertise.  At  the  same  time, 
the  Union  has  witnessed  a  downward  trend  in 
immigration  over  the  last  few  years.  In  2008, 
immigration to the EU decreased by 6% compared 
with 2007, and emigration from the EU increased 
by 13%.47 This trend was continuing in 2009. By 
way  of  international  comparison,  it  can  be  noted 
that immigration to Canada increased by 4% from 

Age structure of the population on 1 January 
2009 and of immigrants in 2008, EU-27 

Solid colour: population                      Bordered: immigrants

85+
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

2%
Men

1%

0%

1%

2%
   Women

EU-27  immigration  data  excluding  BE,  EL, 
CY,  RO  and  UK.  Source:  Eurostat  (online 
data  codes:  migr_pop2ctz,  migr_imm2ctz); 
Statistics in Focus (issue number - 1/2011). 

43 
44 

45 
46 
47 

The report of the project is available on http://urbact.eu/en/projects/active-inclusion/mile/our-outputs/.  
Investing in Europe's future: Fifth report on social, economic and territorial cohesion, 
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion5/pdf/5cr_en.pdf. 
COM(2006) 571 final. 
Demography Report 2010, http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=6688&langId=en.  
Demography Report 2010, http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=6688&langId=en.  

18 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
 
 
 
2007 to 2008, to the United States by 5% and to Australia by 7%. These countries all have 
considerably  larger  'stocks'  of  foreign-born  population  (as  a  proportion  of  total  population) 
than the EU as a whole; 25% in Australia, 20% in Canada and nearly 14% in the US, although 
a  few  EU  Member  States  have  a  'stock'  of  foreign-born  reaching  above  13%,  including 
Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, Austria, Ireland, Sweden and Spain.48 

Migration  patterns  are  greatly  affected  by  the  global  economic  and  labour  market  situation, 
both in terms of legal migration and irregular migration. In addition, the eruption of conflicts 
and  natural  disasters  can  quickly  influence  migration  patterns,  as  seen  with  the  events  in  the 
Southern  Mediterranean  leading  to  both  refugees  and  irregular  migrants  trying  to  reach  the 
EU. This calls for effective migration and asylum policies, as well as for integration measures 
for migrants residing legally in the EU. 

Immigrants enrich themselves and the communities they join with experiences and knowledge 
thanks to an active exchange. Moreover, integrating newly-arrived migrants tend to be easier 
when populations are already more diverse from the start. Successful integration is a priority 
for  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  in  order  not  to  waste  the  potential  of  a  large  part  of  EU 
future population and a consistent part of the youth currently living in our countries. 
A dynamic immigration flow (together with low birth rates and rising life expectancy) can be 
expected  to  result  in  an  almost  unchanged,  but  much  older,  total  EU  population  by  2060.49 
Immigration from third countries has boosted growth in several Member States. Even though 
the  crisis  has  shrunk  labour  opportunities  and  attenuated  labour  and  skills  shortages  in  the 
short-term, a well organised legal immigration policy will have a role to play in filling labour 
shortages in a longer-term perspective. 

In  order  to  encourage  and  support  the  efforts  of  Member  States,  their  regional  and  local 
authorities, social partners and civil society to promote active ageing and do more to mobilise 
the  potential  of  the  baby  boom cohorts, the  year 2012 has  been designated as the European 
Year for Active Ageing.50 

4.7. 

Youth 

4.7.1.  Youth on the Move - an initiative to unleash the potential of young people to achieve 

smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the European Union 

Young people face a number of challenges – aggravated by the economic crisis – in education 
and training systems and in accessing the labour market. The EU Youth Strategy made social 
inclusion  one  of  its  eight  main  fields  of  action.51  It  proposes  concrete  initiatives  for  the 
inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities and strives for equal opportunities for all. 
Employment is another main action field of the EU Youth Strategy. 

The current situation is marked by low employment rates and high unemployment. Only one 
third  of  young  people  (aged  15-24)  are  in  employment  (34%  in  2010  Q2).  The  youth 
unemployment  rate  (20.4%)  is  more  than  twice  as  high  as  the  overall  unemployment  rate 
(9.6%). Nearly one in three young jobseekers is unemployed for more than a year. 

48 

49 
50 
51 

OECD International Migration Outlook 2010, 
http://www.oecd.org/document/41/0,3746,en_2649_33931_45591593_1_1_1_1,00.html  in  comparison 
with  Eurostat  online  data  code  migr_pop3ctb  (Statistics  in  Focus  –  issue  number  45/2010),  showing 
population  by  group  of  country  of  birth  of  Member  States  for which data are available. These data are 
based on national definitions that may be not fully comparable. 
COM(2009) 180 final 
COM(2010) 462 final 
OJ 2010, C311/1. 

19 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
Targets  have  been  set  for  education,  employment  and  poverty  reduction,  which  all  three 
concern young people directly. In the flagship initiative 'Youth on the Move', the Commission 
has set out how the EU can reach the targets through actions at national and European level. 
Action will be taken in three areas: 1)Improving education and training systems at all levels; 
2) Stronger policy efforts for improving youth employment; and 3) More EU youth mobility 
for learning purposes and on the labour market. 

'Youth on the Move' highlights the need for special efforts to attract highly skilled migrants in 
the global competition for talent.52 As certain professions see too many Europeans emigrating 
and  too  few  third-country  immigrants  coming  in,  policies  should  address  this.  For  young 
people  with  a  migrant  background  or  belonging  to  specific  ethnic  groups,  more  tailored 
measures may be needed to improve the progress made by this fast growing youth population, 
who often experience particular difficulties in starting their career. This flagship initiative is 
also  relevant  for  migration  because  the  bulk  of  incoming  migrants  are  very  young,  but  also 
because  there  are  serious  policy  challenges  related  to  the  integration  of  the  children  and 
descendants of immigrants. 

4.7.2.  Financial instruments in support of youth 

The  Youth  in  Action  programme  aims  to  inspire  a  sense  of  active  European  citizenship, 
solidarity  and  tolerance  among  young  people  aged  15-28.53  The  programme  promotes 
mobility  within  and  beyond  the  EU’s  borders,  and  encourages  the  inclusion  of  all  young 
people, regardless of their educational, social and cultural background. It helps young people 
acquire new competences, and provides them with opportunities for non-formal and informal 
learning with a European dimension. Youth in Action has a total budget of 885 Million Euro 
for the period 2007-2013) in the EU, its neighbourhood and its partner countries in the world.  

4.8. 

Education 

Efforts in education are critical to preparing immigrants, and particularly their descendants, to 
be  more  successful  and  more  active  participants  in  society.54  Policy  priorities  have  been 
identified,  based  on  repeated  Council  conclusions  emphasising  the  importance  of  education 
for integration, including the development of policies for language learning, partnerships with 
parents  and  communities,  developing  teacher  training,  improving  multicultural  mediation, 
strengthening  intercultural  learning  activities,  increasing  access  to  quality  early  childhood 
education and care, combating school segregation and increasing quality in underperforming 
schools, as well as providing additional support through tutoring, mentoring or guidance. 

52 
53 
54 

COM(2010) 477 final. 
Decision No 1719/2006/EC establishing the Youth in Action programme for the period 2007-2013. 
Common Basic Principle 5, Council document 14615/04. 

20 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
At the EU level, in the age group 20-64, the 
share  of  female  and  male  third-country 
nationals  with  high  educational  attainment 
is  lower  than  the  share  of  highly  educated 
nationals  in  the  same  age  group.  The 
differences  between  third-country  nationals 
and nationals are more pronounced for those 
with  a  low  level  of  education.55  At  the  age 
of  15,  migrant  children  are  also  one  and  a 
half years behind their EU national peers in 
their  literacy  skills.56  There  is  a  strong  link 
in  most  countries  between  educational 
socio-economic 
achievement 
background 
underlying 
conditions,  but  the  experiences  of  several 
levels  of 
countries 
performance  and  equality  of  educational 
opportunities  can  be  jointly  achieved  with 
effective policy support.57 

that  high 

show 

other 

and 

and 

Educational  attainment  of  persons  aged  20-64  by 
group of country of citizenship, EU-27, 2009 

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Nationals

Other EU citizens

Third-country nationals

Source: Eurostat, EU Labour Force Survey 

high

medium

low

4.8.1.  Migration & mobility: challenges and opportunities for EU education systems 

The Green Paper of 2008 on migration and mobility addressed an important challenge facing 
education  systems,  namely  the  presence  in  schools  of  large  numbers  of  children  from  a 
migrant background who are in a weak socio-economic position.58 In many Member States, 
over  10%  of  children  attending  education  are  from  a  migrant  background.  Schools  must 
therefore  adjust  to  their  presence  and  build  their  particular  needs  into  the  traditional  focus. 
Education  is  crucial  to  ensure  that  these  pupils  are  equipped  to  become  integrated  in  the 
receiving  country.  At  the  same  time,  migration  can  be  enriching  for  the  educational 
experience of all: linguistic and cultural diversity may bring an invaluable resource to schools. 
It can help to deepen and strengthen pedagogies, skills and knowledge itself. 

Many factors are likely to lie behind the pattern of educational disadvantage among children 
from a migrant background: socio-economic conditions, language and educational background. 
First  generation  migrants  experienced  particular  difficulties  as  in  many  countries  they  are 
more than one and a half year behind their native peers at the age of 15.59 It is necessary to 
accommodate  increased  diversity  of  mother  tongues,  cultural  perspectives  and  attainments. 
New, adapted teaching skills will be needed and new ways of building bridges with migrant 
families and communities from different backgrounds need to be developed. Finally, efforts 
should be made to achieve also higher levels of graduation from higher education for migrants. 

55 
56 

57 

58 

59 

45.5% for third-country nationals and 26.4% for EU-nationals in 2009. 
SEC  (2011)  526:  Progress  towards  the  common  European  objectives  in  education  and  training 
(2010/2011) – Indicators and benchmarks. 
PISA 2009 Results: Overcoming Social Background, Equity in Learning Opportunities and Outcomes. 
Equity in learning opportunities and outcomes. Volume II, www.pisa.oecd.org.  
COM (2008) 423. For the sake of this Communication a broad concept of "migration" has been used. The terms 
"children from a migrant background", "children of migrants" and "migrant pupils" are used to refer to the children 
of  all  persons  living  in  an  EU  country  where  they  were  not  born,  irrespective  of  whether  they  are  third-country 
nationals, citizens of another EU Member State or subsequently became nationals of the host Member State. 
PISA 2009 Results: Overcoming Social Background, Equity in Learning Opportunities and Outcomes. 

21 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
4.8.2. 

Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’) 

The  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training  ("ET  2020") 
includes  the  education  of  immigrants  as  one  of  the  priorities  of  the  OMC.60  Education  and 
training policy should enable all citizens, irrespective of their personal background, or socio-
economic circumstances, to acquire, update and develop both job-specific skills and the key 
competences needed for their employability and to foster further learning, active citizenship 
and  intercultural  dialogue.  Educational  disadvantage  should  be  addressed  by  providing  high 
quality early childhood education and targeted support, and by promoting inclusive education. 
Education and training systems should aim to ensure that all learners – including migrants – 
complete  their  education,  where  appropriate,  through  second-chance  education  and  the 
provision of more personalised learning. 

4.8.3.  Tackling early school leaving: a key contribution to the Europe 2020 Agenda 

The  Communication  on  'Tackling  early  school  leaving'  reaffirms  the  link  between  early 
school  leaving  and  social  disadvantage  and  low  education  backgrounds.61  As  young  people 
with  a  migrant  origin  are  often  concentrated  in  lower  socio-economic  groups,  their  average 
rate  of  early  school  leaving  is  double  that  of  native  youth  (26.4%  vs.  13.1%  in  2009). 
Increasing access to quality early childhood education and care, combating school segregation 
and  increasing  quality  in  underperforming  schools  should  focus  on  measures  to  address 
questions  such  as  language  support  for  children  with  a  migrant  background,  active 
desegregation policy which improves the social, ethnic and cultural mix in schools, and helps 
integration. 

The Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on policies to reduce early school 
leaving emphasises support for migrants as a group at risk as a focus both for EU cooperation 
and  for  national  policy  development.62  The  proposal  for  a  Recommendation  is  part  of  the 
Youth on the Move flagship initiative. 

4.8.4.  Early Childhood Education and Care: Providing all our children with the best start 

for the world of tomorrow 

Early  Childhood  Education  and  Care  (ECEC)  is  the  essential  foundation  for  successful 
lifelong  learning,  social  integration,  personal  development  and  later  employability.63
Children's earliest experiences form the basis for all subsequent learning. High quality early 
childhood  education  and  care  can  make  a  strong  contribution  –  through  enabling  and 
empowering  all  children  to  realise  their  potential  –  to  achieving  two  of  the  Europe  2020 
headline targets in particular: reducing early school leaving to below 10%, and lifting at least 
20 million people out of the risk of poverty and social exclusion. 

ECEC  is  also  particularly  beneficial  for  the  socially  disadvantaged,  including  those  from 
migrant backgrounds. It can help to lift children out of poverty and family dysfunction, and so 
contribute  to  achieving  the  goals  of  the  Europe  2020  flagship  initiative  European  Platform 
against  Poverty.  Evidence  shows  that  while  many  children  from  a  migrant  background  are 
high  achievers,  there  is  a  persistent  gap  in  educational  attainment  vis-à-vis  their  peers. 
However, a number of countries have narrowed the achievement gap during the last decade.64 

60 
61 
62 
63 
64 

OJ 2009/C 119/02. 
COM(2011) 18 final. 
COM(2011) 19 final. 
COM(2011) 66 final. 
Council Conclusions on the education of children with migrant background (OJ C 301 – 31.12.2009). 

22 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
4.8.5.  A  new  impetus  for  European  cooperation  in  Vocational  Education  and  Training  to 

support the Europe 2020 Strategy 

Social  exclusion  of  low-skilled  learners  from  a  migrant  background  is  often  the  result  of 
cumulating  elements  such  as  low  formal  qualification  and  the  lack  of  basic  skills  and 
transversal  competences.  Education  and  training  can  be  important  forces  to  counter  social 
exclusion;  VET  systems  have  a  particularly  important  role  to  play.  Integration  of  some 
groups,  including  people  from  migrant  backgrounds,  might  require  additional  support,  for 
instance  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  and  specific  language  courses  for 
migrants.  Continuing  VET  is  particularly  well  placed  to  increase  the  labour  market 
participation  of  groups  at  risk  through:  guidance  services  and  validation  of  prior  learning, 
particularly for migrants in order to facilitate their integration into society.65 

4.8.6.  Financial instruments in support of education 

The EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme enables people at all stages of their lives to take part 
in stimulating learning experiences, as well as helping to develop the education and training 
sector  across  Europe.  With  a  budget  of  nearly  €7  billion  for  the  period  2007-2013,  the 
programme  funds  a  range  of  actions  including  exchanges,  study  visits  and  networking 
activities.  Projects  are  intended  not  only  for  individual  students  and  learners,  but  also  for 
teachers, trainers and all others involved in education and training. 

A  Call  for  Proposals  to  be  published  in  May  2011  aims  to  support  the  establishment  of  a 
European network to analyse, develop and exchange policy and practice on the education of 
children and young people from a migrant background. The network should actively stimulate 
trans-national cooperation primarily at governmental level, but also at the level of experts and 
practitioners.  The  network  will  be  supported  by  annual  grants  from  the  Lifelong  Learning 
Programme,  based  on  annual  work  programmes  submitted  by  the  network  under  a 
multiannual framework agreement for the period 2012-2014. The network has been included 
in the implementation of the Flagship initiative on An Agenda for new skills and jobs. 

4.9. 

Culture 

Integration is not only about succeeding economically and socially, it is also about achieving 
a  sense  of  belonging.  Intercultural  dialogue  needs  to  accompany  and  support  economic  and 
social integration. Deepening the knowledge and understanding cultural traditions and values, 
and  participating  in  different  aspects  of  collective  life  are  important  aspects  of  the  two-way 
process  of  mutual  accommodation  between  migrants  and  the  receiving  society.  Frequent 
interaction  between  immigrants  and  Member  State  citizens  is  a  fundamental  mechanism  for 
integration.  Shared  forums,  education  about  immigrants  and  immigrant  cultures,  and 
stimulating  living  conditions  in  urban  environments  enhance  the  interactions  between 
immigrants  and  Member  State  citizens.  The  practice  of  diverse  cultures  and  religions  is 
guaranteed  under  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  and  must  be  safeguarded,  unless 
practices conflict with other inviolable European rights or with national law.66 

4.9.1.  European Agenda for Culture 

Culture lies at the heart of the European project and is the anchor on which the EU's "unity in 
diversity" is founded. The combination of respect for cultural diversity and the ability to unite 
around  shared  values  has  guaranteed  the  peace,  prosperity  and  solidarity  the  EU  enjoys.  In 
2010 the Commission has published a communication on the 'Implementation of the European 
Agenda  for  Culture'67,  followed  by  the  Council  Conclusion  endorsing  the  'Work  Plan  for 

65 
66 
67 

COM(2010) 296 final. 
Common Basic Principles 7 and 8, Council document 14615/04. 
COM (2010)390 final. 

23 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
Culture  2011-2014'68.  Under  the  Priority  Area  tackling  Cultural  diversity,  intercultural 
dialogue and accessible and inclusive culture, а group of experts appointed by Member States 
will work on the identification of policies and good practices in creating spaces in public arts 
and cultural institutions to facilitate exchanges among cultures and between social groups, in 
particular by highlighting the intercultural dimension of the heritage and by promoting artistic 
and  cultural  education  and  developing  intercultural  competences.  Besides,  in  2011  the 
Commission will work on the analysis of good practices and instruments to promote culturally 
inclusive  cities,  building  on  the  results  of  projects  co-funded  by  the  EU  on  management  of 
diversity in cities. 

4.9.2.  Activities on Intercultural Dialogue  

Intercultural  dialogue  is  an  ongoing  priority  of  the  EU.  It  is  also  one  of  three  specific 
objectives  of  the  Culture  Programme  (see  below  4.9.3).  After  the  implementation  of  a 
successful  2008  European  Year  of  Intercultural  Dialogue,  the  Commission  is  actively 
continuing work in this field. This includes in particular initiatives supporting cooperation on 
intercultural dialogue, such as the joint action by the Council of Europe and the Commission 
on 'Intercultural cities: governance and policies for diverse communities' and the 'Platform for 
Intercultural Europe'.  

Intercultural  Cities  is  a  joint  project  of  the  Council  of  Europe  and  the  Commission.  It 
supports cities in the definition of an intercultural strategy to adapt governance systems and 
policies in all relevant fields to the needs of a diverse population. All services are reviewed 
through an 'intercultural lens', aiming at increasing opportunities for interaction and concrete 
collaboration  among  communities.  Management  of  intercultural  conflict,  which  is  often 
inevitable, is also at the centre of such strategies. Handled well, it can lead to mutual learning 
and growth for all participants, including city authorities. 

4.9.3.  Financial instruments in support of culture 

The EU’s Culture programme has a budget of 400 Million Euro for the period 2007-2013, for 
projects  and  initiatives  to  enrich  Europe's  cultural  diversity  and  enhance  its  shared  cultural 
heritage.  The  Culture  programme  aims  to  achieve  three  main  objectives:  to  promote  cross-
border  mobility  of  those  working  in  the  cultural  sector;  to  encourage  the  transnational 
circulation  of  cultural  and  artistic  output;  and  to  foster  intercultural  dialogue.  For  the 
achievement of these objectives, the programme supports three strands of activities: cultural 
actions; European-level cultural bodies; and analysis and dissemination activities.  

4.10. 

Sport 

4.10.1.  Developing the European Dimension in Sport 

Sport  enables  immigrants  and  the  host  society  to  interact  in  a  positive  way,  thus  furthering 
integration and inter-cultural dialogue, as highlighted in the Communication on 'Developing 
the  European  Dimension  in  Sport.69  Sport  has  been  increasingly  included  in  specific 
programmes  for  immigrants,  but  national  approaches  differ  considerably.  Sport  can  be  a 
vehicle  to  promote  social  inclusion  of  minorities  and  other  vulnerable  or  disadvantaged 
groups  and  contribute  towards  better  understanding  among  communities.  Sport  has  been 
increasingly included in specific programmes for immigrants in a number of Member Sates, 
but  national  approaches  differ  considerably  and  often  lack  evidence  based  strategies. 

68 
69 

2010/C 325/01. 
COM(2011) 12 final. 

24 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
Especially  girls  and  women  need  more  intention  in  these  programmes  because  sports  can 
bring them out of isolation. 

4.11.  Health 

4.11.1.  Solidarity in health: reducing health inequalities in the EU 

Vulnerable and socially excluded groups, including also people from some migrant or ethnic 
minority  backgrounds,  experience  particularly  poor  average  levels  of  health.  Particular 
attention  needs  to  be  given  to  the  needs  of  people  in  poverty,  disadvantaged  migrant  and 
ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, elderly people or children living in poverty. 
For some  groups,  the issue of health  inequality including reduced access to adequate health 
care  can  be  qualified  as  one  which  involves  their  fundamental  rights.  Actions  to  be 
implemented  should  aim  to:  raise  awareness  and  promote  actions  to  improve  access  and 
appropriateness  of  health  services,  health  promotion  and  preventive  care,  through  the 
identification and exchange of good practice supported by the health and other programmes.70 

4.11.2.  Public health 

Ensuring  public  health  protection  is  a  key  objective  of  the  Treaty,  particularly  as  regards 
serious  cross  border  health  threats.  Legislation  on  communicable  diseases71  provides  for 
surveillance and alert systems at EU level for a specified number of communicable diseases, 
and  allows  for  coordination  of  measures  in  case  of  need.  In  the  case  of  migrants,  issues 
relating  to  prevention  and  control  of  communicable  diseases  are  well  known,  and  specific 
strategies  have  been  developed  and  implemented  for  example  as  regards  Tuberculosis, 
HIV/AIDS, measles and other vaccine preventable diseases. The EU Health Programme has 
supported a number of projects which are either specifically addressing the needs of migrants' 
health protection or could reinforce Member State public health capacity.72 Furthermore, the 
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has carried out several risk assessments, 
analyses, and country visits in respect of communicable disease issues affecting migrants.73 

4.12.  Research 

Within the Research Programme on Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) of the Sixth and 
Seventh Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, an important 
amount of research projects have been funded in the areas of migration and integration. The 
projects address a wide range of issues and demonstrate that migration is inextricably linked 
to  social,  political  and  economic  concerns  such  as  economic  growth,  economic  instability, 
climate  change, welfare, health, youth, age, gender, education, political participation and social 
cohesion. 

In order to support evidence based policy making, new and emerging migration trends have 
been  investigated  and  up-to  date  empirical  knowledge  has  been  analysed  on  the  realities  of 
migration and the lives of migrants. As an example, the INCLUD-ED project ('Strategies for 
Inclusion and Social Cohesion in Europe from education') analysed educational strategies that 
contribute to overcoming inequalities and promoting social cohesion, as well as educational 
strategies that generate social inclusion, particularly focusing on vulnerable and marginalised 
groups  including  migrants.  Successful  Educational  Actions  have  been  identified  by  the 

70 
71 

72 
73 

COM(2009) 567 final. 
Decision 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 setting up a 
network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community 
OJ L 268/1; 03.10.1998. 
See http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/projects/database.html.  
See http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/Forms/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?ID=378.  

25 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
project, analysing their organisation and contribution to the improvement of academic results 
and coexistence in schools. 

The project shows that educational performance is not linked to the ethnic composition of the 
class but rather to implementing best practices and evidence-based methods. Also the family 
participation is very important to increase school success and social inclusion: the training of 
relatives at the school and family participation in children's learning at home and inside the 
schools are key actions. 

New  theoretical  approaches,  concepts  and  methodologies have also been  developed through 
the  different  research  projects  funded  by  the  SSH  Programme.  This  includes  undocumented 
migrant  workers,  women  migrants,  citizenship  and  integration  issues.  Also  developments  in 
migration  research  have  been  explored,  such  as  trans-nationalism,  which  emphasise  the 
emergence  of  transnational  spaces,  in  which  migrants  establish  social  fields  that  cross 
geographic,  cultural,  and  political  borders  and  go  beyond  the  dimension  of  sending  and 
receiving countries. 

4.13. 

Information and Communication Technology 

4.13.1.  A digital agenda for Europe 
The digital agenda for Europe is the EU strategy for a flourishing digital economy by 2020.74 
It  outlines  policies  and  actions  to  maximise  the  benefit  of  the  digital  revolution  for  all.  To 
achieve these goals, the Commission will work closely with national governments, concerned 
organisations  and  companies,  gathering  an  annual  Digital  Assembly  that  will  bring 
stakeholders together to assess progress and emerging challenges. This initiative builds on the 
achievements of the i2010 and the targets set by the Conclusions of the 2006 Riga Ministerial 
Conference “ICT for an inclusive society”, where Member States had agreed to put in place, 
by  2008,  digital  literacy  and  competence  actions,  in  particular  through  formal  or  informal 
education  systems,  building  on  existing  initiatives,  tackling  the  needs  of  groups  at  risk  of 
exclusion (including vulnerable migrant communities), because of their social circumstances 
or  their  capacities  and  special  needs,  contributing  to  their  employability  and  working 
conditions. In this context, tailored ICT training and support actions could help improving the 
possibilities  for  economic  and  social  participation  and 
integration,  creativity  and 
entrepreneurship  of  immigrants  and  minorities  by  stimulating  their  participation  in  the 
information society. 

Research carried out in support of the implementation of the e-Inclusion policies launched at 
the  2006  Riga  Ministerial  Declaration  on  e-Inclusion  shows  that  migrants  have  similar  PC-
Internet  uptake  compared  to  native  population.75  They  major  motivations  are:  keeping  in 
touch in mobility, supporting their children education, looking for jobs, learning and living in 
the digital society. Internet shops have a crucial role for access, especially for newly arrived 
and young. In this context, migrants´ high motivation and adoption of ICT should be seen as a 
policy opportunity for integration. 

However,  in  spite  of  a  significant  number  of initiatives  identified across  the 27  EU  Member 
States  that  aim  at supporting  migrants' integration through  access,  skills  and  use  of  ICT,  a 
number  of  challenges  have  been  encountered  to  maximize  the  potential  of  ICT.  Digital 
exclusion  is  still  important.  Factors  like  age,  host  language  proficiency,  education  level, 

74 
75 

COM(2010) 245 final. 
See  IPTS  research  projects  and  publications  on  ICT  for  Inclusion  and  cultural  diversity: 
http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.html.  

26 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
socio-economic status and gender are shaping the digital divide. Also, the lack infrastructure 
(Broadband, Public Internet Access Points) in disadvantaged and segregated areas is creating 
barriers for accessing the opportunities. While digital access and skills are crucial, successful 
digital  inclusion  measures  are  the  ones  that  focus  digital  literacy  acquisition  in  a  problem 
oriented and purposeful context that supports integration, i.e., focusing for example on skills 
development  and  language  acquisition,  job  finding76,  access  to  health  information  and 
services,  and  information  and  access  to  legal  rights  and  public services.77  The  barriers  here 
encompass  insufficient  intermediaries'  digital  skills  and  support  as  well  as  lack  of 
sustainability  of  ICT-  based  initiatives.  Lack  of  awareness  and  information  among  the 
stakeholders (policy actors, integration actors, social actors, migrants, etc) is also common.78 

4.14. 

Statistics 

Migration and integration policies rely heavily on high quality statistics for policy formulation 
and  monitoring  of  results.  Several  actions  have  been  envisaged  to  improve  the  capacity  to 
collect  and  publish  statistics  on  migrants  and  their  socio-economic  characteristics  at  EU 
level.79 Statistics on the social situation and integration of migrants are developed in line with 
the 'Malta Declaration on the Mainstreaming of Migration in official statistics'.80 In response 
to  the  Malta  Declaration,  Eurostat  has  been  working  at  EU  level,  together  with  a  Strategic 
Task  Force  composed  of  the  Directors  of  Social  Statistics  from  selected  EU  countries  and 
other  relevant  Directorates  General  of  the  Commission,  to  develop  a  conceptual  framework 
for  mainstreaming  migration  statistics  and  a  work  programme  for  the  development  of 
statistics  on  migration  in  the  period  up  to  2016,  including  the  improved  use  of  censuses, 
surveys  and  administrative  data  sources,  data 
integration,  and  better 
linkage  and 
communication and cooperation at national and international levels. 

At  the  EU  level,  work  has  also  been  carried  out  to  develop  indicators  to  monitor  results  of 
integration  policies,  as  proposed  in  the  annex  to  the  Council  conclusions  on  integration  of 
June  2010.81  The  aim  is  to  increase  comparability  and  reinforce  the  European  learning 
process. Eurostat has published a pilot study on the availability and quality of data required to 
calculate these indicators, which will provide a basis for analysis and systematic monitoring 
of  the  situation  of  migrants  and  the  results  of  integration  policies.82  The  relevance  of  the 
proposed indicators will also be explored further based on the report. To ensure effectiveness, 
the data used should be complemented by contextual analysis at national and EU level. 

A  few  preliminary  observations  can  be  made  in  relation  to  the  data  used  to  calculate  the 
indicators  proposed  in  the  four  areas:  employment,  education,  social  inclusion  and  active 
citizenship. The data sources are the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), the EU Statistics on 
Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), the OECD's Programme for International Student 

76 
77 
78 
79 

80 

81 
82 

See for instance trainings offered by Telecentres type establishments, e.g. http://www.interface3.be/.  
IPTS publications on migrants and ICT http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/search.cfm.  
Workshop conclusions around Intermediaries needs http://www.epractice.eu/en/blog/5298101.  
Statistical Work Programme of the Commission for 2011, 
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/pgp_insite/insite_docs/estat/AWP_detailedEN_revised_
final.pdf.  
The Malta Declaration was adopted in October 2009 by the Directors Generals of National Statistical 
Institutes of the European Union (DGINS), 
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/conferences/documents/95th_dgins_conference/malta
_declaration.pdf.  
Council document 9248/10. 
Eurostat  Methodologies  and  Working  Papers,  Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  -  A  Pilot  Study, 
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/product_details/publication?p_product_code=KS-SF-
11-030. 

27 

 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
 
 
Assessment  (PISA),  as  well  as  Eurostat's  migration  statistics,  specifically  data  from 
administrative sources on acquisition of citizenship and residence permits). 

4.14.1.  Activity rate 

At EU level, the average activity rate of third-country nationals aged 20-64 is 3 pp lower than 
that  of  the  total  population.  The  highest  gaps  concern  female  third-country  nationals  in  the 
prime  working  ages  25-54,  whose  activity  rate  is  14  pp  lower  than  the  activity  rate  of  all 
women  in  this  age  group.  The  lower  activity  rate  of  third-country  nationals  in  the  prime  working 
ages  25-54  (in  comparison  to  the  total  population)  is  noticeable  in  most  Member  States  with  the 
exception of Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal. 

4.14.2.  Employment rate 

At the EU level, in the age group 20-64, the employment rate of third-country nationals is 10 
pp lower than that of the total population. The lower employment rate of third-country nationals in 
the  prime  working  ages  25-54  (in  comparison  to  the  total  population)  is  noticeable  in  almost  all 
Member States. At EU level, the highest gaps concern female third-country nationals in the age 
group 25-54, whose employment rate is 19 pp lower than the employment rate of all women 
in this age group, with far larger differences seen in some individual Member States, as for 
example Belgium with a gap of 43 pp, France a gap of 36 pp, the Netherlands a gap of 35, 
Slovenia a gap of 58 pp, Finland a gap of 34 pp and Sweden a gap of 38 pp. 

4.14.3.  Unemployment rate 

At the EU level, in the age group 20-64, the unemployment rate of third-country nationals is 
much higher than the unemployment rate of the total population (19% compared to 9%). The 
highest  gaps  concern  male  third-country  nationals  in  the  age  group  55-64,  whose 
unemployment rate is 13 pp higher than the unemployment rate of all men in this age group. 
The  higher  unemployment  rates  of  third-country  nationals  in  the  prime  working  ages  25-54 
(in  comparison  to  all  persons  of  this  age  group)  are  noticeable  in  almost  all  Member  States 
with the exception of Greece. 

4.14.4.  Overqualification rate 

In  the  age  group  20-64,  the  overqualification  rate  of  third-country  nationals  is  much  higher 
than the overqualification rate of the total population (45% to 21%). This can be seen both for 
men (21 pp gap to total population) and women (28 pp gap to total population). The highest 
gaps concern female third-country nationals in the age group 55-64, whose overqualification 
rate is 33 pp higher than the overqualification rate of all women in this age group. The higher 
overqualification rates of third-country nationals in both the groups aged 20-64 and 25-54 (in 
comparison  to  all  persons  of  this  age  group)  are  noticeable  in  all  Member  States  for  which 
reliable data are available. 

4.14.5.  Self-employment 

The interpretation of self-employment as an indicator of integration is open to discussion and 
the results should be analysed very carefully taking into account the particular situation in the 
country concerned. For some migrants self-employment may be seen as an escape from long 
periods  of  unemployment  and  from  discrimination  in  the  labour  market.  Others  could  see 
comparative advantages in self-employment. In the age group 20-64, the self-employment rate 
of third-country nationals is lower than the self-employment rate of the total population (10% 
compared to 15%). This is seen for both men (6 pp gap compared to the total population) and 
women  (3  pp  compared  to  the  total  population).  The  highest  negative  gap  concerns  male 
third-country nationals in the age group 55-64, whose self employment rate is 11 percentage 
points  lower  than  the  self-employment  rate  of  all  men  in  this  age  group.  Analysing  the 
situation for individual countries, the lowest self-employment rates of third-country nationals 

28 

 
 
  
 
compared  to  the  total  population  are  seen  in  southern  Member  States  and  in  Ireland.  In 
contrast, the highest self-employment rate of third-country nationals (again compared to the 
total population) is in the Czech Republic with 39%. 

4.14.6.  Educational attainment 

At  the  EU  level,  in  the  age  group  20-64,  the  share  of  third-country  nationals  with  high 
educational attainment is lower than the share of all highly educated persons in the same age 
group  (19%  compared  to  24%).  Similar  results  can  be  seen  for  the  age  group  25-54.  The 
differences between third-country nationals and the total population are more pronounced for 
the proportion with lower levels of education. Migrants are significantly under-represented at 
the medium educational level (regardless their age and sex) and over-represented to a much 
greater extent at the lowest educational level. In the prime working ages of 25-54, there is a 
difference  of  19  pp  between  the  share  of  third-country  nationals  with  low  educational 
attainment and the share  of  all  persons with low educational attainment.  The proportions of 
third-country nationals with tertiary and low education differ significantly between individual 
Member States. Ireland, Luxembourg, Hungary, Sweden and the United Kingdom have a high 
degree  of  migrants  with  a  high  level  of  education.  In  contrast,  there  are  Member  States  in 
which the proportion of lower educated third-country nationals exceeds considerably the share 
of the total population with a low level of education, e.g. Germany, France, the Netherlands, 
Austria and Slovenia. This is seen for both men and women. 

4.14.7.  30-34-year-olds with tertiary educational attainment 

At  the  EU  level,  the  share  of  third-country  nationals  aged  30-34  with  a  high  level  of 
educational  attainment  (tertiary  level  education)  is  23%  compared  to  32%  for  the  total 
population  aged  30-34.  A  smaller  proportion  of  male  third-country  nationals  are  tertiary 
educated compared to female third-country nationals (21% compared to 26%). Analysing the 
data  by  individual  countries,  lower  shares  of  highly  educated  30–34-year-olds  third-country 
nationals can be seen in 13 Member States, with gaps in excess of 15 pp noted in Belgium, 
Greece, Spain, Latvia and the Netherlands. 

4.14.8.  Early leavers from education and training 

Young people with a migrant background are generally at greater risk of exiting the education 
and  training  system  without  having  obtained  an  upper  secondary  qualification.  At  the  EU 
level,  the  share  of  third-country  national  early  school  leavers  aged  18-24  is  higher  than  the 
share of early school leavers aged 18-24 of the total population (34% compared to 14%). The 
greatest differences in the shares are in Greece, Italy and Austria. In each of these countries, 
the gap between the proportions of third-country nationals and of the total population who are 
early  leavers  from  education  and  training  is  greater  than  20  pp.  In  contrast,  in  the  UK  the 
situation is reversed and the share of third-country national early school leavers aged 18-24 is 
lower than the share of early school leavers aged 18-24 in the overall population. For the UK, 
this lower rate concerns particularly men (8 pp gap). 

4.14.9.  Median disposable income 

In the majority of Member States, the median annual equalised disposable income (presented 
in PPS) for third-country national is considerably lower than that of the total population. The 
median income of third-country nationals in the prime working ages of 25-54 is less than 70% 
of  the  median  disposable  income  of  the  total  population  in  Belgium,  France,  Italy,  Austria, 
Slovenia, Finland and Sweden. Only in Malta are third-country nationals in a more favourable 
situation compared to the total population. 

29 

 
 
  
 
4.14.10. Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion 

21% of the total population aged 20-64 in the EU is at risk of poverty or social exclusion. At 
the  EU  level,  the  proportion  of  third-country  nationals  aged  20-64  at  risk  of  poverty  or 
exclusion was higher than the proportion of the total population in this age group with a gap 
of 18 pp. This larger proportion at risk of poverty or social exclusion was particularly noted 
for third-country nationals in Belgium, France, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Sweden, 
in  which  the  proportion  of  third-country  nationals  aged  20-64  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social 
exclusion was at least 25 percentage points higher than the proportion for the total population 
in this age group. 

4.14.11. Persons at risk of poverty after social transfers 

15% of the total population aged 20-64 in the EU is at risk of poverty after social transfers. 
The gap to the total population is particularly large for third-country nationals. At EU level, 
31%  of  third-country  nationals  in  the  same  age  group  are  at  risk  of  poverty  after  social 
transfers.  At  national  level,  the  gaps  are  particularly  high  in  Belgium,  France,  Luxembourg 
and Sweden, which all have a gap of at least 30 pp. 

4.14.12. Self-perceived health status 

The  interpretation  of  self-perceived  health  status  as  an  indicator  is  open  to  discussion. 
Currently, this is the only information available and comparable across the EU in relation to 
migrants'  health  status.  At  the  EU  level,  in  the  age  group  20-64,  the  share  of  third-country 
nationals who perceived their health as good is similar to that of the total population (78% to 
75%).  The  largest  gaps  concern  male  third-country  nationals  in  the  age  group  55-64 
perceiving their health as good; the difference in proportion compared  to all  persons in this 
age group is -9 pp. 

4.14.13. Property owners 

At the EU level, in the age group 20-64, the ratio of property owners to non-property owners 
among  the  third-country  nationals  is  0.5.  In  contrast,  the  ratio  of  property  owners  to  non- 
property owners for the total population in the age group 20-64 is more than four times higher 
at 2.2. 

4.14.14. Acquisition of citizenship 

For almost all Member States, the rate of acquisition of citizenship is higher for third-country 
nationals  than  for  all  foreigners  together.  The  country  with  the  highest  level  of  the  rate  of 
acquisition  by  third-country  nationals  in  2009,  as  a  share  of  the  total  number  of  resident 
foreigners at the beginning of the year, was the United Kingdom (8,2%), followed by Sweden 
(7,7%), Poland (7%) and Portugal (7%).  

Evidence shows that naturalised migrants and their children fare better in the labour market 
than  those  who  are  not  naturalised.  It  is  difficult,  though,  to  judge  whether  naturalisation 
boosts integration or whether migrants who are better integrated are more likely to seek or be 
granted host-country nationality.83 

4.14.15. Public perceptions 

Facts and figures are important in order to address public concerns about migration and to raise 
awareness of the situation of migrants in different areas of life. It is also important to study the 
development of perceptions over time on the basis of objective data from different sources. In 
2011,  the  Commission  carried  out  a  Eurobarometer  on  Migrant  Integration  interviewing  both 

83 

OECD, 'Naturalisation: A Passport for the Better Integration of Immigrants?', 
http://www.oecd.org/document/0/0,3746,en_2649_37415_48125719_1_1_1_37415,00.html. 

30 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
 
EU citizens and migrants. The results show that both migrants and EU citizens have concerns 
regarding the integration processand that more efforts are needed from the side of governments, 
migrants  and  the  general  public.  Migrants  and  EU  citizens  agree  that  the  top  four  most 
important factors that facilitate integration are: speaking the language; having a job; respecting 
local cultures; and enjoying legal status. 

On  other  hand,  another  survey  carried  out  in  some  EU  Member  States  in  2010  indicated  that 
public concerns about immigration did not increase following the economic crisis.84 

How many Europeans think that immigration is “more of a problem than of an 
opportunity”? 2008-2010 (%) 

70

60

50

40

30

20

2008

2009

2010

Source: 'Transatlantic Trends: Immigration' (TTI) 2010, 
http://www.gmfus.org/trends/immigration/2010/.  

the UK

Spain

the US

Italy

Netherlands

Germany

France

Canada

84 

'Transatlantic  Trends:  Immigration'  (TTI)  2010,  http://www.gmfus.org/trends/immigration/2010/, 
among  other  studies,  offer  insights  on  European  citizens’  perceptions,  opinions  and  preferences  with 
regard  to  integration  of  foreign  immigrants.  The  TTI  2010  survey  has  been  carried  out  in  six  EU 
countries  (France,  Germany,  Italy,  Netherlands,  Spain,  United  Kingdom),  Canada  and  the  US.  For 
Spain and Canada data are not available for 2008. 

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