Geografie 2024, 129, 91-118
Comparison of the integration policies of selected European countries concerning holders of international protection
, Tomáš Hirt2, Viktor Rumpík2, Alena Glajchová1, Karel Řezáč1, Jan Pěchota3
1University of West Bohemia, Faculty of Arts, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Plzeň, Czechia
2University of West Bohemia, Faculty of Arts, Department of Anthropology, Plzeň, Czechia
3University of West Bohemia, Faculty of Arts, Department of Middle East Studies, Plzeň, Czechia
Received February 2023
Accepted January 2024
The following study aims to compare the policies of European countries related to the treatment of international protection holders, especially in the initial moments of the integration process. The object of the analysis is the policy frameworks for integrating international protection holders and how these frameworks are reflected in the relevant policy documents. We compare 12 policies through the lens of Hartmut Esser’s theoretical model of social integration. In the study, we identify four main findings: (1) the EU definition of international protection holder integration is paradoxically best matched by the public policies of non-EU countries; (2) the labor market is still perceived as a key area in the integration process; (3) despite the declared two-way principle, the topic of removing barriers to integration is neglected; (4) the term community is used exclusively in relation to the local, neighborhood context, not in relation to (ethnic) “origin”.
Keywords
social integration, integrational policy, Hartmut Esser, asylum, international protection holder, refugee.
Funding
This work was supported by TA ČR, project No. TL03000376 (Evaluation of the success of the process of integration of foreigners in the long term).
