Coordination of Integration Policies in Austria

Federal Ministry of the InteriorDepartment III/8 - Integration

May 8th, 2012

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR, 1014 VIENNA, HERRENGASSE 7, TEL.: +43 - (0)1 - 531 26 - 0

Numbers and Definitions

Inhabitants of Austria (1.1.2011): 8,283.237

Foreign citizen (person without Austrian citizenship) 927.612 (1.1.2011) 11,0% of population

Population of foreign origin (Persons born abroad) 1.452.591 (1.1.2011)

17,3% of population

Population with migration background (all persons whose parents were born abroad, regardless of nationality) 1.543.289 (1.1.2011) 18,6% of population

Regional Dimension: Population with foreign origins

** mostly in the districts 15., 20. and 5.

Prognosis

Prognosis for the next 20 years (2030): Population growth up to 9 Mio. inhabitants (+7,5%)Prognosis without immigration: population decline to 8,16 Mio. inhabitants (-2,5%)

Country of origin

- Most immigrants are from Germany

- 209.000 people are from Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo

- 185.000 people from Turkey- 4. Bosnia and Herzegovina- 5. Croatia

Federal Ministry of the Interior

State Secretariat for Intgration

Established April 2011

State Secretary Sebastian Kurz

Our guiding principles:– Integration based on merit– Integration as a two-way process– Integration primarily takes place at the local level

Integration focus: – German as foundation of successful integration– Children and education– Integration in labour market

Department III/8: Integration

Since January 2011 => new Department of Integration (III/8)

Divided into two Units

Assignment:

Support and Promotion of Integration (Unit III/8/a)

Coordination of integration policy in Austria (Unit III/8/b)

National Action Plan for Integration (NAP.I) Evolutionary history

Result of a comprehensive dialogue process between

Over 140 experts

National and federal actors (ministries, states - Bundesländer)

Interest Groups (chamber of commerce, trade union)

Migrant organizations

People with and without a migrant background

Adopted by the Austrian Government on 19 January 2010

Role of the Ministry of the Interior: Co-ordination

National Action Plan for Integration (NAP.I) Structure

7 fields of action Language and Education

Employment and Occupation

Rule of Law and Values

Health and Social Issues

Intercultural Dialogue

Sport and Leisure

Housing and the Regional Dimension of Integration

Each field of action has its own challenges, principles and goals of

integration

Development of 25 Indicators for Integration

Expert Council for Integration

Structure:

Installed by the Ministry of the Interior in June 2010

Independent body

Head: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heinz Fassmann (University of Vienna)

2 experts in each field of action

Responsibilities:

Recommendations on how to practically implement the NAP.I

Cooperation with more experts in order to identify practical and concrete

measures in line with the NAP.I

First Integration Report published in July 2011

Second Integration Report (Implementation Report) July 2012

First Integration Report

Published on 6 July 2011

3 volumes:

Recommendations by the Expert Council for Integration (“20-Points-

Programme”)

Statistic Yearbook “migration & integration 2011”

Overview of integration projects implemented by the members of the

Integration Advisory Committee

Recommendations by the Expert Council for Integration (20-Points-Programme“)

Language and Education German Prior to Immigration

German for long-term residents with a migrant background

Strengthening Participation in the Education System

Employment and Occupation Recognizing/Validating Qualifications

Ensuring a Formal School Graduation through Additional Education

Measures

Promoting Employment for Women Migrants

Rule of Law and Values Creation of Red-White-Red Reader

Raising Interest for Acquiring Citizenship

Recommendations by the Expert Council for Integration (20-Points-Programme“)

Health and Social Issues Promoting of health Awareness for Health-Impaired Persons

Raising Awareness of Diversity of the Health System and Nursing Care

Intercultural dialogue Dialogue Forum Islam

Successful Stories of Migrants in Austria (Role-Models)

Glossary and Self-Commitment for the Media

Media Award

Promotion of Young Journalists

Recommendations by the Expert Council for Integration (20-Points-Programme“)

Sport and Leisure Recreation at school

Integration Perspective for Federal Sport Funding

Housing and the Regional Dimension of Integration Improvement of Setting-Management in the Living Area

Integration Promoting Housing Administration

Promoting Integration Skills on a Municipal Level

Integration Advisory Committee

Head: CEO Austrian Integration Fund (Alexander Janda)

34 Members:

Federal Ministries

Representatives of the Federal States (Bundesländer)

Interest Groups (Chamber of Commerce, Trade Union, Federation of Austrian

Industries, Association of Cities and Towns / Association of Municipalities)

NGOs

Responsibilities:

Discussion and expertise of the recommendations from the Expert Council

Networking and exchange of experiences between all actors

Discussion of ways to implement measures in line with the NAP.I

Statistic Yearbook “migration & integration 2011”

Creation of 25 Indicators for Integration

to enable measuring the integration process in Austria to establish a long-term integration monitoring system

Taking into account demographic conditions as well as subjective perceptions

Five core indicators: Educational level of the 25 to 64-year-old population with a migrant

background Employment rates of people from a migrant background Unemployment rate relating to the nationality Income level relating to the nationality The risk of poverty and the acute risk of poverty relating to the nationality

Core Indicators

Educational level of the 25 to 64-year-old population with a migrant background Employment rates of people from a

migrant background

Core Indicators

Unemployment rate relating to the nationality

Core Indicators

Income level relating to the nationality

Risk of poverty and the acute risk of poverty relating to the nationality

Subjective perspectives on Integration in Austria

9 Questions (excerpt)

– How can the integration atmosphere in society be described?

– Do you feel like a native or at home in Austria?

– Do you have the impression that living together in recent years has changed?

– Do you have personal contact with migrants in Austria who are at a disadvantage of treated worse than Austrians from a non-migrant background because of where they came from?

– Do you agree with the Austrian way of life?

Integration process as perceived by immigrants:

• The vast majority (86%) of immigrants feel at home in Austria.

Thank you for your attention!

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR, 1014 VIENNA, HERRENGASSE 7, TEL.: +43 - (0)1 - 531 26 - 0