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 Cultural Diversity and Integration of
Immigrants in the European Union
Towards a Common EU Immigration Policy
Immigration is an international phenomenon that affects all Member States of the
European Union. EU Heads of State have recognized that a common approach is
necessary to mange migration and they have decided to harmonize national
legislation on immigration to regulate migration flows in line with the needs of
the economy and the ability of the EU to absorb and integrate new immigrants.
The integration of third-country nationals in EU Member States is one of the
greatest challenges facing the common immigration policy and a key element in
promoting economic and social cohesion within the EU. In view of the projected
decline in the working-age population of the EU after 2010, increased migratory
flows will be needed to meet the future needs of the EU labor market. The
European Commission’s first annual report on migration and integration in
Europe, presented in July 2004, states that improved access to the labor market,
better language skills and education will be essential conditions for the
successful integration of migrants. The EU has taken several actions to promote
the integration of migrants into their host societies, including the exchange of
information and good practice on integration through the National Contact Points
for integration, the revision of employment guidelines calling for better
integration of immigrants in the job market and the harmonization of the
collection of data and statistics on immigration. The EU has also put in place a
legal framework to combat discrimination, racism and xenophobia, which can
seriously impede the integration process. The European Monitoring Centre on
Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) in Vienna provides the EU with objective, reliable
and comparable information and data on racism, xenophobia, islamophobia and
anti-Semitism at the European level in order to help the EU and its Member
States to establish measures or formulate courses of action against racism and
xenophobia.
Furthermore, intercultural dialogue is an important dimension in many EU policy
areas including immigration. intercultural dialogue is an important instrument
for citizens and all those living in the European Union to manage the
increasingly open, diverse and complex societies and galvanize them. The
Commission has proposed to declare 2008 the “European Year of Intercultural
Dialogue.”
Key EU Links:
- Directorate General for
Freedom, Justice and Security:
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Integration of
Third-Country Nationals (INTI): INTI is a European Union
funding program for preparatory actions promoting the integration into the EU
Member States of people who are not citizens of the EU. Its aim is also to
promote dialogue with civil society, develop integration models, seek out and
evaluate best practices in the integration field and set up networks at European
level.
- FRONTEX - EU Border Security Agency
- Communication From The Commission To The Council, The European Parliament, The
European Economic And Social Committee - First Annual Report on Migration and
Integration, COM (2004)
508
- "Dialogue
of Cultures – Clash of Civilizations or
Clash of Ignorance?" EU External
Relations/Neighborhood Policy Commissioner
Ferrero-Waldner, March 27, 2006
- "Immigration and Identity: Do Current
Patterns of Immigration Challenge Existing
Notions of National Identity?" EU
Justice, Freedom & Security Director General
Jonathan Faull, 2006
EU Member State Links:
To find out more about the EU Member States’ integration policies, please visit:
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European Union - Delegation of the
European Commission to the United States
2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
Telephone: (202) 862-9500 Fax: (202) 429-1766 |
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