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More important are the figures of immigrants in percentage of the population:

European experience with migration and integration problems: Ways for overcoming xenophobia and extremism. ELDR&YABLOKO International Conference Youth under Threat of Extremism and Xenophobia. A Liberal Response.

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More important are the figures of immigrants in percentage of the population:

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  1. European experience with migration and integration problems:Ways for overcoming xenophobia and extremism ELDR&YABLOKO International ConferenceYouth under Threat of Extremism and Xenophobia. A Liberal Response

  2. In 2010, the UN estimated the stock of international migrants at 214 million in 2010, meaning that 3.1 percent of the world’s 6.9 billion people were living outside their home countries. • Five different types of migration: • Labour migration • Refugees and Asylum Seekers • Ethnic Migration • Migration from former colonies • Migration from high-qualified elites

  3. In 2010, 47.3 million people lived in the EU, who were born outside their resident country. This corresponds to 9.4% of the total EU population. Of these, 31.4 million (6.3%) were born outside the EU and 16.0 million (3.2%) were born in another EU member state. The largest absolute numbers of people born outside the EU were in Germany (6.4 million), France (5.1 million), the United Kingdom (4.7 million), Spain (4.1 million), Italy (3.2 million), and the Netherlands (1.4 million) (EUROSTAT, 2011)

  4. More important are the figures of immigrants in percentage of the population: • In the EU there are 9.4% (legal) immigrants, however with important differences between the EU Member States • Austria features the highest rate with 15.4% of immigrants, whilst Italy and Portugal show the lowest rate (6.9% and 7.5% respectively. • Another relevant figure is the ratio of immigrants born outside the EU; the European average is of 6.3%. • Here again, Austria, Spain and Sweden feature the highest rate (around 9%), Italy and Portugal the lowest (5.3% and 5.7% respectively).

  5. France, Germany andthe UK haveslightlyhigherratesof (legal) immigrantsthanthe European average (theimmigrant rate variesbetween 11% and 12% offoreignbornpopulation, ofwhichtwothirdareborn outside the EU). The variationbetweenthe EU Member States is not relatedtothe different policiesofnaturalizationasthecriteriais „born outside thecountry“ and not citizenship. However, the EUROSTAT datacan not controlfor illegal immigration.

  6. There is no obvious correlation between right-wing populism and immigration: • For instance in Germany the right-wing parties are irrelevant, although Germany is confronted with some politically motivated terrorist activities; in Eastern Germany racists attacks and xenophobia are more frequent but do not translate in the rise of populist parties. • In France, the right-wing party ‘Front national’ has a quite fluid support, accounting for 10% - 20% of the voters; • In Austria, however, the right-wing FPOe and the more moderate right-wing BZOe account for 30% of the electorate.

  7. Itisquitelikelythatintegrationpoliciesas well asthepoliticaldiscourseplay an importantrole in thedegreeofimportanceoftheright-wing. In France and Austria, thediscourseandthepracticesofthegovernmenthasledtotheriseofthepopulistparties; the German government‘sdiscourseismore moderate. The useofthexenophobicdiscourseoftheright-wingbythemainstreampartiesstrenghtensthepopulistpartiesasitlegitimises a xenophobicpublicdiscourse. Liberal strategiesareimportanttocounteractracism, xenophobia, andtheriseofpopulism.

  8. Liberal Policiesarebased upon theconvictionthat Human Rightsare universal; nobodycanbediscriminatedagainst on thegroundsofrace, citizenship, gender, orreligiousbeliefs; Immigration isboth a challengeand an opportunityforthehosting countries. Providedthatintegrationpoliciesarecomprehensiveandencouragethemigrantfamilytoparticipatefully in thehostsocietiesitisbeneficialforboththemigrantsandtheimmigration countries;

  9. Integration does not meanassimilation; in a Liberal perspectiveintrusion in the private sphereisunacceptable. Furthermore, culturalhabitsofmigrantsenrichthecultureofthehostsocieties. However, immigrants must respectthevaluesandthehabitsofthehostsocieties. In order to promote theintegrationofimmigrants Liberal strategieshavetorest on (politicalandcultural) education, languageacquisitionandcareforthesecondandthirdgeneration. Facilitatingthenaturalisationofimmigrantsandallowingfor dual citizenship, providedthattheimmigrantsprove an activeinterest in theintegration in thehostsociety. Ghettoisationis a majorthreatto a successfulintegrationofimmigrants.

  10. Integration ofimmigrantsis not only an obligationforthehostingsocieties. Ignoringintegrationproblemscreatedbyfundamentalistimmigrantgroupsencouragesxenophobicreactions. Liberalsdemandactiveparticipationofimmigrants in theintegrationprocess. Liberal principlesguarantee a successfulintegration: tolerance, performance, freedomandresponsibility.

  11. Thankyouforyourpatience!

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