10 May 2007

Refugee Integration in Europe

EU ministers responsible for integration are meeting today and tomorrow (May 10-11) to "discuss strengthening European cooperation and the exchange of experience within the EU regarding integration policy issues." The second edition of the Handbook on Integration for Policy-makers and Practitioners was presented on the first day.

In light of the EU meeting, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles issued a press release noting that refugees are overlooked in EU integration policies. ECRE has helped organize an NGO Network of Integration Focal Points to, among other activities, "advocate for better integration policies and practices for refugees and migrants in Europe." The organization has also prepared a series of policy briefs with recommendations for improved practices in key integration-related areas. More information on ECRE's integration activities is available here.

UNHCR also recently issued a Note on the Integration of Refugees in the European Union, which "highlights existing gaps in the integration of refugees in the European Union (EU), and formulates a number of policy recommendations in order to strengthen policy and practice in this area." The refugee agency has its own handbook, entitled Refugee Resettlement: An International Handbook to Guide Reception and Integration.

Posted in Publications.

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