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Immigrant Integration Barometer 2013
Carmen Munteanu - Communications Coordinator
28 June 2013
Immigrant Integration Barometer 2013 survey was conducted within the project Research and Information Center on Immigrant Integration, financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals and implemented by the Romanian Association for Health Promotion (ARPS) and Soros Foundation Romania (SFR). The barometer was launched in June 2013 at the conference of completion of the first stage of the project.
The research is the first result of the Research and Information Center on Immigrant Integration, and the authors are: Ovidiu Voicu (coordinator), Andra Bucur, Denisa Ionescu, Luciana Lazarescu, Victoria Nedelciuc, Sergiu Panainte and Daniela Tarnovschi. They decided to outline the entire process of immigrant integration in Romania, an ambitious goal that they have successfully achieved. But more than that, the Immigrants Integration Barometer is also a tool that analyzes the extent to which the Romanian society values and facilitates social inclusion of immigrants. In addition to providing a number of extremely useful data to universities, independent researchers and central public institutions, the barometer can contribute to the establishment and creation of measures and public policies in the immigrant integration field.
Ideal, vision and integration practices
The research is based on a comparative approach between three dimensions: ideal, vision and integration practices of immigrants. Furthermore, researchers have used both early elements of analysis of documents, monitoring literature and advanced elements of social research by conducting a survey among the population and interviews with various categories of key actors. The novelty of the Barometer is given by the innovative approach of the conceptual framework and the new research tools of integration processes of immigrants in society. Regarding the Barometer reference system, it is represented by the Ideal of Integration, which is also the most stable element and the Conceptual Framework. The Vision of Integration is the first level of analysis of the situation in Romania with respect to rights asserted, public policies and legislation. The Practice of Integration is the depth of the analysis, which has two components: the extent to which legal provisions are implemented and how society has internalized the stated values.
5 levels of integration
The Immigrants Integration Barometer 2013 findings are summarized on five levels of integration.
Level 0, of openness, includes 2 dimensions: free movement (legal openness) and recognition and acceptance (open mentalities). Regarding Romania, the strengths at this level are people's attitude and recognition of rights and freedoms.
Level 1, of acceptance of differences, includes strategic planning (the first dimension), asserting non-discrimination (the second dimension), facilitating the foreigners’ access to local culture (the third dimension, language and education) and basic understanding of the need for family reunion (the fourth dimension). Romania has significant deficiencies in the main dimensions of this level: education, family reunion and non-discrimination.
Level 2, the basic support for integration, includes 4 dimensions, 3 of which (health, labor and welfare) refer to the action of the state, and the fourth (social support) to the society’s action. At this level there are obstacles in Romania, which are related to lack of standards implementation, lack of information or poor implementation of rules.
Level 3, inclusion, highlights the opportunities that society offers foreigners to express and harmoniously develop their cultural and spiritual side (society and culture), to actively participate in public affairs (civic engagement) and even to receive special help to fulfill their dreams (affirmative action). Public opinion in Romania is open and supports the integration and the interactions are mostly positive.
Level 4, citizenship is synonymous with the last dimension of integration: citizenship, i.e. political integration of immigrants. Romania supports not only the possibility of a foreigner to receive citizenship, but dual citizenship, but in practice the procedures are long and complicated.
Romanians are tolerant of foreigners in Romania
The results outline an overview of the extent to which Romanian society values and facilitates the social integration of immigrants. Data collected from the survey and interviews within the research lead to the same conclusion: Romanians are generally tolerant of foreigners in Romania. The Barometer revealed that ''people's perception on immigrants is neutral, with positive accents (63% of respondents had neither a good nor a bad opinion about immigrants, and 26% have a good and very opinion), which is reflected in the estimate of the number of immigrants in the country (38% think there are enough foreigners)''. Romanians support measures to protect immigrants, integration being seen as an important process:'' 56% of respondents believe that it is necessary to integrate immigrants into society and that usually occurs when he/she has learned Romanian immigrant (18%), has learned the laws of the country (18%) and has a stable job (18%)'', the research shows. The Barometer also measured how Romanians perceive immigrants and if they ever perceive them as a threat, combining questions that refer to several dimensions: jobs, crime, traditions and culture and the number of foreigners. ''Only 16% of Romanians perceive a threat from immigrants'', the research shows. However, the general trend of the actions that the Government should undertake for foreigners who come to work in Romania is acceptance. However, it's clear that within certain limits: if jobs are available (38%) or even setting strict limits on the number of foreigners allowed to work in Romania (18%). If in terms of gender discrimination in granting jobs when demand exceeds supply is relatively small, the same can not be said about discrimination based on nationality (27% of respondents believe that men should be a priority and 75% of respondents believe that Romanians should be given priority when it comes to employment).
Suggestions for institutions
The interviews conducted in the research have highlighted a number of suggestions to the responsible institutions. These include: improved communication between institutions responsible for regulating the stay of third country nationals in Romania to reduce the effort foreigners must do; to clearly communicate all information on the obligations and rights of immigrants in Romania in languages known by immigrants, improving teaching methodologies of Romanian for foreigners, a more efficient collaboration between IGI and NGOs which offer assistance and counseling to facilitate the integration process.
Source: Immigrant Integration Barometer
Documents:
The research is the first result of the Research and Information Center on Immigrant Integration, and the authors are: Ovidiu Voicu (coordinator), Andra Bucur, Denisa Ionescu, Luciana Lazarescu, Victoria Nedelciuc, Sergiu Panainte and Daniela Tarnovschi. They decided to outline the entire process of immigrant integration in Romania, an ambitious goal that they have successfully achieved. But more than that, the Immigrants Integration Barometer is also a tool that analyzes the extent to which the Romanian society values and facilitates social inclusion of immigrants. In addition to providing a number of extremely useful data to universities, independent researchers and central public institutions, the barometer can contribute to the establishment and creation of measures and public policies in the immigrant integration field.
Ideal, vision and integration practices
The research is based on a comparative approach between three dimensions: ideal, vision and integration practices of immigrants. Furthermore, researchers have used both early elements of analysis of documents, monitoring literature and advanced elements of social research by conducting a survey among the population and interviews with various categories of key actors. The novelty of the Barometer is given by the innovative approach of the conceptual framework and the new research tools of integration processes of immigrants in society. Regarding the Barometer reference system, it is represented by the Ideal of Integration, which is also the most stable element and the Conceptual Framework. The Vision of Integration is the first level of analysis of the situation in Romania with respect to rights asserted, public policies and legislation. The Practice of Integration is the depth of the analysis, which has two components: the extent to which legal provisions are implemented and how society has internalized the stated values.
5 levels of integration
The Immigrants Integration Barometer 2013 findings are summarized on five levels of integration.
Level 0, of openness, includes 2 dimensions: free movement (legal openness) and recognition and acceptance (open mentalities). Regarding Romania, the strengths at this level are people's attitude and recognition of rights and freedoms.
Level 1, of acceptance of differences, includes strategic planning (the first dimension), asserting non-discrimination (the second dimension), facilitating the foreigners’ access to local culture (the third dimension, language and education) and basic understanding of the need for family reunion (the fourth dimension). Romania has significant deficiencies in the main dimensions of this level: education, family reunion and non-discrimination.
Level 2, the basic support for integration, includes 4 dimensions, 3 of which (health, labor and welfare) refer to the action of the state, and the fourth (social support) to the society’s action. At this level there are obstacles in Romania, which are related to lack of standards implementation, lack of information or poor implementation of rules.
Level 3, inclusion, highlights the opportunities that society offers foreigners to express and harmoniously develop their cultural and spiritual side (society and culture), to actively participate in public affairs (civic engagement) and even to receive special help to fulfill their dreams (affirmative action). Public opinion in Romania is open and supports the integration and the interactions are mostly positive.
Level 4, citizenship is synonymous with the last dimension of integration: citizenship, i.e. political integration of immigrants. Romania supports not only the possibility of a foreigner to receive citizenship, but dual citizenship, but in practice the procedures are long and complicated.
Romanians are tolerant of foreigners in Romania
The results outline an overview of the extent to which Romanian society values and facilitates the social integration of immigrants. Data collected from the survey and interviews within the research lead to the same conclusion: Romanians are generally tolerant of foreigners in Romania. The Barometer revealed that ''people's perception on immigrants is neutral, with positive accents (63% of respondents had neither a good nor a bad opinion about immigrants, and 26% have a good and very opinion), which is reflected in the estimate of the number of immigrants in the country (38% think there are enough foreigners)''. Romanians support measures to protect immigrants, integration being seen as an important process:'' 56% of respondents believe that it is necessary to integrate immigrants into society and that usually occurs when he/she has learned Romanian immigrant (18%), has learned the laws of the country (18%) and has a stable job (18%)'', the research shows. The Barometer also measured how Romanians perceive immigrants and if they ever perceive them as a threat, combining questions that refer to several dimensions: jobs, crime, traditions and culture and the number of foreigners. ''Only 16% of Romanians perceive a threat from immigrants'', the research shows. However, the general trend of the actions that the Government should undertake for foreigners who come to work in Romania is acceptance. However, it's clear that within certain limits: if jobs are available (38%) or even setting strict limits on the number of foreigners allowed to work in Romania (18%). If in terms of gender discrimination in granting jobs when demand exceeds supply is relatively small, the same can not be said about discrimination based on nationality (27% of respondents believe that men should be a priority and 75% of respondents believe that Romanians should be given priority when it comes to employment).
Suggestions for institutions
The interviews conducted in the research have highlighted a number of suggestions to the responsible institutions. These include: improved communication between institutions responsible for regulating the stay of third country nationals in Romania to reduce the effort foreigners must do; to clearly communicate all information on the obligations and rights of immigrants in Romania in languages known by immigrants, improving teaching methodologies of Romanian for foreigners, a more efficient collaboration between IGI and NGOs which offer assistance and counseling to facilitate the integration process.
Source: Immigrant Integration Barometer
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