13-08-2007

The most important reason for addressing immigration and integration seriously is that immigrants want to and will continue to come. That is a fact. Obviously we cannot turn Europe into a fortress with fences, barbed wire and landmines. So come what may we’ll have to make the best of it.

Secondly, immigration can be a great opportunity for Europe if it is coupled to effective integration policies. Immigrants can help to restore the balance in the structure of the population and help to make up labour shortages, not just for specialised highly qualified positions but also for lower-education jobs. Let me repeat that the most important thing is that immigration to Europe is and will remain a fact. Make the best of it. It can and needs to be approached in a more relaxed way. 

It goes up and down, like a wave. In my view, the current European Commissioner Frattini understands the issues at hand very well. Some EU presidencies deal better with the issues of immigration and integration than others do. So we must continuously keep our eye on the ball in order to influence the policy-making process. One thing I would say is that the situation is a whole lot better than it was ten years ago. There is now at least an awareness that it is an issue that needs to be addressed at European Union level. 

I see equality and anti-discrimination as the two most important principles. Immigrants are on their way to becoming citizens and must acquire over time the same rights as nationals. Let me add straightaway that this has consequences for immigrants: equal rights mean equal responsibilities as well. Commitment is one of those responsibilities, both for the recipient society and for the immigrant. Society must be receptive to immigrants and offer them opportunities to play an active part. The immigrant must assume the roles of a responsible citizen and make a commit to contribute to society.

These rights and responsibilities are set out in general terms in the Common Basic Principles for immigrant integration policy (CBPs), an initiative launched by the Greek EU presidency in 2003 and elaborated under successive EU presidencies. The Handbooks on Integration describe concrete programmes and projects and we found many similarities.

I believe that the equality principles and the CPBs could be better used to the design European policies. Integration is a process that is never finished and in that sense it cannot be measured. However, the quality of policies can be measured and shared principles are the yardsticks.

When discussing the role of local authorities in the second edition of the Handbook on Integration, the main focus appears to be on the role of housing in integrating immigrants. 

The fact that a separate chapter was dedicated to housing was a decision by the European Commission and the EU member states. It does not suggest a priority over other issues. The two editions pay attention to other issues and the third edition will may highlight access to health care, education and other public services.

I understand the focus on housing: a, house, a home plays a very important role in people’s lives. Everybody needs to eat, drink and sleep, and these are things you usually do at home.

Housing policy is rightly regarded as a tool for promoting integration, by offering decent accommodation, by preventing an undesirable concentration of immigrants, by locating public services in neighbourhoods and tailor them to the needs of the population.

The EU should probably not play a lawmaking role in this field. Member states are very keen to keep control over their own housing policy. But the EU can intervene by means of subsidies and the structural and other funds. There is reason to do so, too, given the importance of good housing. The EU could also set standards and minimum requirements for the housing of immigrants.

Since integration is affecting many areas of life, integration should be mainstreamed and in this way policies become consistent and coherent.

Another role for the EU is in facilitating the exchanging of good practices. We need more of that but then in a much more structured and focussed way And certainly more professionally than it is currently is the case. Integration is now within the mandate of the EU institutions. The establishment of the Integration Fund makes that money is becoming available to really do something. This demands a more profession exchange of best practices, peer reviews, the development of codes of practices, and the strict monitoring of the principles of equality and anti-discrimination. 

In my view there is often an overly simplistic thinking on such matters as the concentration of immigrants and ‘ghettoisation’, among supporters and opponents alike. The discussion frequently lacks nuance and is not driven by empirical data and research results. There is clearly a role here for organisations like Eurocities and the European Urban Knowledge Network. These organisations generate knowledge and ensure the sharing of empirical research and policy experiences of cities. The discussion must be driven by usable scientific knowledge and practical experience.

The role of local authorities in encouraging processes of integration is bigger, however. Many local governments have set up programmes to improve the language skills of immigrants or have implemented policies that should improve the labour market participation of immigrants. 

We all know that the great majority of immigrants end up in the cities. This makes the city the integration playing field. Urban policy is becoming more and more important anyway. Therefore, it is important for local, national and European authorities not to work at cross-purposes. This doesn’t mean that the policies of the different levels of government must always be consistent with each other. Freedom of policy is an essential right and sometimes the differences in interests leads to different approaches. That is not necessarily a bad thing.

What is bad when cities are not able or allowed to influence national and European decision-making processes and when no negotiations take place on the differences of interest. Integration policies must be driven by the experiences of the cities. Cities need to come together in networks to make an impact. Over the past three years Eurocities has become increasingly better at finding its way to EU lawmakers. It has resulted in better policy and wider support for EU approaches. 

That’s very difficult to say, because I’ve seen so many good things in so many cities. A city that is doing well now might stop developing and lose its leading position. Furthermore, cities aren’t all doing the same things, because the context is different for each country and each city. Some do well on health, others on urban planning, yet others on dialogue and political participation. Suffice it to say that successful initiatives are being taken in many European cities.