EUROPEAN UNION

MEASURES FOR THE

INTEGRATION OF
VULNERABLE MIGRANT
GROUPS:
AN OVERVIEW

ASSESS$
Integration$of$Vulnerable$
Migrant$Groups$
$

The People for Change Foundation

Co-funded by the European Union

EUROPEAN UNION MEASURES FOR THE INTEGRATION OF

VULNERABLE MIGRANT GROUPS: AN OVERVIEW

The People for Change Foundation

This project has been funded with support from the Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held
responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
1

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Table&of&Contents!
1!

Introduction!......................................................................................................................!2!
1.1!

About!ASSESS!.............................................................................................................!3!

1.2!

Overview!of!the!Three!Vulnerable!Migrant!Groups!..................................................!3!

2!

EU!Migrant!Integration!Policy!Background!.......................................................................!7!

3!

The!Integration!of!Migrant!Women!................................................................................!14!

4!

5!

3.1!

Employment!............................................................................................................!16!

3.2!

Education!.................................................................................................................!17!

3.3!

Recognition!of!Qualifications!..................................................................................!18!

3.4!

Family!Reunification!................................................................................................!19!

3.5!

AntiXdiscrimination!..................................................................................................!20!

3.5.1!

Gender!equality!................................................................................................!20!

3.5.2!

Discrimination!Based!on!Nationality!................................................................!21!

3.6!

Active!citizenship!and!Political!Participation!...........................................................!21!

3.7!

Long!Term!Residence!X!Access!to!Nationality!..........................................................!21!

The!Integration!of!Migrant!Children!...............................................................................!23!
4.1!

Education!.................................................................................................................!24!

4.2!

Social!Inclusion!........................................................................................................!25!

4.3!

Guardianship!...........................................................................................................!26!

The!Integration!of!Trafficked!Persons!.............................................................................!28!
5.1!

Residence!Permit!.....................................................................................................!29!

5.2!

Access!to!Welfare!and!Support!...............................................................................!30!

5.3!

Employment!............................................................................................................!31!

5.4!

Education!.................................................................................................................!31!

5.5!

Recognition!of!Qualifications!..................................................................................!31!

5.6!

Cross!Cutting!Issues!!Trafficked!Children!...............................................................!31!
1!

!
1

Introduction&

This!document!is!intended!as!a!supplement!to!the!ten!national!reports,!comparative!report!
and!compendium!of!promising!practices,!which!have!been!developed!as!part!of!the!ASSESS$
$Integration$of$Vulnerable$Migrant$Groups$Project,$a!project!which!monitors!and!assesses!
the! effectiveness! of! integration! measures! for! three! vulnerable! migrant! groups! ! women,!
children!and!victims!of!trafficking.!The!aim!of!this!overview!is!to!provide!stakeholders!at!the!
national!level,!policy!makers,!researchers!and!NGOs,!an!outline!of!the!key!European!Union!
(EU)!instruments!and!provisions!regarding!the!integration!of!women,!children!and!trafficked!
persons.!It!is!intended!to!provide!readers!a!quick!and!concise!overview!of!what!legislative!
and! policy! measures! exist! on! European! level.! It! does! not! purport! to! provide! a! critical!
analysis!of!the!European!instruments,!but!rather,!it!simply!provides!anyone!interested!with!
a!guide!of!where!to!start!looking!for!more!information,!and!anyone!interested!in!the!issues,!
with!a!context!in!which!the!national!legislative,!policy!and!practice!developments!take!place.!
It!is!not!a!standalone!document!and!has!been!created!to!provide!readers!an!EU!dimension!
to!the!specific!context!and!realities!presented!within!the!ASSESS!national!and!comparative!
reports.!
The! structure! of! this! outline! is! purposely! similar! to! the! Phase$ 2$ National$ Reports! of! the!
ASSESS! Project,! covering! the! same! broad! issues! that! are! at! the! heart! of! the! integration!
policy!and!debate.!This!has!been!done!to!facilitate!the!readers!ability!to!find!corresponding!
sections! to! the! particular! national! report! and! evaluate! the! findings! against! what! has! been!
done,!and!what!the!requirements!are!at!the!EU!level.!EU!policies!often!provide!for!minimum!
standards! but! allow! States! to! go! beyond! these! requirements.! Throughout! this! output! the!
scope!has!also!only!been!limited!to!the!instruments!adopted!by!the!EU!and!does!not!provide!
an!analysis!of!instruments!adopted!by!the!Council!of!Europe,!even!if!by!definition!these!also!
apply!to!the!participating!Member!States.!!
This!overview!is!part!of!the!broader!ASSESS!Project!and!one!of!various!outputs!of!the!same.!
This! project! was! split! into! two! main! phases,! phase! one! included! the! development! of! a!
methodology! of! and! the! drafting! of! ten! national! reports! which! Evaluated! Monitoring!
Mechanisms! and! Indicators! of! integration! in! the! various! participating! countries.! Following!
this! phase! 2! built! on! the! results! produced! in! phase! one,! with! another! methodological!
document! and! a! further! set! of! ten! national! reports! undertaking! a! comprehensive!
Assessment! of! Integration! Measures! for! the! three! vulnerable! groups! studied.! This! project!
also!developed!two!Comparative!Reports!from!each!phases!of!the!project.!A!Compendium!
of! Promising! Practices,! identifying! and! showcasing! a! series! of! promising! practices! from!
across! the! participating! countries,! was! also! produced.! ! The! ASSESS! project! and! its! ten!
partners! sought! to! identify! and! initiate! the! exchange! of! good! practices! between! EU!
countries!in!the!field!of!different!migration!patterns,!regimes!and!experiences.!
2!
!

The$European$Overview$also!aims!to!provide!readers!with!quick!insights!into!the!findings!of!
the!above!mentioned!reports!providing!links!were!necessary.!The!Handbook!aims!to!bring!
together!key!discoveries!that!have!been!discussed!within!the!comparative!report!of!the!ten!
member!states,!such!as!deficiencies,!weaknesses!and!areas!of!development,!along!with!the!
identified!promising!practices!of!the!three!target!groups.1!Some!promising!practices!are!also!
referred!to!throughout!the!text.!!
&
1.1
!

About&ASSESS&&

ASSESS!!Integration!of!Vulnerable!Migrant!Groups!monitors!and!assesses!the!effectiveness!
of! integration! measures! for! three! vulnerable! migrant! groups! ! women,! children! and!
trafficked! persons.! The! assessment! aims! to! identify! the! strengths! and! weaknesses! in! the!
application! of! the! Common$ Basic$ Principles! on$ Migrant$ Integration! as! regards! the!
integration! of! vulnerable! migrant! groups.! ASSESS! has! been! carried! out! in! 10! EU! Member!
States!that!represent!Europes!different!migration!patterns!and!experiences!in!dealing!with!
migration!and!integration!issues.!These!include!five!"old"!Member!States!with!considerable!
immigrant! inflows:! Austria,! Belgium,! Greece,! Italy,! and! Spain! and! in! five! new! Member!
States!with!"evolving"!immigration!patterns!and!regimes:!Bulgaria,!Hungary,!Malta,!Poland,!
and!Slovakia.!!
The!project!aims!to!addresses!a!gap!in!the!analysis,!evaluation!and!monitoring!of!integration!
measures!that!have!in!a!large!part!adopted!a!generic!approach!that!looks!at!integration!of!
migrant! communities! rather! than! addressing! particular! communities! within! that! broader!
categorisation.! Such! a! generic! approach! fails! to! consider! and! address! the! nuanced!
experience(s)! of! integration! of! specific! groups! and! subXgroups.! By! looking! at! the! specific!
vulnerabilities!and!integration!challenges!faced!by!migrant!women,!children!and!victims!of!
trafficking! the! project! offers! tailored! methodologies! and! specific! indicators! for! monitoring!
the! integration! of! these! vulnerable! migrants! groups! thereby! overcoming! some! of! the!
existing!challenges!in!the!area.!
!
1.2
!

Overview&of&the&Three&Vulnerable&Migrant&Groups&

This!project!has!focused!on!3!specific!vulnerable!migrant!groups;!namely!TCN!women,!TCN!
children! and! trafficked! persons,! whose! particular! situations! include! specific! challenges! for!
their! integration! into! host! communities.! Conditions! of! vulnerability! are! often! the! result! of!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1

!Practices!of!integration!can!refer!to!a!range!of!strategies,!approaches,!and!activities!that!have!a!positive!
impact!on!migrants,!including,!but!not!limited!to:!laws,!policies,!initiatives,!programmes,!and!services,!amongst!
others.!

3!
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political,!social,!cultural!or!economic!practices!and!policies!that!fail!to!ensure!equal!access!
and! protection! to! all! members! of! a! society.! Some! generally! accepted! characteristics! that!
influence!social!vulnerability!include!age,!gender,!race/ethnicity!and!socioXeconomic!status.2!
Eurostat! data! has! continually! demonstrated! that! wide! gaps! remain! between! native!
populations!and!migrants!in!the!EU,!which!include:!comparatively!low!levels!of!employment!
(especially! migrant! women),! rising! unemployment,! increasing! risks! of! social! exclusion,!
poverty!and!gaps!in!educational!achievement.3!!
!
1.2.1 TCN&Women&&
!
In! the! EU! states! with! older! and! largerimmigrant! communities! (Austria,! Belgium,! Greece,!
Italy,! Spain)! TCN! women! make! up! between! 4%! and! 6%! of! the! general! female! population.!
Respectively,!in!the!EU!countries!with!moderate!immigrant!flows!(Bulgaria,!Hungary,!Malta,!
Poland,!Slovakia)!the!level!of!TCN!women!is!lower,!ranging!from!0.3%!to!1.9%.4!The!research!
conducted! for! Phase! II! of! the! ASSESS! Project! found! that! women! TCNs! tend! to! have! fewer!
employment! opportunities,! face! more! obstacles! on! the! labour! market! and! often! face!
cultural!and!linguistic!barriers!to!working.!Integration!outcomes!data!has!demonstrated!the!
weaker! and! more! vulnerable! position! of! migrant! women! especially! in! the! labour! markets.!
The! female! activity! rate! of! TCNs! of! working! age! between! 25! and! 54! is! 14%! lower! in!
comparison! with! all! women! in! this! age! group.! The! overXqualification! rate! of! TCN! women!
across!the!EU!is!28%!higher!than!that!of!the!total!population.!The!situation!is!more!negative!
both!when!compared!to!nonXmigrant!women!in!the!same!countries!and!to!migrant!men!in!
the!same!country.!The!lack!of!adequate!and!targeted!policy!discourse!around!how!best!to!
support!migrant!women!to!integrate!in!the!EU!has!left!the!situation!unaddressed,!whilst!the!
invisibility! of! this! group! and! their! limited! ability! to! advocate! and! campaign! for! their! own!
rights! effectively! means! that! policy! has! failed! to! properly! incorporate! their! concerns! as! a!
vulnerable! group.! It! is! also! acknowledged! that! there! is! no! agreement! on! whether! women!
canbe!considered!a!vulnerable!migrant!group,!with!some!arguing!that!only!specific!subsets!
of!the!group!should!be!so!considered.!!
!
1.2.2 TCN&Children&&
!
TCN! Children! can! be! divided! into! distinct! groups;! accompanied! and! unaccompanied! child!
migrants.! Exact! figures! for! child! TCN! population! are! not! clear! since! the! available! Eurostat!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2

!For!a!more!comprehensive!discussion!of!the!concept!of!vulnerability!and!how!it!relates!to!migrants!turn!to!
the!Methodology!for!Monitoring!the!Integration!of!Vulnerable!Migrants.!
3
!Eurostat.!(2014)!
4
!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!I:!Assessment!of!Integration!of!TCN!Women,!I.1:!Profile!of!TCN!Women!!

4!
!

data!on!TCN!children!has!some!limitations!which!relate!to!the!fact!that!data!on!population!
by! citizenship! is! available! only! by! 5Xyear! age! groups:! less! than! 5,! 5X9,! 10X14,! and! 15X19.5!
Children! who! migrate! without! their! parents! or! another! carer! are! especially! vulnerable! to!
exploitation,!coercion,!deception,!and!violence,!particularly!if!they!are!below!the!minimum!
age! of! employment,! cross! a! border! illegally! and! do! not! speak! the! language! of! their!
destination.! It! is! particularly! difficult! for! children! to! access! housing! and! services! (including!
financial! ones)! without! the! mediation! of! an! adult.! Without! adult! guardians,! children! must!
rely! on! informal! avenues! and! often! end! up! in! the! informal! economy! where! monitoring! of!
working!conditions!may!be!absent,!exploitation!common!place,!and!social!protection!weak!
or! fragmented.! TCN! children! with! low! economic! status! face! much! greater! difficulties!
advancing! into! higher! education.! This! is! demonstrated! by! the! phenomenon! of! the! earlyX
school!leaving,!which!especially!affects!TCNs!aged!between!18!and!24.!The!number!of!TCN!
earlyXleavers! from! education! and! training! is! higher! than! the! 20%! in! comparison! with! the!
total!population!of!the!same!age!group.!Additionally,!the!share!of!TCNs!aged!2554!with!low!
educational!attainment!is!19%!higher!than!that!of!EU!nationals!of!the!same!age!group.!!
1.2.3 Trafficked&Persons&&
!
Trafficked!persons!face!various!challenges!in!their!integration!process,!primarily!as!a!result!
of!the!trauma!experienced!and!a!legal!framework!that!offers!limited!protection!conditional!
on! their! ability! and! willingness! to! cooperate! with! the! authorities! in! the! prosecution! of!
traffickers.!In!2012!Member!States!reported!a!total!number!of!10,998!registered!identified!
and! presumed! victims.! Over! the! three! years! 2010X2012,! 30,146! victims! were! registered! in!
the! 28! Member! States! of! which! 69%! of! registered! victims! were! trafficked! for! sexual!
exploitation!and!a!total!95%!of!registered!victims!of!sexual!exploitation!were!female.6!It!is!
also! important! to! bear! in! mind! that! these! figures! relate! to! those! victims! who! have! been!
identified! and! many! EU! Member! States! have! weak! mechanisms! for! identification! of!
Trafficked!Persons.!Within!the!ten!countries!studied,!larger!proportions!of!the!phenomenon!
of!trafficking!in!some!countries!is!not!necessarily!an!indication!of!larger!proportions!of!the!
phenomenon! of! trafficking! but! rather! an! indication! of! better! identification! mechanisms.!
Respectively!the!smaller!numbers!of!reported!TCN!Trafficked!Persons!in!some!of!the!studied!
countries! may! not! be! the! outcome! of! smaller! proportions! of! the! problem! but! of! weaker!
identification!mechanisms.!Data!is!available!for!the!number!and!the!origin!of!TCN!trafficked!
persons! in! eight! of! the! ten! countries! included! in! this! study.7!The! highest! number! of! TCN!
trafficked!persons!has!been!identified!in!Spain!(1,!062!persons),!followed!by!Belgium!(308),!
Poland!(216)!and!Greece!(72).8!!
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5

!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!2:!Assessment!of!Integration!of!TCN!Children,!II.2!Profile!of!TCN!Children!!
!Eurostat,!(2014),!Trafficking!in!Human!beings,!Statistical!working!paper.!!
7
!These!are:!Belgium,!Bulgaria,!Greece,!Hungary,!Malta,!Poland,!Slovakia,!Spain.!
8
!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!III:!Assessment!of!Integration!of!Victims!Of!Trafficking!(Vot),!III.1:!Profile!Of!
TCN!Victims!Of!Trafficking!
6

5!
!

Trafficking! in! human! beings! has! been! a! major! focus! of! attention! at! the! EU! level! for! some!
time.!However,!until!recently!there!has!been!relatively!little!attention!paid!to!the!medium!to!
long!term!prospects!of!trafficked!persons!who!remain!in!the!destination!country!and!their!
integration! in! host! communities.9!The! focus! to! date! has! largely! been! on! the! role! of! status!
and! residence! permits! in! permitting! victims! to! remain,! identify! and! testify! against! those!
criminally! responsible! for! their! exploitation.! The! vulnerability! of! trafficked! persons! in! the!
process!of!their!integration!into!society!may!be!brought!about!through!various!factors!such!
as!a!lack!of!personal!and!social!resources,!lack!of!social!capital,!immigration!status,!security!
concerns,!lack!of!employment!skills,!and!social!exclusion.!!
!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9

!International!Organisation!of!Migration,!(2013),!Evaluation!of!the!effectiveness!of!measures!for!the!
integration!of!Trafficked!persons!,!Foster!and!Improve!Integration!of!Trafficked!Persons!(FIIT)!

6!
!

EU&Migrant&Integration&Policy&Background10&

In!recent!years,!EU!Member!States!have!experienced!an!increase!in!immigration!of!TCNs.11!
In!2013,!TCNs!made!up!4.1%!of!the!EU!population,!amounting!to!approximately!20.4!million!
people. 12 !Europes! economic! prosperity,! political! stability! and! adherence! to! democratic!
principles!and!the!rule!of!law!make!it!an!attractive!destination!for!migrants!from!across!the!
globe! migrating! for! a! variety! of! reasons:! work,! education,! family! unity! or! international!
protection.! As! a! result,! Europes! population! is! continuously! changing! and! its! societies!
becoming! ever! more! diverse.! This! creates! the! need! to! establish! new! conditions! for! social!
cohesion!as!well!as!to!address!public!concerns!about!the!benefits!of!migration.!!
If! managed! well,! migration! will! assist! in! addressing! some! of! the! major! challenges!
confronting! the! EU! as! a! result! of! demographic! changes,! including! an! ageing! population,!
longer!life!expectancy!and!a!shrinking!workforce,!by!maximising!the!use!of!the!labour!force!
and!skills!already!available!whilst!enhancing!the!productivity!of!the!European!economy.13!At!
the!same!time,!migration!has!caused!complex!and!differential!impacts!which!have!evolved!
unevenly! across! the! Member! States! of! the! EU! as! demographic! trends! vary! from! region! to!
region.!Migration,!in!its!myriad!forms,!needs!to!be!addressed!through!tailorXmade!carefully!
planned!measures!and!solutions.!The!same!applies!for!the!integration!of!migrants.!Over!the!
past! 15! years,! the! EU! has! worked! towards! the! management! of! migration! and! integration!
through! the! promotion! of! fundamental! rights,! nonXdiscrimination! and! equal! opportunities!
for!all!as!key!integration!issues.!These!issues!have!all!been!recognised!through!various!policy!
initiatives! of! the! European! Union.! At! the! same! time! however,! a! number! of! other! policies!
that!hinder!respect!for!fundamental!rights!of!migrants!have!also!been!implemented,!most!
notably!with!regards!to!undocumented!migration!and!issues!of!access!to!protection!and!the!
settlement! of! beneficiaries! of! international! protection.! Concerns! have! also! been! raised!
about! the! exclusion! of! nationality! discrimination! from! the! grounds! of! discrimination!
protected!against!under!the!Racial!Equality!Directive.14!!
Over! the! past! years,! numerous! integration! relevant! initiatives! have! been! undertaken! and!
instruments! (both! legislative! and! otherwise)! adopted! within! areas! such! as! employment,!
social! affairs,! equal! opportunities! and! antiXdiscrimination,! which! have! all! articulated! the!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10

!This!section!is!intended!to!provide!only!a!broad!overview!of!integration!measures!and!tools!at!European!
level.!It!does!not!purport!to!provide!a!detailed!analysis!of!all!relevant!instruments!at!the!European!level.!!Some!
further!information!is!available!on!the!European!Website!on!integration:!http://ec.europa.eu/migrantX
integration/index.cfm?action=furl.go&go=/theXeuXandXintegration/theXmandateXtoXpromoteXintegration!!
11
!The!term!third!country!is!used!in!the!EU!Treaties,!where!it!means!a!country!that!is!not!a!member!of!the!
European! Union.! A! third! country! national! is! therefore! an! individual! that! has! migrated! to! the! EU! from! a!
country!outside!of!the!EU.!!!
12
!Eurostat!(2014).!!
13
!Rob! Bijl! &! Arjen! Verweij,! (2012),! Measuring! and! Monitoring! Immigrant! Integration! in! Europe;! integration!
policies!and!monitoring!efforts!in!17!European!countries,!The!Netherlands!Institute!for!Social!Research,!The!
Hague,!March!2012.!
14
!Council!Directive!2000/43!implementing!the!principle!of!equal!treatment!between!persons!irrespective!of!
racial!or!ethnic!origin!(O.J.!L!180,!19!July!2000,!p.!22)!!

7!
!

desire! to! further! stepXup! the! integration! of! migrants! within! European! societies.! These!
initiatives!must!be!seen!in!a!context!of!where!competence!on!most!integration!related!areas!
remains!with!the!Member!States.!!
In!order!to!understand!this!process!and!the!vision!of!the!integration!policy!more!generally,!
one!needs!to!look!at!the!steps!undertaken!and!trace!the!origins!of!this!policy!field.!As!noted!
elsewhere,! migrant! integration! has! been! mostly! seen! through! a! general! perspective,! not!
placing! much! emphasis! on! particular! categories! of! migrant! groups! that! may! be! deemed!
vulnerable;!such!as!women,!children!and!trafficked!persons.!Whilst!an!in!depth!analysis!of!
all!integration!efforts!is!beyond!the!scope!of!the!present!report,!some!overview!is!required!
by!way!of!context.!!
The! legal! basis! for! European! Union! actions! on! migrant! integration! is! derived! from! the!
Treaties! but! the! core! powers! remain! entrusted! to! the! Member! States,! with! the! Union!
having!powers!of!coordination!and!support!but!not!a!real!right!to!implement!measures!or!
harmonise!legislation.!This!reflects!the!fact!that!Member!States!consider!the!treatment!of!
migrants! on! their! territory! as! part! of! their! national! sovereignty,! over! which! they! are! not!
willing! to! give! up! power.! The! 1997! Treaty$ of$ Amsterdam! set! the! framework! for! the! EU! to!
address! the! growing! phenomenon! of! migration.! The! Treaty! states! that! the! EU! must! be!
maintained! and! developed! as! an! area! of! freedom,! security! and! justice,! in! which! the! free!
movement!of!persons!is!assured,!in!conjunction!with!appropriate!measures!with!respect!to!
external! border! controls,! asylum,! immigration! and! the! prevention! of! crime.! Whilst! not!
mentioning!integration!as!a!specific!issue,!the!Treaty!does!make!provisions!of!relevance!to!
the!development!of!the!European!integration!framework.!Article!13!enables!the!Council!to!
take! appropriate! action! to! combat! discrimination! based! on! sex,! racial! or! ethnic! origin,!
religion!or!belief,!disability,!age!or!sexual!orientation.!It!is!to!be!noted!here!that!nationality!
discrimination!is!not!included.!Article!73k,!in!turn,!requests!the!Council!to!adopt!measures!
on! immigration! policy! including! with! regards! to,! "conditions! of! entry! and! residence,! and!
standards!on!procedures!for!the!issue!by!Member!States!of!long!term!visas!and!residence!
permits,!including!those!for!the!purpose!of!family!reunion".!The!Council!is!also!requested!to!
adopt!"measures!defining!the!rights!and!conditions!under!which!nationals!of!third!countries!
who!are!legally!resident!in!a!Member!State!may!reside!in!other!Member!States."!!
!
These!provisions!were!strengthened!considerably!by!the!Treaty!of!Lisbon,!which!introduced!
a!provision!empowering!measures!to!support!the!actions!of!Member!States!in!the!field;!!
the!European!Parliament!and!the!Council,!acting!in!accordance!with!the!ordinary!
legislative!procedure,!may!establish!measures!to!provide!incentives!and!support!
for!the!action!of!Member!States!with!a!view!to!promoting!the!integration!of!third!

8!
!

country!nationals!residing!legally!in!their!territories,!excluding!any!harmonisation!
of!the!laws!and!regulations!of!the!Member!States.15!!
The!powers!of!the!Union!in!the!field!of!integration!therefore!remain!limited!to!coordination!
and! support! and! there! is! no! competence! to! harmonise! legislation! across! the! various!
Member!States.!The!Treaty!of!Lisbon!also!made!the!Charter!of!Fundamental!Rights!legally!
binding.! The! Charter,! to! which! we! refer! elsewhere! in! this! overview,! makes! a! number! of!
provisions!that!apply!to!everyone!on!the!EUs!territory!and!it!applies!to!any!of!the!actions!of!
the! Union.! However,! a! number! of! its! provisions! remain! restricted! only! to! citizens! thereby!
excluding!nonXnationals.!!
Beyond!treaty!provisions,!a!series!of!MultiXAnnual!Programmes!have!been!adopted!that!are!
of!relevance!to!the!integration!of!third!country!nationals.!!The!Tampere$Programme,16!the!
first!fiveXyear!programme!on!these!issues!which!attempted!to!achieve!greater!uniformity!in!
Justice!and!Home!Affairs!policies!across!the!Member!States.!The!Tampere$Programme!laid!
down! the! foundations! for! common! immigration! and! asylum! policies,! established! some!
common!rules,!and!called!for!the!development!of!a!common!EU!policy!to!include!amongst!
other!things!the!fair!treatment!of!TCNs.17!!Indeed,!at!the!European!Council!meeting!held!in!
Tampere!in!October!1999,!EU!leaders!agreed!that!the!aim!of!this!integration!policy!should!
be!to!grant!TCNs!rights!and!obligations!comparable!to!those!of!citizens!of!the!EU.!!
In! 2004,! the! Hague$ Programme! was! adopted! highlighting! the! need! for! coordination! of!
national!integration!policies!as!well!as!EU!initiatives!in!the!field.!Under!this!programme,!the$
Common$ Basic$ Principles$ of$ Integration$ (CBPs)! were! adopted! by! the! Justice! and! Home!
Affairs! Council.18!These! declared! the! importance! of! establishing! shared! principles! and! of!
analysing!existing!developments!of!integration!within!the!European!context.!Over!a!decade!
later,!the!ten!principles!remain!the!underlying!vision!of!integration!efforts!at!the!European!
level,!and!were!reXaffirmed!by!the!Ministerial!Council!in!Luxembourg!in!2014.!The!first!CBP!
defines! integration! as! a! twoXway! process! involving! both! immigrants! and! the! host! society.!
The!following!principles!focus!on!access!to!employment,!the!acquisition!of!basic!knowledge!
of!the!host!societies!language!and!history,!the!provision!of!education,!goods!and!services,!
and!nonXdiscrimination.!!
In! 2009,! the! European! Council! in! Stockholm! concluded! that:! Member! States'! integration!
policies! should! be! supported! through! the! further! development! of! structures! and! tools! for!
knowledge! exchange! and! coordination! with! other! relevant! policy! areas,! such! as!
employment,! education! and! social! inclusion.! ! The! Stockholm! Programme! also! called! for!
improved!consultation!and!involvement!of!civil!society.!It!provided!the!basis!for!the!setting!
up!of!the!European!Integration!Forum!and!the!European!Website!on!Integration.!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
15

!Consolidated!version!of!the!Treaty!on!the!Functioning!of!the!European!Union,!Article!!79.4!
!European!Council!Presidency!Conclusions,!Tampere,!15X16!December!1999.!
17
!Ibid.!
18
!Council! of! the! European! Union,! 14615/04,! 2004,! EU! Common! Basic! Principles! for! Immigrant! Integration!
policy!
16

9!
!

The!Europe!2020!Strategy!for!Growth!also!makes!a!number!of!important!provisions!relating!
to! integration! including! that! Member! States! should! adopt! policies! to! promote! the!
integration!of!legal!migrants!and!other!vulnerable!groups!into!the!labour!market,!that!they!
should! remove! barriers! to! labour! market! entry! for! newcomers! and! that! higher! education!
should! become! more! open! to! non! traditional! learners.! Legal! migrants! are! also! specifically!
mentioned! with! regards! to! the! need! for! benefit! systems! to! focus! on! ensuring! income!
security!during!transitions!and!reducing!poverty.!!
The!European!Commission!took!the!CBPs!as!a!starting!point!for!EuropeanXwide!efforts!to!be!
made!on!integration!and!in!September!2005,!launched!A$Common$Agenda$for$Integration,19!
which! provided! a! holistic! framework! for! the! implementation! of! the! Common! Basic!
Principles.!Based!on!the!CBPs,!the!agenda!proposes!a!number!of!practical!measures,!making!
a!clear!distinction!between!actions!suggested!at!the!domestic!and!the!European!level.!The!
CBPs!are!intended!as!guidance!in!the!conception!of!national!integration!policies!while!the!
Common! Agenda! aims! to! extend! and! develop! EU! initiatives! that! had! proven! to! be!
successful.!!!
The! Common$ Basic$ Principles! and! the$ Common$ Agenda! outlined! integration! as! a! dynamic,!
twoXway!process!of!mutual!accommodation!by!all!migrants!and!residents!of!Member!States,!
representing!a!fundamental!feature!of!the!EUs!policy!approach!to!integration!as!one!of!its!
defining! elements! and! as! a! way! of! realising! the! potential! of! migration.20!! Moreover,! the!
principles! place! particular! attention! on! access! to! employment,! acquisition! of! basic!
knowledge! of! the! host! societys! language,! history! and! institutions,! efforts! in! education,!
equal!access!to!institutions,!goods!and!services!and!nonXdiscrimination.!The!agenda!focuses!
on! action! to! increase! economic,! social,! cultural! and! political! participation! by! migrants! and!
putting! the! emphasis! on! local! action. 21!In! addition,$ the$ agenda$ planned! for! a! series! of!
supportive!EU!mechanisms!and!instruments!to!promote!integration!and!facilitate!exchange!
between! Member! States.! These! include! the! European! Integration! Forum,! the! Network! of!
Integration! Focal! Points,! the! Integration! Handbooks! and! the! European! Website! on!
Integration!(EWSI).!!
In! 2011,! a! Communication! on! a! New$ European$ Agenda$ for$ Integration$ of$ Third$ Country$
Nationals 22 !updated! the! 2005! Common$ Agenda$ from! and! set! out! the! priorities! for!
integration! programmes.! The! agenda! aimed! to! further! enhance! past! mechanisms,! such! as!
the!Integration$Website!and!the!European$Integration$Forum,!and!declared!integration!as!a!
way!of!realising!the!potential!of!migration!as!a!shared!responsibility,!calling!for!a!common!
framework! of! EU! legislation! and! policy.! The! new! agenda! focused! on! actions! aimed! to!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
19

!European!Commission,!A!Common!Agenda!for!Integration!X!Framework!for!the!Integration!of!ThirdXCountry!
Nationals!in!the!European!Union,!COM(2005)!389.!
20
!European!Commission,!Common!Basic!Principles!for!immigrant!integration!policy!in!the!EU.!
21
!The! Netherlands! Institute! for! Social! Research! (2012),! Measuring! and! Monitoring! immigrant! integration! in!
Europe,!p.!
22
!European!Commission,!European!Agenda!for!the!Integration!of!ThirdXCountry!Nationals,!COM(2011)!455!

10!
!

increase!economic,!social,!cultural!and!political!participation!by!TCNs!and!to!underline!the!
importance! of! local! action.! Whereas! the! Common! Agenda! aimed! to! help! and! encourage!
Member! States! to! develop! their! own! national! integration! polices,! attempting! at! a! more!
coherent!approach!across!the!EU,!the!EU!New!Agenda!looks!toward!establishing!Integration!
Policies!as!a!way!to!utilise!the!full!potential!of!migration.!
In! 2009,! the! European$ Integration$ Forum$ was! established! as$ a! platform! for! dialogue! on!
migrant! integration.! This! forum! provides! civil! society! organisations! with! an! opportunity! to!
express! their! views! on! migrant! integration! issues! and! to! discuss! challenges! and! priorities!
with! European! institutions.! It! has! been! declared! by! the! EU,! that! involvement! and!
participation! of! stakeholders! is! essential! for! successful! implementation! of! integration!
policies! in! the! Member! States. 23 !This! forum! follows! the! National$ Contact$ Points$ on$
Integration$which!was!established!in!2002!to!create!a!forum!for!the!exchange!of!information!
and! good! practice! between! Member! States! at! the! EU! level,! with! the! purpose! of! finding!
solutions! for! the! successful! integration! of! immigrants! in! all! Member! States! and! to! ensure!
policy! coXordination! and! coherence! at! national! level! and! with! EU! initiatives.! In! 2015! the!
forum!developed!into!the!European$Migration$Forum!that!met!for!the!first!time!in!January!
2015.!!
In! 2007! The$ European$ Fund$ for$ Integration$ (EIF)! was! set! up! in! accordance! with! the! CBPs!
which!aimed!to!promote!European!cooperation!to!grant!comparable!rights,!responsibilities!
and!opportunities!for!TCNs.!The!EIF!has!supported!the!efforts!of!Member!States!to!enable!
TCNs!to!fulfil!the!conditions!of!residence!and!to!facilitate!their!integration,!by!implementing!
national! programmes! and! transnational! actions.! In! 2014,! the! EIF$ was! discontinued! and! in!
line! with! changes! in! the! 2014X2020! funding! programme,! integration! measures! now! fall!
within!the!broader!Asylum,$Migration$and$Integration$Fund$(AMIF).!!
!
During! the! 2010! Zaragoza$ Ministerial$ Conference,! Member! States! agreed! on! a! set! of! core!
outcome! indicators,! which! remain! the! key! source! of! indicators! at! European! level! until! the!
present! time.! The! Zaragoza! Declaration! called! upon! the! Commission! to! undertake! a! pilot!
study!to!examine!proposals!for!Common!Immigrant!Integration!Indicators!and!to!report!on!
the! availability! and! quality! of! the! data! from! agreed! harmonised! sources! necessary! for! the!
calculation! of! these! indicators.! The! agreed! policy! areas! monitored! are! employment,$
education,$ social! inclusion$ and$ active! citizenship.! It! was! agreed! to! evaluate! integration!
policies! by! the! new! indicators! and! to! analyse! the! significance! of! the! defined! indicators! by!
taking!into!account!the!national!context,!the!background!of!diverse!migrant!populations!and!
different! Member! States! migration! and! integration! policies.! In! this! way,! indicators! make!
systematic!monitoring!at!the!EU!level!possible!and!contribute!to!enhancing!coordination!of!
integration!policies.!However,!they!are!by!no!means!an!exhaustive!list!and!Member!States!
are!encouraged!to!not!just!use!them!exclusively!in!their!own!databases!but!to!build!on!them!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
23

!Ibid.!

11!
!

as!necessary.!Other!nonXofficial!projects!on!assessing!and!monitoring!integration!have!also!
been! funded! by! the! European! Commission,! most! notably! the! Migrant! Integration! Policy!
Index!implemented!by!the!Brussels!based!think!tank!the!Migration!Policy!Group.!MIPEX!upX
toXdate,!comprehensive!research!data!and!analysis.!It!is!intended!as!a!comprehensive!tool!
which!can!be!used!to!assess,!compare!and!improve!integration!policy.!The!MIPEX!includes!
31! countries! in! order! to! provide! a! view! of! integration! policies! across! a! broad! range! of!
differing!environments.!
Beyond!official!policy!instruments,!a!number!of!tools!have!also!been!developed!intended!to!
support! Member! States! in! their! integration! efforts.! The$ Handbook$ of$ Integration,24$first!
published!in!2004,!was!produced!to!drive!the!exchange!of!information!and!to!promote!the!
best!practices!between!Member!States!of!the!EU.!It!is!seen!as!a!tool!for!mutual!learning!and!
developing! in! the! area! of! integration.! The! Handbook! covers! various! aspects! of! migrant!
integration!and!examples!for!broader!use!of!EU!policies!including:25!!!
The$ European$ Web$ Site$ on$ Integration 26 !is! intended! as! a! oneXstop! resource! point! for!
practitioners! working! on! integration! issues,! both! in! nonXgovernmental! and! governmental!
organisations.! This! online! tool! offers! a! collection! of! good! practices,! a! library! of! key!
documents,! country! information! sheets! summarising! the! integration! policies! and!
governance!arrangements!of!each!Member!State,!as!well!as!an!exchange!of!information!and!
networking!between!stakeholders!through!directories!and!interactive!tools.!
The!European!Union!Agency!for!Fundamental!Rights!and!the!Council!of!Europe!published!in!
2014! a! Handbook! on! European! law! relating! to! asylum,! borders! and! immigration.! The!
handbook!examines!the!various!pieces!of!relevant!legislation!and!compares!the!framework!
under!European!Union!law!and!under!the!legislation!of!the!Council!of!Europe.!It!is!intended!
as! a! first! point! of! reference! on! bot! EU! and! ECHR! law! relating! to! migration,! asylum! and!
borders!for!practitioners,!lawyers!and!activists.!Whilst!not!addressing!integration!specifically!
the! handbook! does! address! a! number! of! relevant! issues! including! status! and! associated!
documentations,!private!and!family!life!including!the!right!to!marry!and!economic!and!social!
rights.! It! also! addresses! the! needs! of! persons! with! specific! needs,! which! the! handbook!
considers! to! be! primarily! unaccompanied! minors,! trafficked! persons,! persons! with!
disabilities!and!victims!of!torture!and!other!serious!forms!of!violence.!!
Deficiencies!at!the!EU!level!can!still!be!found,!not!least!since!national!governments!have!no!
obligation! to! comply! with! the! guidelines! set! out! within! the! new! EU! Common! Agenda! for!
integration! of! TCNs.! TCNs! face! further! challenges! as! many! measures! taken! by! Member!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
24

!European! Commission,! (2007),! Handbook! on! Integration! for! policyXmakers! and! practitioners,! DirectorateX
General!Justice,!Freedom!and!Society,!Third!Edition.!
25
!Council!of!European!Union,!(2010),!Zaragoza!meeting,!Conclusions!of!the!Council!and!the!Representative!of!
the!Governments!of!the!Member!States!on!Integration!as!a!Driver!for!Development!and!Social!Cohesion.!
26
!European!Website!on!Integration!X!http://ec.europa.eu/ewsi/!

12!
!

States! view! migration! as! a! security! threat! which! increases! social! tensions.! These!
contradictory!actions!decrease!the!ability!for!TCNs!to!integrate!within!EU!societies.!!
!

13!
!

The&Integration&of&Migrant&Women&

According!to!the!United!Nations!Migration!Stock!Data,!in!2013,!women!comprised!48%!of!all!
international!migrants!worldwide.!Yet!there!were!considerable!differences!across!regions.!In!
the! North,! women! constituted! 52%! of! all! migrants! in! 2013,! while! in! the! South! they!
accounted! for! 43%.! Between! 1990! and! 2013,! the! South! witnessed! a! decline! in! the!
proportion! of! women! among! all! migrants.! The! percentage! of! women! among! all! migrants!
declined!from!46%!in!1990!to!43%!in!2013!in!the!developing!regions.!In!the!North!during!the!
same! period,! however,! the! share! of! women! among! all! international! migrants! increased!
slightly,!from!51%!to!52%.27!!
For! many! years! the! issue! of! migrant! women! in! the! EU! was! addressed! from! a! narrow!
perspective.!TCN!women!were!viewed!as!the!ones!who!would!accompany!their!jobXseeking!
husbands!and!move!into!a!Member!State!for!the!purposes!of!family!union.!TCN!women!had!
no!independent!legal!status,!as!all!their!rights!were!underlined!by!the!family!reunification!
legislation.!Illiteracy,!language!difficulties,!lack!of!job!qualifications!(or!failure!of!recognising!
qualifications),! large! families,! discrimination! or! rural! background! are! still! challenges! that!
hinder!the!integration!of!TCN!women!into!their!host!societies.!The!stereotypical!perception!
may! also! be! that! TCN! women! are! often! considered! to! be! unskilled! employees,! leading! to!
lower!pay,!instability!at!work,!and!creating!general!misconceptions!that!in!Europe!migrant!
women!fill!the!gaps!in!the!labour!market!left!by!native!workers.28!Recent!data!shows!that!
the! patterns! of! migration! flows! are! shifting! and! TCN! women! are! migrating! in! greater!
numbers,!29!many! of! whom! are! travelling! alone! for! better! employment! opportunities! or!
education,!using!a!variety!of!migration!avenues!including!employment,!family!reunification!
channels,!tourist!or!student!visas.!The!limited!legal!avenues!for!accessing!EU!countries!have!
meant!that!some!have!to!rely!on!smugglers!or!traffickers!in!order!to!enter!EU.30!!
As!the!comparative!report!of!integration!measures!developed!in!the!ASSESS!project!shows,!
few!integration!measures!targeting!women!specifically!exist!in!the!ten!project!countries!as!
the! overall! opportunities! for! integration! of! TCN! women! are! channelled! through! programs!
designed! for! the! general! country! population.31!The! report! finds! an! absence! of! integration!
policies! and! programs! that! target! TCN! women! as! a! separate! vulnerable! category! with!
distinct! needs! from! those! of! TCN! men! or! native! women.! The! integration! policies! and!
programs!of!the!ten!studied!countries!are!not!gender!specific!with!terms!of!entry,!access!to!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
27

!United!Nations,!International!Migration!report!2013,!
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/migration/migrationreport2013/Full_
Document_final.pdf!!
28
!Maria! Kontos,! (2009),! Integration! of! Female! Immigrants! in! Labour! Market! and! society,! A! comparative!
Analysis,!FeMiPol,!Institute!of!Social!Research!at!the!Goethe!University,!Frankfurt!p.!16!
29
!Eurostat.!(2013)!
30
!Maria!Kontos,!p.10!!
31
!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!I:!Assessment!of!Integration!of!TCN!Women,!I.2:!Policy!Assessment.!!

14!
!

the!labour!market,!to!the!social!assistance!system!or!to!political!rights!being!the!same!for!
TCN!men!and!TCN!women.32!
The&ASSESS&project&identified&three&integration&practices&targeting&
migrant& women,& all& of& which& originate& from& Central& Eastern&
European& countries& & Hungary,& Poland,& and& Slovakia& & and& are& all&
project& based.& They& take& place& in& a& context& of& little& engagement&
with& the& issue& of& immigration& by& the& state& and& are& examples& of&
what& civil& society& organisations& have& set& up& to& work& with& migrant&
women.33&
!
Hungary:& JobQMarket$ Services$ for$ Immigrant$ Women$ is$ focused$ on$
the$labour$market$and$aims$at$supporting$and$empowering$women$
who$came$to$Hungary$without$employment.$
&
Poland:& Ukrainian$ Womens$ Club$ seeks$ to$ break$ the$ isolation$ of$
immigrant$women$from$the$Ukraine$who$are$employed$as$domestic$
workers.$
&
Slovakia:& BaBinec$ $ Multicultural$ Ladies$ Society$ focuses$ on$ the$
aspect$ of$ cultural$ exchange$ by$ bringing$ together$ women$ from$
different$countries$(including$Slovakia$itself).!$
!
In!recent!years,!the!EU!has!adopted!directives!in!order!to!protect!the!rights!of!TCNs!in!the!
fields! of! employment,! education,! antiXdiscrimination,! active! citizenship,! political!
participation,!long!term!residence!and!accession!to!nationality.!However,!EU!regulations!still!
do! not! have! a! specific! focus! on! TCN! women! which! effectively! means! that! some! specific!
challenges!and!difficulties!faced!by!migrant!women!have!not!been!adequately!addressed!by!
EU! laws! or! policies.! Similarly,! there! is! little! to! no! reference! to! the! situation! of! migrant!
women! in! all! three! editions! of! the! Handbooks$ on$ Integration,! or! in! the$ Common$ Basic$
Principles$on$Migrant$Integration.!Fortunately,!the!Zaragoza$Indicators!consider!the!gender!
dimension! of! integration! outcomes,! an! approach! deemed! necessary! through! research!
commissioned!by!the!European!Commission!on!the!use!of!integration!monitoring!data.34!!
On!the!other!hand,!gender!discrimination!is!prohibited!through!various!instruments!of!EU!
Law!not!least!Article!21!of!the!Charter!that!provides!that!any!discrimination!based!on!any!
ground!such!as!sex!()!shall!be!prohibited.35!Article!23!then!addresses!the!issue!of!equality!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
32

!Ibid.!!
!For!a!more!complete!overview!of!these!projects!see:!Promising!Practices!of!Integration!and!Monitoring!
34
!Thomas Huddleston, Jan Niessen, Jasper Dag Tjaden (2013): Using EU Indicators of Immigrant Integration.
Final Report for Directorate-General for Home Affairs. Brussels: European Commission. !
35
!Charter!of!Fundamental!of!the!European!Union.!!
33

15!
!

between! women! and! men! specifically! provides! that! equality! between! women! and! men!
must! be! ensured! in! all! areas! and! that! the! principle! of! equality! shall! not! prevent! the!
maintenance! or! adoption! of! measures! providing! for! specific! advantages! in! favour! of! the!
underXrepresented! sex.36!Considering! the! realities! faced! by! TCN! women! in! the! EU,! the!
charter!allows!for!positive!action!measures!to!be!adopted!in!support!of!the!integration!of!
migrant!women.!!!
&
3.1

Employment&

EU! policies! and! regulations! on! labour! market! access! for! TCNs! relate! to! conditions! of!
entrance,! residence! and! entitlement! including! regarding! access! to! the! labour! market.! By!
comparing!TCN!women!to!EUXborn!migrant!women,!nativeXborn!women!and!migrant!men,!
it!becomes!apparent!that!TCN!women!migrants!face!greater!levels!of!disadvantage!in!the!EU!
labour!force!than!both!TCN!males!and!native!women.!37!Data!reveals!how!TCN!women!have!
higher! unemployment! levels,! lower! labourXforce! participation! rates,! a! greater! rate! of! low!
skilled!jobs!with!poorer!conditions,!and!a!higher!occurrence!of!overXqualification.!The!only!
way! migration! can! help! to! mitigate! some! of! the! current! and! future! pressures! on! labour!
demand!by!increasing!the!supply!of!labour!in!the!EU,!is!to!tackle!the!low!participation!rates!
and! high! unemployment! levels! that! experienced! by! TCN! women! through! a! harmonised!
policy! approach! that! seeks! to! improve! the! labour! market! outcomes! of! TCN! women! in!
particular,!and!accordingly!benefiting!from!the!societal!gains!of!increased!migration.!Several!
directives! have! been! adopted! by! the! EU! in! order! to! further! accommodate! TCN! migrants!
access! to! the! labour! market,! although! quite! importantly! none! of! these! measures! directly!
address!the!specific!challenges!currently!being!faced!by!TCN!migrant!women.!!
Directive$ 2011/98/EU,! also! known! as! the! Single$ Permit$ Directive, 38 !creates! a! single!
application!procedure!for!a!residence!and!work!permit!and!a!common!set!of!rights!for!TCN!
workers.! Although! Member! States! have! final! say! on! the! permits! duration! and! conditions,!
this!Directive!established!a!common!and!single!permit!laying!down!principles!and!conditions!
for!TCNs!to!enjoy!equal!treatment!with!nationals.!These!include!equal!working!conditions,!
and! the! ability! to! join! labour! unions,! professional! or! employers! organisations.! Under$
Directive$ 2003/86/EC39!family! members! reunited! under! the! Family! Reunification! rules! are!
entitled! to! access! to! employment! and! selfXemployment! activity! on! the! same! terms! as! the!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
36

!Ibid.!!
!Jennifer!Rubin!et!al,!(2008)!Women!in!the!European!labour!force!X!Current!Situation!and!Future!Prospects,!
Brussels,!European!Commission,!RAND!!
38
!Directive! 2011/98/EC,! on! a! single! application! procedure! for! a! single! permit! for! thirdXcountry! nationals! to!
reside!and!work!in!the!territory!of!a!Member!State!and!on!a!common!set!of!rights!for!thirdXcountry!workers!
legally!residing!in!a!Member!State.!
39
!Directive!2003/86/EC,!on!the!right!to!family!reunification.!
37

16!
!

sponsor.! Directive$ 2003/109/EC40!creates! a! single! status! for! longXterm! resident! TCNs! and!
establishes!common!measures!to!ensure!equal!treatment!throughout!the!European!Union,!
regardless!of!the!country!of!residence.!This!includes!access!to!paid!and!unpaid!employment,!
conditions! of! employment! and! working! conditions,! vocational! training! and! workXrelated!
social!assistance.!However,!with!respect!to!the!access!to!the!labour!market,!Member!States!
may! restrict! the! equal! treatment! with! nationals! in! some! exceptional! circumstances.41!The!
Common!Basic!Principles!on!Migrant!Integration!provide!that! employment!is!a!key!part!of!
the! integration! process! and! is! central! to! the! participation! of! immigrants,! to! the!
contributions!immigrants!make!to!the!host!society,!and!to!making!such!contributions!visible.!
None!of!these!immigration!instruments!make!specific!provisions!for!the!situation!of!migrant!
women.!!
The!Strategy!for!Equality!between!Women!and!Men!reflects!on!the!low!employment!rates!
of!migrant!women!and!finds!a!strong!need!to!provide!early!support!to!migrant!women!and!
monitor! the! effect! of! such! assistance.! Making! them! more! aware! of! their! rights! and!
facilitating!their!integration!and!access!to!education!and!health!care!is!crucial.!This!builds!on!
the!acknowledgement,!in!the!same!strategy!that!reaching!the!Europe!2020!objective!of!75%!
employment!rate!for!women!and!men!requires!paying!specific!attention!to!the!labor!market!
participation! of! various! groups! including! migrant! women! an! women! from! ethnic!
minorities.42!The!Strategy!represents!the!European!Commission's!work!program!on!gender!
equality!for!the!period!2010X2015.!It!commits!the!Commission!to!promote!gender!equality&
into! all! its! policies! for! equal! economic! independents! for! women! and! men,! equal! pay! for!
work! of! equal! value,! equality! in! decisionXmaking,! dignity,! integration! and! ending! genderX
based! violence,! the! promotion! of! gender! equality! beyond! the! EU! as! well! as! through!
horizontal! issues! including! gender! roles,! legislation! and! governance! tools.! Throughout! the!
policy! any! specific! attention! paid! to! migrant! women! relates! to! their! participation! in! the!
labour!market.!The!strategy!builds!on!the!Europe!2020!strategy!which!itself!sets!targets!on!
labour!market!participation!including!the!above!mentioned!75%!participation!rate,!which!it!
notes! can! be! achieved! by! getting! more! people! into! work! including! legal! migrants! and!
women.!!
!
In! the! field! of! employment! therefore,! TCN! women! continue! to! experience! the! double!
jeopardy!of!being!women!and!being!migrants.!From!an!immigration!perspective!little!to!no!
action!is!taken!to!support!their!integration!in!the!labour!market,!whilst!some!recognition!of!
the!specific!needs!of!TCN!women!makes!its!way!into!the!gender!instruments.!!
!
3.2
!

Education&&

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
40

!Directive!2003/109/EC,!concerning!the!status!of!thirdXcountry!nationals!who!are!longXterm!resident!
!When,!in!accordance!with!existing!legislation,!these!activities!are!reserved!to!nationals!or,!also,!by!requiring!
proof!of!appropriate!language!knowledge.!
42
!Strategy!for!Equality!between!Women!and!Men!!2010X2015,!p.!12!!
41

17!
!

Education! facilitates! the! integration! of! TCN! women! into! the! host! community,! while!
educational! attainment! and! skills! are! crucial! in! determining! labour! market! participation.43!
Education!is!also!recognised!in!the!5th!Common!Basic!Principle!that!establishes!Efforts!in!
education! are! critical! to! preparing! immigrants,! and! particularly! their! descendants,! to! be!
more! successful! and! more! active! participants! in! society.! Indeed! the! right! to! education! is!
one! of! very! few! social! rights! guaranteed! to! all! individuals! under! the! EU! Charter! of!
Fundamental! rights! as! most! social! rights! are! restricted! to! either! citizens! or! those! who! are!
lawfully!resident.!!
Language!courses,!basic!knowledge!of!state!institutions!and!their!specific!functions,!as!well!
as! training! for! new! skills! are! a! few! ways! that! support! TCN! womens! integration! into! the!
hosting!society!as!well!as!entering!into!the!labour!market.!Moreover,!it!allows!TCN!women!
the!opportunity!to!interact!outside!of!the!family!life!and!find!new!social!circles,!establishing!
social!network!and!social!capital.!Despite!this,!very!few!countries!in!the!EU!provide!language!
courses!to!TCN!women!or!any!migrants.!!
Member! States! retain! the! competence! to! determine! so! access! to! education! differs! from!
country! to! country.! The! Family! Reunification! Directive$ 2003/86/EC! entitles! reunited! family!
member!access!to!education,!vocational!training!or!any!other!kind!of!training!on!the!same!
terms!as!the!sponsor.!TCNs!with!longXterm!resident!status!are!also!guaranteed!equal!access!
to!education!and!vocational!training!including!study!grants!through!Directive$2003/109/EC,!
Directive!2004/81/EC44!and!Directive$2011/98/EU.$$
Education!deficiency!is!one!of!the!main!problems!faced!by!migrant!women,!in!particular!for!
those!from!the!second!and!third!generations,!while!it!has!also!been!found!that!TCN!women!
with!secondary!or!tertiary!education!are!more!likely!to!be!excluded!from!participating!in!the!
labour! market! and! more! likely! to! be! unemployed! than! national! women! with! similar!
qualifications.!Moreover,!TCN!migrants!academic!and!vocational!qualifications!acquired!in!
their!home!countries!are!often!not!recognised!and/or!not!accepted!in!the!receiving!country.!
This! may! reflect! in! the! migrants! (mens! and! womens)! lower! level! of! participation! in!
employment,!as!well!as!their!concentration!in!lowXskill!sectors.!
&
3.3
!

Recognition&of&Qualifications&

The! development! of! a! skilled! workforce! relies! on! removing! barriers! to! labour! market!
integration!as!well!as!on!developing!effective!systems!that!recognise!acquired!competencies!
of! migrants! within! the! EU.! The! difficulties! and! barriers! highlighted! earlier! amongst! TCN!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
43

!Common!Basic!Principle!No.!5!!
!Directive!2004/81/EC!on!the!residence!permit!issued!to!thirdXcountry!nationals!who!are!victims!of!trafficking!
in! human! beings! or! who! have! been! the! subject! of! an! action! to! facilitate! illegal! immigration,! who! cooperate!
with!the!competent!authorities!

44

18!
!

women! means! that! the! potential! of! these! migrants! is! not! being! fully! utilised! and!
insufficiently! targeted! to! meet! labour! market! needs,! despite! the! substantial! role! that!
migrants! can! contribute! towards! employment! and! growth.! More! channels! are! now!
necessary!for!the!validation!of!nonXformal!and!informal!learning!with!targeted!approaches!
for!the!more!vulnerable!workers,!including!minority!groups!such!as!TCN!women.!
With! regards! to! common! academic! recognition! of! qualifications,! this! applies! when! the!
applicant! has! an! EU! qualification! and! when! the! applicant! emigrates! intraXEU! with! a!
previously!recognised!qualification!by!a!Member!State.!Since!Member!States!governments!
maintain!their!competence!on!their!education!systems,!they!are!free!to!apply!their!specific!
procedures,!including!whether!or!not!to!recognise!academic!qualifications!which!have!been!
obtained! abroad.! This! means! TCNs,! including! men! and! migrant! women,! are! being!
confronted!by!problems!when!it!comes!to!recognising!their!qualifications!in!the!EU,!creating!
a!barrier!to!prove!acquired!experience!and!acquire!labour!market!access.!According!to!EU!
Directive$ 2003/109/EC,! TCN! long! term! residents! enjoy! equal! treatment! with! nationals! as!
regards! to! recognition! of! professional! diplomas,! certificates! and! other! qualifications,! in!
accordance! with! the! relevant! national! procedures.45!This! right! is! conferred! to! TCN! shortX
term!workers!by!Directive$2011/98/EU$and!by!other!regulations!in!specific!cases.46!
3.4

Family&Reunification&

As! previously! mentioned,! Directive$ 2003/86/EC! has! stipulated! the! right! to! family!
reunification! and! supports! the! integration! of! TCNs! as! a! whole! family! by! recognising! a!
common!standard!of!the!rights!and!procedures.!47!!TCNs!that!have!a!residence!permit!valid!
for! at! least! one! year! and! reasonable! prospects! of! obtaining! the! right! of! permanent!
residence.48!Requirements!for!exercising!the!right!to!family!reunification!may!be!required!
by!Member!States.!For!cases!of!firstXdegree!ascendants!and!unmarried!descendants!in!the!
direct!line!or!unmarried!partners,!the!directive!promotes!the!issue!of!autonomous!residence!
permits!by!the!Member!States,!as!well!as!in!the!event!of!particularly!difficult!circumstances.!
However,!this!kind!of!permit!is!regulated!by!national!law.!
The!reunification!process!and!the!right!to!it!must!be!exercised!in!compliance!with!the!values!
and!principles!recognised!by!the!Member!States,!in!particular!with!respect!to!the!rights!of!
women!and!children.!The!family!reunification!process!is!done!under!personal!examination!
via!applications!and!interviews.!The!reunification!may!be!denied!if!there!is!a!threat!to!public!
policy!or!public!security.!After!applying!for!family!reunification!the!sponsor!must!give!proof!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
45

!Directive!2003/109/EC,!Article!11.!
!Directive!2009/50/EC!in!cases!of!TCN!highly!qualified!employment;!!
Directive!2005/71/EC!in!cases!of!TCN!holders!of!a!residence!permit!for!purposes!of!scientific!research;!!
47
!This! Directive! usually! applies! when! TCN! women! are! the! spouse! of! TCN! residents! in! a! Member! State,! and!
additionally!to!their!minor!children!whether!they!have!their!custody.!
48
!Directive!2003/86/EC,!Article!3.1!X!This!condition!(gives!a!margin!of!interpretation!to!the!Member!State!in!
question.!
46

19!
!

about! living! conditions! (registered! accommodation),! health! insurance! and! stable/! regular!
income! for! maintaining! his/her! family! without! social! assistance! from! the! Member! State.49!
Once! the! permit! is! issued,! spouses! and! children! may! enjoy! the! same! benefits! from! a!
Member!State:!access!to!employment,!education!and!various!trainings.!Divorced,!widowed!
or!separated!women!can!be!granted!an!autonomous!residence!permit!with!the!conditions!
related!to!granting!the!residence!permit!are!issued!by!States!national!law.!
Whilst!the!family!reunification!rules!do!not!differentiate!between!spouses!who!are!male!and!
female,! it! is! pertinent! to! note! that! the! issuance! of! an! autonomous! permit! in! situations! of!
breakdown!of!marriage!may!result!in!difficulties!for!women!to!leave!abusive!relationships.!
Whilst! this! is! an! issue! that! impacts! both! genders,! evidence! indicates! women! are! more!
impacted!by!this!than!men.!!
3.5 AntiWdiscrimination&
In!2000,!the!EU!adopted!two!antiXdiscrimination!directives!2000/43/EC,$also$known$as!The!
Racial! Equality! Directive! and! Directive! 2000/78/EC 50 !also! known! as! the! Employment!
Framework! Directive! which! recognise! that! women! are! often! victims! of! multiple!
discriminations.! Both! Directives! offer! minimum! legal! protection! against! discrimination.!
Moreover,!in!2010,!the!European!Commission!adopted!a!!Strategy$for$Equality$between$Men$
and$ Women,51!which! makes! a! commitment,! inter$ alia,! to! promote! gender! equality! in! all!
initiatives!on!immigration!and!integration!of!migrants,!in!order!to!reach!the!Europe!2020!
objectives52!and!to!facilitate!female!integration!and!access!to!education!and!health!care!
as! well! as! to! ensure! womens! rights! and! civic! participation,! to! fully! use! their! employment!
potential!and!to!improve!their!access!to!education!and!lifelong!learning.53!
3.5.1 Gender&equality&
The! principle! of! equal! treatment! between! women! and! men! is! well! established! by! the!
Community$ Acquis,! in! particular! through! Directive$ 76/207/EEC. 54 !Directive! 2000/78/EC!
states! that! women! have! to! be! protected! and! granted! equal! rights! with! men,! as! they! are!
more! likely! to! be! victims! of! discrimination.! Moreover,! this! Directive! lays! down! the!
retirement!ages!and!restricts!rules!to!ensure!equal!treatment!between!women!and!men!in!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
49

Ibid,!!Article!7(c)!
!
!Directive!2000/78/EC,!establishing!a!general!framework!for!equal!treatment!in!employment!and!occupation.!
51
!European!Commission,!Strategy!for!Equality!between!Men!and!Women,!September!2010.!
52
!Specifically:!The!employment!rate!of!the!population!aged!20X64!should!increase!from!the!current!69%!to!at!
least!75%,!including!through!the!greater!involvement!of!women,!older!workers!and!the!better!integration!of!
migrants!in!the!work!force.!
53
!European!Womens!Lobby,!Equal!Rights,!Equal!Voices.!Migrant!Women!in!the!European!Union,!2007,!p.20!
54
1976/207/EEC,$!On!the!implementation!of!the!principle!of!equal!treatment!for!men!and!women!as!regards!to!
their!access!to!employment,!vocational!training!and!promotion,!and!working!conditions!
50

20!
!

employment.! Other! sectorial! regulations! related! to! equal! treatment! between! women! and!
men!have!been!introduced.55!
As!noted!above,!gender!equality!legislation!does!not!preclude,!but!rather!promotes,!positive!
action! measures! intended! to! support! groups! that! experience! greater! degrees! of!
discrimination! and! disadvantage.! Integration! outcomes! for! migrant! women! indicate! that!
positive!action!measures!might!be!required!in!order!to!address!their!specific!situation!and!
challenges.!!
3.5.2 Discrimination&Based&on&Nationality&
Directive$2000/43/EC56!ensures!the!development!of!democratic!and!tolerant!societies!which!
allow! the! participation! of! all! persons! irrespective! of! racial! or! ethnic! origin.! However,! the!
Directive! does! not! apply! to! the! difference! of! treatment! based! on! nationality,! or! the!
conditions!of!entry!and!residence!for!TCNs!into!the!EU.!!The!so!called!nationality!exemption!
has! provided! space! for! indirect! discrimination! to! go! unpunished.! Its! implications! however!
are!not!gender!specific!and!apply!to!men!and!women.!!!
!
3.6
!

Active&citizenship&and&Political&Participation&

Currently! there! is! no! EU! legislation! laying! down! practices! relating! to! the! right! of! TCN! to!
active!or!passive!suffrage!or!other!political!participation!in!any!elections!and!TCN!womens!
involvement!with!active!citizenship!depends!on!their!status.! TCN!women!who!are!married!to!a!
(EU/MS)!citizen!may!be!able!to!acquire!citizenship.!ShortXterm!migrants!are!usually!not!engaged!
in!active!participation!due!to!the!short!period!of!time!they!are!staying!in!the!country!and!
similarly,! longXterm! residents! may! have! higher! rates! of! political! participation,! but! every!
Member!State!has!their!own!legislation!to!allow!political!participation.!In!some!EU!countries!
TCNs! have! the! right! to! vote! during! local! elections,! but! before! that! they! need! to! meet!
specific! requirements! which! usually! include! possessing! a! residence! permit! for! at! least! five!
years! in! the! country,! a! registered! address,! or! in! some! cases! migrants! need! to! have!
documents!of!citizenship.57!!!
3.7 Long&Term&Residence&W&Access&to&Nationality&
Long!term!residence!for!TCNs!is!determined!under!Directive$2003/109/EC.!It!applies!to!TCNs!
residing!lawfully!in!the!EU!as!longXterm!residents!and!obliges!Member!States!to!recognise!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
55

!These!are!the!Directives!1979/07/EEC!(19.12.1978),!on!Social!Security;!the!Directive!2004/113!(13.12.2004),!
on!the!access!to!goods!and!services;!2006/54!(05.07.2006)!for!employment!and!education;!and!the!Directive!
2010/41!(07.07.2010)!for!selfXemployed!workers.!!
56
!European! Directive! 2010/07/EC! On! implementing! the! principle! of! equal! treatment! between! persons!
irrespective!of!racial!or!ethnic!origin!
57
!F.!Anthias,!M.!Kontos!&!M.!MorokvasicXMuller,!(2009),!Paradoxes!of!Integration:!Female!Migrants!in!Europe,!
2009,!pg.!104.!

21!
!

longXterm! resident! status! to! TCNs! after! five! years! of! continuous! residence.58!Moreover,! in!
order! to! obtain! this! resident! status,! TCNs! are! required! to! prove,! for! them! and! their!
dependants,! that! they! have! health! insurance! as! well! as! stable! and! regular! resources.!
Granted!permanent!residence!permits!are!standard!for!all!the!Member!States,!valid!for!at!
least!five!years!and!automatically!renewable.!!
After!obtaining!the!longXterm!residence!TCNs!enjoy!protection!against!expulsion,!conferring!
equal!treatment!with!nationals!upon!their!beneficiaries,!unless!they!constitute!a!threat!to!
public!security!or!public!policies.!TCNs!are!entitled!to!enjoy!equal!rights!as!Member!States!
nationals!with!access!to!education,!the!labour!market,!vocational!training,!selfXemployment,!
social!security!and!social!assistance,!tax!benefits,!and!goods!and!services.!Additionally,!the!
longXterm! residents! TCNs! freedom! of! movement! within! the! EU! includes! the! right! of!
residence,!for!a!period!of!over!three!months,!in!a!Member!State!other!than!the!permanent!
residence!granter.59!With!regards!to!the!family!members,!they!may!accompany!or!join!the!
longXterm! resident! to! the! second! Member! State! on! condition! that! they! already! formed! a!
family!in!the!first!Member!State.!Furthermore,!longXterm!residents!who!live!in!the!second!
Member!State!shall!retain!their!status!in!the!first!Member!State!until!they!will!have!acquired!
the! same! status! in! the! second! Member! State! and,! after! a! legal! fiveXyear! residence! there,!
they!may!apply!for!longXterm!residence!in!the!second!Member!State.!Nevertheless,!the!first!
Member! State! is! obliged! to! readmit,! together! with! their! family! members,! longXterm!
residents!whose!application!have!been!rejected!by!the!second!Member!State.!!
A! temporary! residence! permit! may! be! obtained! if! TCNs! are! coming! to! Europe! for! highly!
skilled!employment.!All!highly!skilled!migrants!have!the!possibility!to!apply!for!the!EU!Blue!
Card!and!at!the!same!time!must!receive!a!specific!residence!permit!issued!by!EU$Directive$
2009/50/EC.60$
There!is!currently!no!EU!legislation!laying!down!practices!relating!the!access!to!nationality.!
This! is! being! done! under! processes! of! naturalisation! and! it! varies! from! one! country! to!
another!country.!Common!obligations!usually!include!residing!from!five!to!ten!years!in!the!
hosting! Member! State,! a! police! clearance! certificate,! health! insurance,! proof! of! language!
proficiency,!and!proof!of!a!stable!financial!situation.61!
!
!

&

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
58

!Some!types!of!absences!are!not!regarded!as!interruption!of!the!continuous!residence!
!However,!Member!States!may!give!preference!to!EU!citizens!for!reasons!of!labour!market!policy!and!limit!
the!number!of!residence!permits!if!they!had!set!out!a!national!law!limiting!admissions!of!TCNs!at!the!time!of!
the!adoption!of!the!aboveXmentioned!Directive.!
60
!European!Council,!European!Directive!2009/50/EC!(25.05.2009).!
61
!M.!Kontos,!(2009),!Integration!of!Female!Immigrants!in!Labour!Market!and!society,!2009,!pg.!34!
59

22!
!

The&Integration&of&Migrant&Children&

As!more!minors!have!been!arriving!in!Europe,!the!EU!has!put!in!place!various!measures!to!
address! the! integration! of! migrant! children! into! society.! Efforts! have! been! undertaken! to!
address! children! migrants! who! arrived! with! family! members,! unaccompanied! minors,! as!
well!as!trafficked!children.!However,!more!attention!is!needed!to!the!specific!needs!of!these!
vulnerable!groups!in!terms!of!social!inclusion!and!to!creating!a!EuropeanXwide!model!and!
definition! for! the! roles! of! guardians! to! ensure! that! the! best! interests! of! the! child! are!
safeguarded!including!within!the!migration!context.!!
Broadly! speaking,! the! rights! of! children! in! the! EU! are! protected! under! Article! 24! of! the!
European$ Charter$ of$ Fundamental$ Rights,! as! well! as! Article! 17! of! the$ European$ Social$
Charter,!and!the!internal!legal!framework!on!child!rights!more!broadly.!Article!24!provides!
that! Children! shall! have! the! right! to! such! protection! and! care! as! is! necessary! for! their!
wellbeing!and!that!in!all!actions!relating!to!children,!whether!taken!by!public!authorities!
or! private! institutions,! the! childs! best! interest! must! be! a! primary! consideration.62!! This!
builds!on!Member!States!commitments!including,!but!not!limited!to,!the!Convention!on!the!
Rights!of!the!Child.!Moreover!every!child!shall!have!the!right!to!maintain!on!a!regular!basis!
a! personal! relationship! and! direct! contact! with! either! his! or! her! parents,! unless! this! is!
contrary! to! his! or! her! interests.! By! way! of! process,! the! charter! speaks! of! the! right! of!
children! to! express! their! views! and! to! be! heard,! noting! that! they! (children)! may! express!
their! views! freely.! Such! views! shall! be! taken! into! consideration! on! matters! which! concern!
them!in!accordance!with!their!age!and!maturity.!!!
Within!the!ten!countries!studied,!it!was!generally!found!that!integration!of!TCN!children!is!
better!met!by!the!policy!frameworks!of!countries!where!this!target!group!is!more!numerous!
and! more! significant! as! a! share! of! total! child! population. 63 !The! majority! of! integration!
measures!targeting!children!have!been!taken!in!the!field!of!education!and!have!tended!to!
be!projectXbased.!64!Despite!the!universal!character!of!the!basic!child's!rights,!including!the!
right!of!education,!legal!frameworks!in!some!of!the!participating!countries!still!do!not!give!
access!to!free!education!to!some!groups!of!TCN!children.65!
!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
62

!Fundamental!Charter!of!the!European!Union.!!
!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!2:!Assessment!of!the!!Integration!of!TCN!Children,!II.2!Policy!Assessment!!
64
!See:!Promising!Practices!of!Integration!and!Monitoring!
65
!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!2:!Assessment!of!the!!Integration!of!TCN!Children,!II.2!Policy!Assessment,!
Conclusions!!
63

23!
!

&The&ASSESS&project&identified&three&integration&practices&targeting&
migrant&children,&Belgium,&Greece&and&Malta,&are&all&project&based&
with& the& latter& two& being& EU& funded& while& Maltas& is& government&
funded.& Two& of& the& three& practices& selected& focus& on& improving&
education&for&TCN&children.66&&
&
Greece:! Education$ of$ Immigrant$ and$ Repatriate$ Students$ was$ a$
training$ project$ for$ teachers$ working$ in$ schools$ with$ relatively$ high$
percentages$of$migrant$pupils$which$sought$to$better$prepare$them$
to$work$with$diverse$classrooms.!
!
Malta:! Induction$ Classes$ for$ TCN$ Students$ is$ a$ 6Qweek$ intervention$
programme$which$aims$to$strengthen$the$linguistic$capacity$of$TCN$
children,$ with$ the$ ultimate$ goal$ of$ integrating$ children$ within$
mainstream$schooling$more$effectively!
!
Belgium:!Minor$Newcomers$and$Leisure$Time$in$Brussels$is$situated$
in$ a$ different$ field$ $ leisure$ and$ access$ to$ activities.$ Its$ goal$ was$ to$
facilitate$ access$ of$ newly$ arriving$ migrant$ children$ to$ leisure$ time$
activities$ in$ Brussels.$ Although$ it$ was$ implemented$ on$ a$ project$
basis,$ its$ organising$ entities$ were$ successful$ in$ putting$ some$
elements$of$the$project$on$a$more$permanent$basis.!
!
4.1

Education&

The!right!to!education!is!enshrined!in!Article!14!of!the!Charter!of!Fundamental!Rights!which!
provides! that! everyone! has! the! right! to! education,! to! have! access! to! vocational! and!
continuing!training!and!that!this!right!includes!the!possibility!to!receive!free!compulsory!
education.! The! Common$ Basic$ Principles$ of$ Integration! and! in! particular! Principle! No.! 5!
provides! that:! efforts! in! education! are! critical! to! preparing! immigrants,! and! particularly!
their! descendants,! to! be! more! successful! and! more! active! participants! in! society.67!This!
provides! a! critical! policy! base! for! education! to! take! centre! stage! on! all! issues! relating! to!
integration,!in!particular,!but!not!limited!to,!the!integration!of!migrant!children.!!
The! Long! Term! Residence! Directives! preamble! notes! that! the! Member! States! should!
remain!subject!to!the!obligation!to!afford!access!for!minors!to!the!educational!system!under!
conditions!similar!to!those!laid!down!for!their!nationals.68!Article!11!of!the!same!directive!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
66

!For!a!more!complete!overview!of!these!projects!see:!Promising!Practices!of!Integration!and!Monitoring!
!European!Commission,!Common!Basic!Principles!for!Immigrant!Integration!Policy!in!the!EU.!
68
!Directive!2003/109/EC,!Preamble!Para.!14.!!
67

24!
!

provides! for! equal! treatment! with! nationals! with! regards! to! inter! alia,! education! and!
vocational!training,!subject!to!the!possibility!of!requiring!language!proficiency.69!!
The! EUs! asylum! acquis! also! makes! specific! provisions! regarding! access! to! education! for!
children.! The! Reception! Directive$ 2013/33/EU 70 !requires! Member! States! to! provide! the!
same!education!to!TCN!minors!as!to!nationals,!for!so!long!as!an!expulsion!measure!against!
them!or!their!parents!is!not!actually!enforced.!Access!to!education!must!not!be!postponed!
for! longer! than! three! months! after! lodging! their! asylum! application.! The! directive! also!
obliges! Member! States! to! provide! preparatory! classes,! including! language! classes,! to!
facilitate!their!access!and!full!potential!to!participate!in!the!education!system.!Furthermore,!
a! State! cannot! withdraw! opportunities! for! secondary! education! after! one! is! no! longer!
considered!a!minor!based!on!national!law.!
The! EU! also! addresses! education! for! particularly! vulnerable! children! who! are! either!
trafficked! children! or! children! of! trafficked! persons.! The! EUs! AntiXtrafficking$ Directive$
2011/36/EU 71 $mandates! the! provision! of! education! to! these! groups,! who! are! given!
assistance! and! support! in! accordance! with! a! Member! States! national! law. 72 !Trafficked!
children!must!be!enrolled!in!school!by!their!guardian,!who!is!also!responsible!for!collecting!
all! information! on! the! childs! past! educational! experiences! and! to! provide! the! child! with!
appropriate!information!on!available!educational!opportunities.73!
&
4.2

Social&Inclusion&

Social! inclusion! is! of! the! utmost! priority! for! integrating! migrant! children! into! European!
societies,! especially! when! on! considers! the! drastic! inequalities! they! faced! with! 49.3%! of!
young! TCN! facing! a! significant! risk! of! poverty! or! social! exclusion.74!Migrant! children! are!
almost! twice! more! likely! to! be! at! risk! of! poverty! than! EU! children,! with! respective! atXrisk!
poverty! rates! of! 35.6%! and! 18.8%.75!Although! migrant! children! have! been! identified! as! a!
socially! vulnerable! group,! the! EU! has! not! taken! specific! measures! to! facilitate! their! social!
integration! into! society.! In! the! field! of! social! inclusion,! some! critical! concerns! have! been!
identified!in!most!of!the!ten!countries!that!might!put!in!question!the!compliance!with!basic!
children's! rights. 76 !In! the! majority! of! the! participating! countries! more! vulnerable! TCN!
families! have! less! possibilities! to! receive! support! leaving! them! in! a! more! disadvantaged!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
69

!Ibid.!Article!11(3)b!!
!Directive!2013/33/EU,!laying!down!standards!for!the!reception!of!applicants!for!international!protection.!
71
!Directive!2011/36/EU,!on!preventing!and!combating!trafficking!in!human!beings!and!protecting!its!victims.!
72
!Ibid.!Article!14.!!
73
!EU!Agency!for!Fundamental!Human!Rights,!(2014)!Guardianship!for!children!deprived!of!parental!care,!pg.!
87!
74
!Eurostat.!(2014).!
75
!Ibid.!!
76
!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!2:!Assessment!of!the!!Integration!of!TCN!Children,!II.2!Policy!Assessment.!
70

25!
!

position!than!TCN!adults!as!a!whole.!Moreover,!in!the!same!countries,!policies!against!child!
poverty!fail!to!specifically!target!TCN!children.77!!
In! terms! of! social! integration! of! TCN! children! and! their! inclusion! in! intercultural! and! freeX
time! activities,! one! main! risk! is! identified.! Almost! everywhere,! these! activities! are! held! at!
local! or! school! level.! On! the! one! hand,! the! diversity! of! different! actors;! local! and! regional!
authorities,!schools,!NGOs!and!IOs,!create!a!great!variety!of!possibilities!for!TCN!children!to!
integrate!in!many!innovative!ways.!On!the!other!hand,!the!actual!participation!of!every!TCN!
child! in! similar!activities!is!questionable!due! to!different!factors,!as!lack!of!stable! funding,!
lack! of! enough! information! accessible! to! all! potential! beneficiaries,! limited! capacity! of!
organised!events,!cultural!barriers,!etc.!
The!Europe$2020$Strategy!addresses!various!issues!relating!to!social!exclusion!and!provide!
an! outlook! to! reinforce! smart,! sustainable,! and! inclusive! growth.78!! Although! the! Strategy!
does! not! provide! specific! recommendations! for! integrating! migrant! children! in! society,! it!
does!address!the!issue!of!child!poverty!and!the!importance!of!incorporating!all!migrants.!!At!
the!EU!level,!the!Commission!aims!to!design!and!implement!programmes!to!promote!social!
innovation!for!the!most!vulnerable,!in!particular!by!providing!innovative!education,!training,!
and! employment! opportunities! for! deprived! communities,! to! fight! discrimination! (e.g.!
disabled),!and!to!develop!a!new!agenda!for!migrants!integration!to!enable!them!to!take!full!
advantage!of!their!potential.!The!Strategy!further!emphasises!the!importance!of!Member!
States!to!implement!measures!addressing!specific!circumstances!of!groups!at!particular!risk.!!!
4.3
!

Guardianship&

The! ASSESS! Project! identified! a! number! of! critical! concerns! regarding! guardianship! in! the!
participating!Member!States!including!relating!to:!assignment!procedures,!requirements!of!
potential!guardians,!definition!of!roles,!and!overall!control!and!monitoring!of!guardianship!
services.79!The! respective! legislation! in! part! of! the! ten! countries! is! not! adapted! to! specific!
situation! of! unaccompanied! TCN! minors,! and! envisages! assignment! of! guardians! only! in!
cases!when!parents!are!deceased,!fully!debarred,!deprived!of!parental!care,!or!missing.80!
The! European! Union! still! lacks! a! common! definition! of! a! guardian.! The! EU! approach! to!
guardianship! is! relatively! convoluted! as! the! terms! guardian,! representative! and! legal!
representative!are!used!interchangeably!while!national!governments!often!apply!their!own!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
77

!Ibid.!!
!Europe!2020,!A!European!Strategy!for!smart,!sustainable!and!inclusive!growth,!European!Commission.!!
79
!See:!Comparative!Report,!Part!2:!Assessment!of!the!!Integration!of!TCN!Children,!II.2!Policy!Assessment,!
Conclusions!
80
!Ibid.!!
78

26!
!

definitions.81!This! has! caused! guardianship! systems! in! the! EU! Member! States!to! vary! from!
one! country! to! another,! as! they! depend! on! needs,! available! resources! and! cultural,! social!
and!historical!factors.82 !
Despite!these!inconsistencies,!Directive!2013/33/EU!mandates!that!Member!States!shall!as!
soon!as!possible!take!measures!to!ensure!that!a!representative!represents!and!assists!the!
unaccompanied! minor! to! enable! him! or! her! to! benefit! from! the! rights! ()! The!
representative!shall!perform!his!or!her!duties!in!accordance!with!the!principle!of!the!best!
interests! of! the! child.! The! Procedures! Directive! obliges! Member! States! to! ensure! that! a!
child! can! make! an! application! for! international! protection! and! to! do! so! through! a!
representative! if! needed.! For! the! purposes! of! the! directive,! the! term! representative! is!
defined!as!referring!to!a!person!or!an!organisation!appointed!by!the!competent!bodies!in!
order! to! assist! and! represent! an! unaccompanied! minor! in! procedures! with! a! view! to!
ensuring! the! best! interests! of! the! child! and! exercising! legal! capacity! for! the! minor! where!
necessary.!
The! role! of! a! guardian! may! be! taken! on! by! a! legal! person,! an! institution! or! a! competent!
authority.! The! specific! assistance! and! support! provided! by! the! guardian! should! guarantee!
the!childs!best!interests,!ensure!overall!wellXbeing!and!provide!legal!representation.!There!
is! a! possibility! that! a! close! relative! would! be! appointed! as! a! childs! guardian,! unless! there!
are! indicators! that! it! would! not! represent! the! best! interest! of! the! child.! When! family!
members! are! willing! to! take! care! of! a! child,! but! cannot! ensure! legal! representation,! a!
guardian!should!be!appointed!by!the!authorities!to!cover!the!gap.!In!any!case,!competent!
authorities!are!obliged!to!monitor!guardianship!and!review!the!childs!situation.!!!
Acknowledging! the! important! role! that! a! guardian! plays! in! safeguarding! the! rights! of!
children,! the! European! Union! Agency! for! Fundamental! Rights! has! developed! a! handbook!
intended! to! assist! stakeholders! in! the! development! of! national! guardianship! systems.! The!
handbook! aims! to! support! public! officials! who! are! responsible! for! guardianship! and! legal!
representation!of!children!at!a!national,!regional!or!local!level.!It!provides!guidance!on!how!
to! establish! and! run! national! guardianship! systems,! and! identifies! the! main! tasks! that! a!
guardian!should!carry!out.!Such!a!common!understanding!should!help!standardise!the!level!
of! protection! offered! to! children! throughout! the! EU.! The! handbook! is! not! specifically!
focused!on!the!situation!of!migrant!children!but!rather!speaks!about!children!in!care!more!
broadly.! Even! so,! it! provides! important! support! and! sets! out! standards! that! would! be!
applicable! to! migrant! children,! specifically! unaccompanied! minors! as! well! as! trafficked!
children.!!
&

&

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
81

!EU!Agency!for!Fundamental!Human!Rights,!(2014),!Guardianship!for!children!deprived!of!parental!care!A!
handbook!to!reinforce!guardianship!systems!to!cater!for!the!specific!needs!of!child!victims!of!trafficking,!
Luxembourg.!
82
!Ibid.!!

27!
!

&
5

The&Integration&of&Trafficked&Persons&

Trafficked!Persons!have!specific!needs!with!regards!to!integration!that!differ!in!no!small!way!
to! the! needs! of! a! highly! skilled! worker! or! beneficiaries! of! international! protection.! A!
trafficked!persons!ability!to!integrate!successfully!is!influenced!by!a!variety!of!factors!that!
create!specific!challenges!and!barriers!on!their!path!to!successful!integration.!Research!has!
identified!five!issues!that!emerged!as!key!to!integration!for!trafficked!persons!namely:!the!
fundamental! question! of! status,! addressing! the! facilitating! issues! for! integration! of! safety!
and! security! through! psychoXsocial! assistance! for! the! specific! needs! of! people! who! have!
experienced! the! exploitation! of! trafficking,! shelter,! employment! and! access! to! social!
benefits.83!!
Most!crucial!are!the!initial!stages!after!the!exploitation!phase,!when!the!trafficked!persons!
first!contacts!are!established!with!the!authorities,!which!is!likely!to!set!the!foundation!for!
any! further! integration! prospects.! Integration! does! not! specifically! feature! in! Directive!
2011/36/EC,!the!human!trafficking!legislation!at!the!European!level,!except!for!a!comment!
in! the! preamble! which! mentions! integration! in! the! host! community! or! the! granting! of!
international!protection!as!durable!solutions!together!with!return!and!reXintegration!in!the!
country!of!origin.!!!
Indeed,! very! few! studies! have! been! carried! out! on! the! topic! of! integration! of! trafficked!
persons! and! those! that! have! often! focus! more! on! specific! aspects! such! as! health,!
identification! or! have! generalised! between! integration! in! the! destination! country! and!
reintegration!in!the!country!of!origin.84!A!critical!focus!of!work!and!analysis!has!been!on!the!
balance!between!the!law!enforcement!prerogative!and!the!rights!of!trafficked!person.!This!
dichotomy!also!reflects!itself!in!policy!documents!that!have!eluded!the!issue!of!integration!
of!trafficked!persons,!not!least!due!to!the!assumption!in!the!legal!and!policy!framework!that!
TCN!Trafficked!Persons!will!not!be!in!the!country!of!destination!in!the!long!term.!!
!
The! most! important! EU! instruments! that! pertain! to! TCN! trafficked! persons! rights! are!
Directive$2011/36/EC!and!Directive$2004/81/EC.!These!provide!the!basis!for!action!regarding!
issues!such!as!status,!support,!education!and!employment,!all!of!which!are!crucial!aspects!
that! contribute! towards! successful! integration! in! the! Member! State.! EU! Directive$
2011/36/EC$ establishes! common! standards! for! all! Member! States,! including! penalties,!
procedures! of! assistance,! support! and! protection! for! victims,! as! well! as! prevention!
measures.!It!also!recognises!the!diversity!of!human!trafficking,!since!men!and!women!come!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
83

!International!Organisation!for!Migration,!Evaluation!of!the!Effectiveness!of!Measures!for!the!Integration!of!
Trafficked!Persons,!IOM,!2012!
84
!Ibid.!!

28!
!

into! contact! with! perpetrators! for! different! reasons! and! are! often! trafficked! for! different!
purposes,! the! directive! proposes! a! gender! specific! approach! to! assisting! and! supporting!
trafficked! persons.! Directive$ 2004/81/EC$ sets! out$ the! minimum! standards! for! residence!
permits!issued!to!victims!of!trafficking!who!cooperate!with!the!competent!authorities.!
&
5.1

Residence&Permit&

The! 2004! Residence! Permit! Directive! obliges! the! Member! States! to! inform! trafficked!
persons!about!the!possibility!of!acquiring!the!residence!permit!which!applies!only!to!TCNs!
who!have!been!subject!to!trafficking!or!smuggling,!have!reached!the!age!of!majority!as!set!
out!by!the!law!of!the!Member!State!concerned,!and!who!provide!the!competent!authorities!
with!information!about!their!traffickers.!!
In! order! to! ensure! that! the! victim! is! making! a! wellXinformed! decision! they! are! provided! a!
reflection!period,!the!length!of!which!is!left!up!to!the!Member!States!to!decide!upon.!The!
reflection! period! allows! the! victims! to! leave! the! influence! of! the! traffickers! while!
considering!whether!or!not!they!want!to!cooperate!with!authorities.!The!reflection!period!is!
a! key! phase! in! tackling! the! issues! of! safety! and! security! and! in! creating! a! foundation! for!
integration.!During!this!period!trafficked!persons!cannot!be!expelled!from!the!country!and!
should!be!granted!assistance85!from!competent!authorities,!together!with!access!to!medical!
treatment!and!psychological!care.!After!the!reflection!period,!the!residence!permit!may!be!
granted!for!at!least!six!months!with!the!possibility!of!renewal.!The!granting!of!the!residence!
permit!is!however!conditional!on!the!individuals!ability!and!willingness!to!cooperate!with!
the!authorities.!!
Trafficked! Persons! who! hold! a! residence! permit! are! allowed! access! to! the! labour! market,!
education! and! vocational! training,! which! are! limited! to! the! duration! of! the! permit.! The!
permit!is!not!renewed!if!the!conditions!of!the!directive!are!no!longer!met!or!if!the!relevant!
proceedings!have!been!terminated!and!withdrawn!for!reasons!of!public!policy!and!national!
security,! abuse! and! fraud.! Furthermore! the! permit! may! not! be! renewed! if! the! victim!
contacts! those! suspected! of! committing! the! offences,! if! they! cease! to! cooperate! or! if! the!
proceedings!are!discontinued.!This!is!an!extension!of!the!conditionality!of!protection,!and!is!
of! concern! most! notably! because! the! permit! may! be! withdrawn! or! not! renewed! even! for!
reasons!beyond!the!power!of!the!trafficked!person.!!
Some!of!the!key!concerns!regarding!these!residence!permits!include!their!conditionality!on!
cooperation! with! the! authority,! their! limited! duration! (limited! to! such! time! as! the!
cooperation! continues),! and! their! accessibility! in! practice.! Such! residence! permits! are! not!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
85

!Directive!2011/36/EC,!Article!11,!this!includes!translation,!interpreting!services!and!free!legal!aid,!if!provided!
for!in!national!law.!!

29!
!

intended! as! integration! measures! but! rather! apply! the! trafficked! person! as! a! tool! in! the!
hands!of!prosecutors,!whose!protection!ends!if!and!when!he/she!is!no!longer!useful!to!the!
investigation!or!prosecution!of!the!traffickers.!The!residence!permit,!a!reference!to!which!is!
also!found!in!the!Council!of!Europe!AntiXTrafficking!Convention,!indicate!a!law!enforcement!
approach!that!is!adopted!by!the!European!Unions!antiXtrafficking!measures.!!
In! some! cases,! trafficked! persons! may! also! apply! for! international! protection! as! a! way! of!
securing! a! right! of! residence! in! the! country! of! destination.! Indeed! both! the! trafficking!
instruments!and!the!asylum!acquis!recognise!this!possibility.!The!2011!Trafficking!Directive!
requires! Member! States! to! inform! trafficked! persons! of! the! right! to! seek! international!
protection.86!The!Reception!Directive!and!the!Qualification!Directive!oblige!Member!States!
to!take!into!account!the!specific!situation!of!vulnerable!persons!defined!as!including,!inter$
alia,!trafficked!persons.87!!
!
5.2

Access&to&Welfare&and&Support&

The! support! from! host! countries! must! be! given! as! soon! as! competent! authorities! have!
reasonable! grounds! to! believe! that! a! person! might! have! been! trafficked. 88 !Trafficked!
persons!are!provided!with!a!subsistenceXlevel!of!living!conditions,!safe!accommodation!and!
other!material!assistance.!As!mentioned!above,!medical!treatment,!psychological!assistance!
and! counselling! are! granted! for! all! trafficked! persons! during! the! reflection! period.!
Furthermore,! trafficked! persons! are! entitled! to! translation! and! interpretation! services,! as!
well!as!any!other!special!needs,!in!particular!in!relation!to!pregnancy,!mental!health!issues!
or!disability.!Under!the!2011!Trafficking!Directive,!Member!States!are!obliged!to!ensure!that!
access! to! welfare! and! support! are! not! conditional! on! the! cooperation! of! the! trafficked!
person! with! the! authorities.! However! this! provision! is! premised! on! the! right! of! the!
individual!to!remain!in!the!country!which!itself!is!conditional!on!cooperation!(see!section!on!
status! above).! European! Union! law! also! differentiates! between! assistance! and! support! on!
the! one! hand! and! protection! on! the! other,! with! the! latter! being! reserved! for! persons!
involved!in!the!criminal!proceedings.!!
The!specific!needs!of!trafficked!persons!in!terms!of!assistance,!support!and!protection!are!
also!acknowledged!in!the!Victims!of!Crime!Directive!2012/29EU89!that!considers!trafficking!
as! a! manifestation! of! gender! based! violence! (thereby! somehow! limiting! its! scope),! whilst!
also! noting! the! risk! of! secondary! or! repeat! victimisation.! The! preamble! to! the! directive!
outlines! that! the! implementation! of! the! directive! should! consider! the! specific! needs! of!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
86

!Article!11(5)!!
!Article!21!
88
!Ibid.!Article!11(2).!
89
!Directive!2012/29/EC,!Establishing!minimum!standards!on!the!rights,!support!and!protection!of!victims!of!
crime.!
87

30!
!

persons! who! have! suffered! considerable! harm,! noting! human! trafficking! as! one! such!
instance.!!
5.3

Employment&

Access! to! adequate! employment,! whether! in! the! host! country! or! the! country! of! origin! is!
considered!a!preXrequisite!for!avoiding!the!risk!of!further!victimisation!and!exploitation!pf!
trafficked! persons.! Indeed! the! EU! Strategy! to! Combat! Human! Trafficking! lists! lack! of!
employment! opportunities! as! a! root! cause! of! human! trafficking.! Access! to! employment! is!
granted!to!trafficked!persons!under!EU$Directive$2004/81/EC,$which!therefore!means!that!it!
is! limited! to! those! cooperating! with! the! authorities.! Article! 11! obliges! Member! States! to!
define!national!rules!under!which!holders!of!the!residence!permit!may!be!granted!access!to!
the! labour! market! that! includes! vocational! training! but! is! limited! to! the! duration! of! the!
residence! permit.! Additionally,! under! the! same! Directive,! trafficked! persons! are! granted!
access!to!existing!programmes!or!schemes!provided!by!the!Member!States!aimed!at!a!faster!
recovery!and!an!easier!integration.!The!2011!Directive!does!not!make!specific!reference!to!
employment!rights,!relying!on!the!assumption!that!access!to!the!labour!market!is!managed!
under!the!instrument!providing!residence!rights!for!the!individual!involved.!!
5.4

Education&

Access!to!education!is!guaranteed!by!the!EU$Directive$2004/81/EC.!Article!11!provides!that!
all! residence! permit! holders! must! be! provided! with! access! to! education! and! vocational!
training.! The! access! is! limited! to! the! duration! of! the! residence! permit! and! is! regulated! by!
domestic! law.! Directive! 2011/! 36/EU! also! provides! for! access! to! education! for! trafficked!
children!and!children!of!trafficked!persons!within!a!reasonable!time.90!!
!
5.5

Recognition&of&Qualifications&

There! are! no! specific! provisions! for! the! recognition! of! academic! qualifications! under!
Directive$ 2004/81/EC! or! Directive! 2011/36/EU.! For! this! reason,! it! applies! the! aboveX
mentioned! general! principles! of! nonXdiscrimination! and! equal! treatment! with! nationals! of!
the!Member!State,!recognised!by!the!Directive$2011/98/EC.!In!this!case,!trafficked!persons!
have! the! right! of! recognition! of! their! diplomas,! certificates! and! any! other! qualifications! in!
the!same!way!as!other!migrants.!!
5.6

Cross&Cutting&Issues&&Trafficked&Children&

!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
90

!Article!14!!

31!
!

It!is!noted!that!whilst!this!handbook!has!addressed!the!issue!of!child!migrants!and!that!of!
trafficked! persons! separately,! there! may! be! considerable! overlap! between! the! two! issues.!
Trafficking! Directive! 2011/36/EU! also! provides! specific! provisions! for! the! protection! and!
care! of! trafficked! children! identified! within! the! EU.! Indeed! the! issue! of! trafficked! children!
has!received!considerable!attention!at!EU!level!including!through!the!EU$Strategy$to$Combat$
Human$ Trafficking91!which! provides! for! the! funding! of! child! protection! systems! and! the!
development,! together! with! the! Agency! for! Fundamental! rights! guidelines! on!
guardianship.92!These!have!been!discussed!elsewhere!in!this!handbook.!!
&
The! Promising! Practice! which! was! selected! in! the! category! of! trafficked! persons! is! not! a!
classic! integration! practice,! the! coordination! of! different! agencies! can! be! seen! as! a!
prerequisite!for!integration!and!in!order!to!integrate!successfully,!it!is!necessary!to!receive!
these!specific!services.93!
&
Bulgaria:! National$ Mechanism$ for$ Referral$ and$ Assistance$ of$ Trafficked$ Persons$ (NRM)$
coordinates$ the$ actions$ of$ all$ agencies$ and$ actors$ in$ contact$ with$ trafficked$ persons$ and$
mainly$ aims$ at$ identification$ and$ first$ response.$ The$ mechanism$ designates$ the$ division$ of$
responsibilities$and$clear$steps$in$interQinstitutional$cooperation$among$a$wide$range$of$state$
and$ NGO$ institutions$ for$ the$ referral$ of$ trafficked$ persons.$ The$ designated$ referral$ process$
sets$ the$ frame$ for$ the$ provision$ of$ comprehensive$ services$ for$ trafficked$ victims$ while$
ensuring$the$protection$of$their$human$rights.&
!
!

&

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
91

!European!Commission,!the!EU!Strategy!towards!the!Eradication!of!Trafficking!in!Human!Beings,!20122016.!
!European!Agency!for!Fundamental!Rights,!Guardianship!for!Children!Deprived!of!Parental!Care,!A!handbook!
to!reinforce!guardianship!systems!to!cater!for!the!specific!needs!of!child!victims!of!trafficking,!June!2014.!!
93
!For!a!more!complete!overview!of!this!project!see:!Promising!Practices!of!Integration!and!Monitoring!
92

32!
!

ANNEX&&
The! table! below! offers! an! easy! comprehensive! list! of! the! legislative! and! nonXlegislative!
instruments! which! have! been! discussed! throughout! the! Handbook.! The! instruments! have!
been!organised!based!on!the!three!categories!assessed!within!the!report,!along!with!a!brief!
description!of!the!objective!of!the!instrument!and!the!integration!area.!!
!
EU&LEGISLATIVE&INSTRUMENTS&
MIGRANT&WOMEN&
Instrument&

Target&

Council&
Directive&
76/207/EEC&
on&
the&
implementation& of& the&
principle&
of&
equal&
treatment& for& men& and&
women& as& regards& access&
to& employment,& vocational&
training& and& promotion,&
and&working&conditions&
&

To! put! into! effect! in! the!

Member!
States!
the!
principle!of!equal!treatment!
for! men! and! women! as!
regards!
access!
to!
Gender!equality!
employment,!
including!
Employment!
promotion,!
and!
to!
vocational! training! and! as!
regards! working! conditions!
and,! if! applicable,! social!
security!

EU&Directive&2000/43/EC&on&
implementing& the& principle&
of&
equal&
treatment&
between&
persons&
irrespective& of& racial& or&
ethnic&origin&

EU&Directive&2000/78/EC&on&
establishing& a& general&
framework& for& equal&
treatment& in& employment&
and&occupation&

Integration&Area&

To!
promote!
equal!
treatment!between!persons!
irrespective! of! racial! or! Discrimination! based! on!
ethnic!origin.!
Nationality!

To! ensure! the! development!

of! democratic! and! tolerant!
societies! which! allow! the!
participation! of! all! persons!
irrespective! of! racial! or!
ethnic!origin.!
Gender!equality!
!
To! protect! all! natural!
persons!
against!
discrimination! on! grounds!
of!racial!or!ethnic!origin.!
33!

EU& Directive& 2003/9/EC&

laying& down& minimum&
standards&for&the&reception&
of&asylum&seekers&

To! lay! down! minimum!

standards! for! the! reception!
Asylum!
of! asylum! seekers! in!
Member!States!

To! protect! the! family! and!

establish! or! preserve! family!
life.!
!
EU&Directive&2003/86/EC&on& To!determine!the!conditions!
the& right& to& family& for!the!exercise!of!the!right! Family!reunification!
reunification&
to! family! reunification! by!
TCNs! residing! in! the!
territory! of! the! Member!
State.!
!

EU& Directive& 2003/109/EC&

concerning& the& status& of&
Third& Country& Nationals&
who& are& entitled& to& long&
term&residence&

To! set! criteria! for! acquiring!

the! status! of! the! long! term!
residence!permit.!
!
To! constitute! a! genuine!
instrument!
for!
the!
integration! of! third! country!
residents!into!society.!
!
To! provide! social! assistance!
to!TCNs.!
!

EU&Directive&2004/81/EC&on&
the&residence&permit&issued&
to& TCNs& who& are& victims& of&
trafficking&in&human&beings&
or& who& have& been& the&
subjects& of& an& action& to&
facilitate&
illegal&
immigration,&
who&
cooperate&
with&
the&
competent&authorities&

To!define!the!conditions!for!
granting! residence! permits!
of! limited! durations! linked!
to!the!length!of!the!relevant!
national! proceeding,! to!
Residence!permit!
thirdXcountry! nationals! who!
Education!
cooperate! in! the! fight!
Employment!
against!trafficking!in!human!
beings! or! against! action! to!
facilitate!
illegal!
immigration.!
!

Employment!
Education!
Long!term!residence!
Recognition!
qualifications!

of!

EU&Directive&2004/83/EC&on& To! lay! down! minimum! Asylum!

34!
!

minimum&standards&for&the&
qualification& and& status& of&
third& country& nationals& or&
stateless&
persons&
as&
refugees&or&as&persons&who&
otherwise&
need&
international&
protection&
and& the& content& of& the&
protection&granted&

standards!
for!
the!
qualification!
of!
third!
country!
nationals!
or!
stateless!
persons!
as!
refugees! or! as! persons! who!
otherwise!
need!
international!protection!and!
the! content! of! the!
protection!granted.!

EU& Directive& 2004/114/EC&

on& the& conditions& of& third&
country& nationals& for& the&
purpose& of& studies,& pupil&
exchange,& unremunerated&
training& or& voluntary&
service&

To!determine!the!conditions!
of! admission! and! the!
procedures! for! admitting!
TCNs! to! the! territory! of! the!
Member!States!for!a!period! Employment!
exceeding!three!months!for! Education!
the! purposes! of! studies,! Residence!permit!
pupil!
exchange,!
unremunerated! training! or!
voluntary!service.!
!

EU&Directive&2005/71/EC&on&
a& specific& procedure& for&
admitting& TCN& for& the&
purposes& of& scientific&
research&

To! lay! down! the! conditions!

for! the! admission! of! thirdX
country! researchers! to! the!
Member! States! for! more!
Employment!
than! three! months! for! the!
Residence!Permit!
purposes! of! carrying! out! a!
!
research! project! under!
hosting! agreements! with!
research!organisations.!
!

EU&Directive&2006/54/EC&of&
the& European& Parliament&
and&of&the&Council&of&5&July&
2006&
on&
the&
implementation& of& the&
principle&
of&
equal&
opportunities& and& equal&
treatment& of& men& and&
women& in& matters& of&
employment&
and&

To!
ensure!
the!
implementation! of! the!
principle!
of!
equal!
opportunities! and! equal!
treatment! of! men! and! Gender!equality!
women! in! matters! of! Employment!
employment!
and!
occupation,!in!relation!to!a)!
access! to! employment,!
including!promotion,!and!to!

35!
!

occupation&(recast)&
&

EU&Directive&2009/50/EC&on&
the&conditions&of&entry&and&
residence& of& TCNs& for& the&
purposes&of&highly&qualified&
employment&
&
EU& Directive& 2011/95/EU&
on& standards& for& the&
qualification& of& thirdW
country&
nationals&
or&
stateless&
persons&
as&
beneficiaries&
of&
international& protection,&
for& a& uniform& status& for&
refugees& or& for& persons&
eligible& for& subsidiary&
protection,& and& for& the&
content& of& the& protection&
granted&(recast)&
&

vocational! training,! b)!

working!
conditions,!
including!
pay,!
c)!
occupational! social! security!
schemes.!
!
To! define! the! conditions! of!
entry! and! residence! of!
TCNs,! and! their! family!
members,! for! the! purposes!
of!
highly!
qualified!
employment.!
!
To! lay! down! standards! for!
the!
qualification! of! thirdX
country!
nationals!
or!
stateless!persons!as!
beneficiaries!
of!
international!protection,!for!
a!uniform!status!for!
refugees! or! for! persons!
eligible! for! subsidiary!
protection,!and!for!
the! content! of! the!
protectionXgranted.!

To! lay! down! standards! for!

the! reception! of! applicants!
EU& Directive& 2013/33/EU&
for! international! protection!
laying& down& standards& for&
in!the!Member!States.!
the& reception& of& applicants&
for&international&protection&

Employment!
Residence!permit!
Family!Reunification!
!

Employment!
Education!
Recognition!
qualifications!
Family!Reunification!
Residence!
Freedom!of!movement!

of!

Employment!
Education!
Family!Reunification!
Equal!treatment!
Residence!
Freedom!of!movement!
!

MIGRANT!CHILDREN!
Instrument&

Target&

Integration!Area!

EU&Directive&2002/90/EC&on&
defining& the& facilitation& of&
unauthorised& entry,& transit&
and&residence&

To! combat! of! illegal!

immigration!
both!
in!
Guardianship!of!minors!
connection!
with!
unauthorised! crossing! of!
36!

the! borders! in! the! strict!

sense! and! for! the! purpose!
of! sustaining! networks!
which!
exploit!
human!
beings.!
!
EU& Directive& 2003/9/EC&
laying& down& minimum&
standards&for&the&reception&
of&asylum&seekers&
&

To! lay! down! minimum!

standards! for! the! reception!
of! asylum! seekers! in! Asylum!
Member!States!
!

EU&Directive&2004/83/EC&on&
minimum&standards&for&the&
qualification& and& status& of&
third& country& nationals& or&
stateless&
persons&
as&
refugees&or&as&persons&who&
otherwise&
need&
international&
protection&
and& the& content& of& the&
protection&granted&
&

To! lay! down! minimum!

standards!
for!
the!
qualification!
of!
third!
country!
nationals!
or!
stateless!
persons!
as!
refugees! or! as! persons! who! Asylum!
otherwise!
need!
international!protection!and!
the! content! of! the!
protection!granted.!

EU& Directive& 2011/36/EU&

on&
preventing&
and&
combating& trafficking& in&
human&
beings&
and&
protecting&its&victims&
&

To! determine! the! fight!

against!trafficking!in!human!
beings!and!protection!of!the!
Education!
rights!of!trafficked!persons.!
!

EU& Directive& 2011/95/EU&

on& standards& for& the&
qualification& of& TCNs& or&
stateless&
persons&
as&
beneficiaries&
of&
international& protection,&
for& a& uniform& status& for&
refugees& or& for& persons&
eligible& for& subsidiary&
protection,& and& for& the&
content& of& the& protection&
granted&(recast)&

To! lay! down! standards! for!

the!
qualification! of! thirdX
country!
nationals!
or!
stateless!persons!as!
beneficiaries!
of!
international!protection,!for!
a! uniform! status! for!
refugees! or! for! persons!
eligible! for! subsidiary!
protection,!and!for!
the! content! of! the!

Employment!
Education!
Recognition!
qualifications!
Family!Reunification!
Residence!!
Freedom!of!movement!

of!

37!
!

&

protectionXgranted.!

To! lay! down! standards! for!

EU& Directive& 2013/33/EU& the! reception! of! applicants!
laying& down& standards& for& for! international! protection!
the& reception& of& applicants& in!the!Member!States.!
for&international&protection&

Employment!
Education!
Family!Reunification!
Equal!treatment!
Residence!
!Freedom!of!movement!

VICTIMS!OF!TRAFFICKING!
Instrument&

Target&

Integration!Area!

EU& Directive& 2003/9/EC&

laying& down& minimum&
standards&for&the&reception&
of&asylum&seekers&
&

To! lay! down! minimum!

standards! for! the! reception!
of! asylum! seekers! in! Asylum!
Member!States!

EU&Directive&2004/81/EC&on&
the&residence&permit&issued&
to& TCN& who& are& victims& of&
trafficking&in&human&beings&
or& who& have& been& the&
subjects& of& an& action& to&
facilitate&
illegal&
immigration,&
who&
cooperate&
with&
the&
competent&authorities&

To!define!the!conditions!for!
granting! residence! permits!
of! limited! durations,! linked!
to!the!length!of!the!relevant!
Residence!permit!
national! proceeding,! to!
Employment!
thirdXcountry! nationals! who!
Education!
cooperate! in! the! fight!
against!trafficking!in!human!
beings! or! against! action! to!
facilitate!illegal!immigration!

EU&Directive&2004/83/EC&on&
minimum&standards&for&the&
qualification& and& status& of&
third& country& nationals& or&
stateless&
persons&
as&
refugees&or&as&persons&who&
otherwise&
need&
international&
protection&
and& the& content& of& the&
protection&granted&
&

To! lay! down! minimum!

standards!
for!
the!
qualification!
of!
third!
country!
nationals!
or!
stateless!
persons!
as!
refugees! or! as! persons! who! Asylum!
otherwise!
need!
international!protection!and!
the! content! of! the!
protection!granted.!

EU& Directive& 2004/114/EC&

on& the& conditions& of& third&
country& nationals& for& the&
purpose& of& studies,& pupil&

To!determine!the!conditions!
Employment!
of! admission! and! the!
Education!
procedures! for! admitting!
Residence!permit!
TCNs! to! the! territory! of! the!
38!

exchange,& unremunerated& Member!States!for!a!period!

training& or& voluntary& exceeding!three!months!for!
service&
the! purposes! of! studies,!
pupil!
exchange,!
unremunerated! training! or!
voluntary!service.!
!
EU& Directive& 2011/36/EU&
on&
preventing&
and&
combating& trafficking& in&
human&
beings&
and&
protecting&its&victims&

To! determine! the! fight!

against!trafficking!in!human!
Education!
beings!and!protection!of!the!
Employment!
rights!of!trafficked!persons.!

EU& Directive& 2011/95/EU&

on& standards& for& the&
qualification& of& thirdW
country&
nationals&
or&
stateless&
persons&
as&
beneficiaries&
of&
international& protection,&
for& a& uniform& status& for&
refugees& or& for& persons&
eligible& for& subsidiary&
protection,& and& for& the&
content& of& the& protection&
granted&(recast)&
&

To! lay! down! standards! for!

the!
qualification! of! thirdX
country!
nationals!
or!
stateless!persons!as!
beneficiaries!
of!
international!protection,!for!
a!uniform!status!for!
refugees! or! for! persons!
eligible! for! subsidiary!
protection,!and!for!
the! content! of! the!
protectionXgranted.!

EU&Directive&2011/98/EC&on&
a&
single&
application&
procedure& for& a& single&
permit& for& thirdWcountry&
nationals& to& reside& and&
work& in& the& territory& of& a&
Member& State& and& on& a&
common& set& of& rights& for&
thirdWcountry&
workers&
legally& residing& in& a&
Member&State&

To!
determine!
the!
application! procedure! for! a!
single! permit! for! TCNs! to!
reside! and! work! in! the!
territory! of! the! Member! Recognition!
State.!
qualifications!
Employment!

Employment!
Education!
Recognition!
qualifications!
Family!Reunification!
Residence!!
Freedom!of!movement!

of!

of!

39!
!

To! lay! down! standards! for!

EU& Directive& 2013/33/EU& the! reception! of! applicants!
laying& down& standards& for& for! international! protection!
the& reception& of& applicants& in!the!Member!States.!
for&international&protection&

Employment!
Education!
Family!Reunification!
Equal!treatment!
Residence!
!Freedom!of!movement!

NON!LEGISLATIVE!EU!INSTRUMENTS!
Instrument&

Target&

To! assist! Member! States! in!

formulating!
integration!
policies! by! offering! them! a!
sample!of!basic!principles.!
!
European&
Ministerial&
To! serve! as! basis! for!
Conference& on& Integration.&
Member! States! to! explore!
Groningen&2004&
how! EU,! national,! regional,!
and! local! authorities! can!
interact!in!the!development!
and! implementation! of!
integration!policies.!

Integration!Area!

Employment!
Recognition!
qualifications!
Residence!Permit!

of!

To! establish! common! basic!

Common& Basic& Principles&
principles! and! existing! Employment!
for& Immigrant& Integration&
developments!
on! Education!
policy&in&the&EU&(2004)&
integration! within! the! Civic!participation!
&
European!Union.!
A& Common& Agenda& for& To! provide! guidance! for! EU!
Integration.& Framework& for& and!
Member!
States!
Employment!
the& Integration& of& ThirdW integration!policies.!
AntiXdiscrimination!
Country&Nationals&in&the&EU&
Education!
(2005)&
&
To!
improve!
the!
convergence!
of!
the!
concepts! and! practices! of!
European&
Ministerial&
Member! States! of! the!
Conference& on& Integration.&
Employment!
European!
Vichy&2008&
Education!
Union!in!the!continuation!of!
&
the! work! already! started! at!
European!level,!in!particular!
at! the! first! two! ministerial!
40!
!

conferences! and! within! the!

framework! of! the! network!
of! National! Contact! Points!
on!Integration.!
A! study! of! the! integration!
issue! from! the! dual! gender!
Immigrant& women& and&
perspective! of! women!
their& integration& in& ageing&
nationals! from! the! host! Migrant!women!integration!!
societies&(2008)&
countries! and! the! women!
&
migrants!who!have!come!to!
join!them.!
To! focus! and! explore! the!
key!aspects!of!integration!as!
European&
Ministerial& a! driver! foe! development!
Conference& on& Integration,& and! social! cohesion! by!
Integration!
Zaragoza&2010.&
incorporating! integration!
&
issues! in! a! comprehensive!
way! in! all! relevant! policy!
fields.!
To!feed!in!into!larger!policy!
process! in! the! field! of!
Handbook& on& Integration&
Employment!
integration! in! the! EU,!
(2010)&
Education!
notably!the!development!of!
&
Active!citizenship!
the!European!framework!on!
integration.!
To! show! for! each! Member!
Indicators& of& immigrant&
State! of! the! calculations! of!
integration.& A& pilot& study&
the! proposed! common!
(2011)&
indicators!
of!
migrant!
&
integration!

European& Modules&
Integration&(2011)&
&

Education!
Social!Inclusion!
Employment!
Active!citizenship!

To! provide! Member! States!

with!
negotiated!
recommendations! on! how!
to!improve!their!integration!
on&
Education!
policies!and!practices.!
AntiXdiscrimination!
!
Civic!participation!
To! provide! a! common!
language! and! a! reference!
framework!
regarding!
integration.!
41!

A& new& European& Agenda&

for& the& integration& of& TCNs&
(2011)&
&

To! lead! to! new! conditions!

for! social! cohesion! and!
Integration!
government! response! to!
public!concerns.!

The& EU& rights& of& victims& of&

trafficking&in&human&beings&
(European&
Commission&
2013)&
&

To!
inform!
victims,!
Conditionally! of! residence!
practitioners! and! Member!
permit!
States! on! the! rights! of!
Access! to! welfare! and!
victims!under!EU!law.!
support!

To! analyse! information! on!

Study& on& practices& of& projects!
and!
policies!
integration&of&TCNs&at&local& implemented! by! Local! and!
Local!
and!
and&regional&level&in&the&EU& Regional! Authorities! (LRAs)!
integration!
(2013)&
in! the! EU! to! promote! the!
&
integration! of! thirdXcountry!
migrants.!

Regional!

Final!Report!for!DirectorateX
General!for!Home!Affairs!on!
Using& EU& indicators& of&
the! further! development!
immigrant&integration&
Indicators!on!Integration!
and! use! of! EU! immigrant!
&
integration! indicators! in!
policy!databases.!
Handbook&on&Guardianship&
for& children& deprived& of&
parental&care&(2014)&
&

To! reinforce! guardianship!

systems! to! cater! for! the!
Guardianship!
specific! needs! of! child!
victims!of!trafficking.!

Valuing&diversity&(2014)&
&

Guidance! for! labour! market!

Employment!
integration!of!migrants!

The& EU& website&

integration&(2014)&
&

on& To! learn! and! to! share!

experiences!on!integration! Integration!

!
!
!

42!
!