Objectives
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Immigrants’ Integration – a two-fold process
Carmen Munteanu - Communications Coordinator
11 January 2013
Migration is the main force of demographic change on the whole continent. This phenomenon might be a chance for Romania, since it is a factor of interhuman and economic changes which allows foreigners to reach their goals. Immigrants’ integration is a two-fold process: society – individual and vice versa.
Integration aims at reaching favorable social results for everybody. This implies the active involvement of all citizens and residents, be they immigrants or not. They can contribute to social, economic, cultural, civic aspects of society, making use of their abilities and competencies.
Who wants the process to succeed?
The Romanian state, because the immigrant becomes an active person from a social and economic point of view and not a burden or a source of problems. According to the Romanian legislation, social integration represents the active participation process in the economic, social and cultural life of the Romanian society.
The second component interested in the process is the immigrant who becomes an active and responsible member of society, who contributes to the development of the host society. To accomplish this process, it is necessary to set up integration programs which imply the participation in cultural integration activities, counseling, and learning Romanian (if the immigrants wish to do so).
Needs that must be answered in the integration process
Policies for immigrants in European countries give rise to as many obstacles as opportunities to become equal members of a particular society. The main three obstacles are: the grant of citizenship by foreign residents, the possibility of their involvement in politics and access of all children, regardless of their origin, to the education and healthcare systems. Immigrants could get over these obstacles more easily if Romania gave them more support to learn Romanian, if it advised them in legislative issues and supported them in the cultural integration process through setting up a counseling mechanism both for civil society and foreign communities.
Integration aims at reaching favorable social results for everybody. This implies the active involvement of all citizens and residents, be they immigrants or not. They can contribute to social, economic, cultural, civic aspects of society, making use of their abilities and competencies.
Who wants the process to succeed?
The Romanian state, because the immigrant becomes an active person from a social and economic point of view and not a burden or a source of problems. According to the Romanian legislation, social integration represents the active participation process in the economic, social and cultural life of the Romanian society.
The second component interested in the process is the immigrant who becomes an active and responsible member of society, who contributes to the development of the host society. To accomplish this process, it is necessary to set up integration programs which imply the participation in cultural integration activities, counseling, and learning Romanian (if the immigrants wish to do so).
Needs that must be answered in the integration process
Policies for immigrants in European countries give rise to as many obstacles as opportunities to become equal members of a particular society. The main three obstacles are: the grant of citizenship by foreign residents, the possibility of their involvement in politics and access of all children, regardless of their origin, to the education and healthcare systems. Immigrants could get over these obstacles more easily if Romania gave them more support to learn Romanian, if it advised them in legislative issues and supported them in the cultural integration process through setting up a counseling mechanism both for civil society and foreign communities.
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