ICMCEUROPE WelcometoEurope.pdf (5.89 MB)

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accommodation. Other programmes
provide short-term housing for an initial
period of 6-12 months, after which refugees
are supported to locate and move
to more permanent housing. These
models have the advantage of enabling
refugees to use their awareness of the
city to decide where they want to live
in it. They also create a pool of static
accommodation that can be used to
accommodate new groups on a reliable
and sustainable basis, streamlining
resettlement planning and removing
the ongoing need to procure housing.
3.2. Language-learning
Language-learning is vital for problemsolving,
building social networks and
obtaining employment. Europe is
rich in languages, many of which are
quite challenging to learn. The vast
majority of resettlement programmes
in Europe include a specific languagelearning
component for resettled
adults, generally via an allocation of
a specific number of hours of tuition
- in Europe ranging from 100 to 500
hours - completed within defined
periods of between 12 months and 3
years (see Annex V). There are many
varying national and local caveats as
to when tuition can continue beyond
these periods. Some countries make
attendance at language classes a
requirement for continued receipt of
social welfare (often together with
attendance at civic orientation classes).
In many national programmes in Europe,
resettled refugees access languagelearning
via mainstream programmes
available to other refugees and new
arrivals in the country. In some of these,
agencies responsible for language
tuition sometimes develop specialist,
highly localised language-learning initiatives
for resettled refugees, such as
the ‘Construindo uma Nova Vida em
Portugal’ 28 project developed by the
Portuguese Refugee Council. However,
some national integration programmes
can lack capacity in particular local
contexts, and resettled refugees then
become part of a wider user group
competing for limited opportunities for
language-learning in their town or city.
Countries using centralised reception
generally provide intensive languagetraining
programmes for resettled refugees
during the stay in the reception
centre, before they move to municipalities
and take up mainstream provision.
In the Czech Republic, for example,
the Ministry of the Interior guarantees
400 hours of language tuition during
the 6-month stay in the Integration
Centre, with an additional 200 hours
available via the mainstream State
Integration Programme after arrival into
municipalities.
28 From September 2011 to August 2012, this project
offered Portuguese language training adapted to
the special needs of resettled refugees, including
literacy classes for refugees illiterate in their first
language or unfamiliar with the Latin alphabet In
addition to promoting language and communication
skills, the project also aimed to enhance refugees
self-esteem and self-confidence.
CHAPTER VII