ICMCEUROPE WelcometoEurope.pdf (5.89 MB)

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Chapter VII – Building a New Life in the Community
In Europe, language-learning outcomes
are often explicitly linked to residency
and citizenship requirements. Both
Germany and Denmark restrict permanent
residency to those achieving a
specified level of language proficiency,
and Iceland to those completing 250
hours of language classes. In Denmark,
particularly, refugees can struggle to
achieve the B2 language requirement
necessary for permanent residence,
and so remain on renewable temporary
residence permits for many years.
3.3. Civic & cultural orientation
Several European countries provide
post-arrival civic and cultural orientation
programmes for resettled
refugees. Programme content varies,
but generally includes a basic introduction
to the receiving country’s
legal framework, history and electoral
system, plus practical information
about the integration programme, and
areas such as housing and education.
The length of programmes varies
widely, from a single 6-hour session
to 50 plus hours of classes. Civic and
cultural orientation is often delivered
together with language tuition.
Countries using centralised reception
tend to provide civic orientation
specifically for resettled refugees
within central reception facilities. In
some cases, these classes are linked
to provision that will continue in
municipalities after refugees leave the
centres.
NGOs sometimes develop civic orientation
programmes specifically for
resettled refugees, as in the UK where
Refugee Council and Refugee Action
have developed a series of information
briefings on UK law, mainstream services,
employment and education. In
many European programmes, resettled
refugees attend civic orientation
classes within mainstream integration
programmes.
In Sweden, pre-departure and postarrival
cultural and civic orientation are
explicitly linked. Municipalities and the
Swedish Public Employment Service
can participate in pre-departure orientation
activities in countries of asylum
(generally at their own expense) and
initiatives such as the LANDA Project 29
have enabled these actors to develop
CO curricula to be used across the pre
and post-arrival stages.
Similarly to language proficiency, civic
knowledge is often used by European
countries as a requirement to acquire
permanent residency or citizenship.
Denmark and Germany require applicants
for permanent residency to pass
a civic knowledge exam. Belgium, the
Netherlands, the UK and others require
applicants for citizenship to pass
29 See footnote 28, above, for more information on the
Landa Project