Análisis de la puesta en común 3

In terms of general approaches towards integration pursued in the course of 2011-12, OECD countries can be divided into two broader groups. The first includes countries with longstanding immigrant presence, with an integration agenda cutting across the whole spectrum of economic and social life, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Nordic countries. These countries enhanced their broad integration

efforts, while a second group of countries with small immigrant populations such as the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Mexico, Bulgaria and the Russian Federation, started to formulate, often for the first time, their national integration strategies. The topic of integration has also gained prominence in Korea and Japan.

There were considerable differences in how countries used public funds for integration programmes over the 2011-12 period. Some countries continued to invest substantial public resources in integration initiatives (such as the Nordic countries, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, and Canada), while other countries cut back substantially on integration measures, in particular due to the economic recession and fiscal constraints. This is, for example, the case in Greece, Spain and Portugal. In Spain, for instance, cuts have been made to immigrant integration measures. The Fund for the Reception and Integration of Immigrants and Educational Support, created in 2005, was unfunded in 2012, and the free access to health services for irregular migrants in Spain has also been limited.

Finland opted for a new, more comprehensive approach to integration. This was done by including integration in the Future of Migration 2020 Strategy that aims, among other things, at making integration policies more effective, increasing immigrants’ employment rates and intensifying anti-discrimination efforts. Furthermore, a specific Integration Act entered into force in Finland in September 2011 followed by the adoption, in June 2012, of the Government Integration Programme for 2012-15.

In Australia, a National Settlement Framework was developed in 2012 by the Select Council on Immigration and Settlement that operates under the auspices of the Council of Australian Governments. The Framework is a tripartite intergovernmental agreement which recognises the importance of all tiers of government to work together in the delivery of settlement support. It seeks to provide guiding principles and focus action in the areas of planning, delivery and outcomes. It also aims at providing greater clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of government partners and the importance of engaging other key stakeholders, such as service delivery agencies and the settlement sector bodies.

Germany opted for a wide participatory approach in developing its integration strategy through 11 “dialogue forums” involving a broad range of stakeholders who together committed to a broad range of integration actions that were incorporated into the National Action Plan on Integration presented in January 2012.

In Ireland, the adoption of the Programme for Government Common Statement in 2011 was supplemented by the Department of Justice and Equality Strategy Statement 2011-14, which committed to promote equality and integration in Irish society in order to further boost economic growth, social inclusion and fairness. The main tools towards achieving these goals include stakeholder consultation, a review of approaches to migrant integration, development of anti-racism and promotion of integration measures. To this end, the Irish Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration allocates grants to local authorities, supporting bodies and other national organisations.

The Chilean Government embarked on a new national migration strategy for the period 2010-14 that led to a number of initiatives including the development of a new Immigration bill put forward by the government at the end of 2012. One of the new features of the Chilean migration policy is the establishment of integration agreements as a series of co-ordination and collaborative acts among public agencies with the aim to aid vulnerable groups of migrants (notably women, children and young people), in obtaining legal resident status and access to various facilities including healthcare, education and access to finance.

In Canada, all permanent residents are eligible for settlement and integration programmes. These are delivered by a broad range of actors, including provincial and municipal governments, educational institutions, settlement service organisations, NGOs and the private sector. In the interest of delivering a more coherent service across Canada, the Canadian Government will be resuming its responsibility for previously decentralised settlement services delivery in the provinces of Manitoba and British Columbia as of 2013 and 2014, respectively.

In Switzerland, the integration agenda is understood as a broad interdisciplinary matter with shared responsibility among the Confederation, the cantons and other stakeholders, such as public institutions, civil society and the private sector. In 2011, the Federation Council outlined the main priorities for the future development of the integration agenda that include legal action, links to professional organisations and the labour market, increased financial support, co-financing by the Confederation and the cantons, and the intensification of dialogue with both state and non-state actors in the field of integration. Although Hungary does not have a strategic document on the integration of immigrants, it established a working group on integration, involving non-governmental stakeholders such as civil society representatives, that addresses developments at the national and EU-level and discusses the priorities for the annual allocation of the European Integration Fund and other resources.

In the Netherlands, the Civic Integration Act has been amended as of 1 January 2013. Local governments no longer have a role to play in the integration process and individuals are themselves responsible for meeting the requirements, supported by a system of loans. Failure to pass the civic integration examination will result in the migrants’ temporary residence permit being revoked unless there are exceptional circumstances, for example in the case of refugees.

The Russian Federation adopted a new Concept of the State Policy on Migration in August 2012 that sets the national goals in the fields of both internal and external migration to be achieved by 2025. The Concept, which includes migrant adaptation and integration among its main priorities, should be implemented according to an operational plan designed by the Federal Migration Service.

Finally, Romania adopted a new National Strategy for Immigration for 2011-14 in which the social integration of foreigners is outlined as one of the key priorities. The country implemented several initiatives with the assistance of the European Integration Fund.