Migration Processes in Central and Eastern Europe - Multiple Choices

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Construction of Borders and Practices of Labour Migration
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Slovak Assistance
for Refugees and
Asylum Seekers
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Radka Klvaňová and Marek Čaněk
point of view, the main elements of integration policy –
language and vocational training – have been neglected
for a long time. The NGOs are substituting the role of the
state; the currently ineffective state integration policy could
easily collapse if the numbers of recognised refugees rose
any higher than fifty annually.
R.K.: What is the role and position of refugees
themselves in the whole system of reception and
integration in Slovakia? How do they perceive
the system and how do they cope with it? What
are the main problems they face?
Interview with Kajo Zbořil,
31 January 2006
Radka Klvaňová: How would you describe
the current role of Slovak non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) in assisting refugees in
relation to the whole system of reception and
integration? What is the relationship between
the state and NGOs? What are the main problems
those NGOs face?
Kajo Zbořil: The extremely low acceptance rate of
refugees means that it is not an area of interest to the
authorities. Furthermore the number of asylum seekers has
fallen dramatically over the last year. In daily life, the integrationrelated
assistance is provided mostly by NGOs funded to
a large extent by the UNHCR and the European Union (EU).
The Slovak state does provide some assistance, as the
integration of refugees is an officially declared goal; however,
the provision is formal and basic. The activities of the state
body, the Migration Office, are limited to providing a six
month stay in an Integration Centre, following which the
newly recognised refugee is provided with a flat. During the
stay in the Integration Centre, recognised refugees have an
opportunity to attend a Slovak language course. It is, however,
the non-governmental sector which provides the social,
psychological and legal counselling, language classes (the
state provided course is inadequate if integration is a serious
aim), vocational training, support in education, financial
help (assigned to vulnerable groups in cases of need),
material support and the raising of public awareness.
Since 1996 Slovakia's integration policy has
not been altered despite the fact that asylum legislation
has been harmonised with the acquis communautaire.
Nor does the current integration policy reflect the new
transformation trends or the current economic and social
conditions. The attitude of state entities in relation to the
integration of refugees has not been changed. From our
K.Z.: Recognised refugees face tough living conditions
especially in first phases of the integration process – no
knowledge of Slovak, dependency on social welfare
allowances, unemployment, and accommodation at the
periphery of towns offered by the Ministry of Interior
all serve to compound their problems. For a successful
integration process, it is important that recognised refugees
are provided with language courses, social assistance in the
field of employment and basic financial funds in order to
endow themselves with the necessities to live. Only after
reaching the basic level of maintenance can recognised
refugees begin to be integrated into the social and cultural
spheres of society.
It is partly understandable that an effective policy
of integration has not been developed due to the low
numbers of recognised refuges. Still, it is important to note
that there has been an increase in the socio-economical
problems for those few refugees who have been recognised:
lack of possibilities to succeed in the labour market, long-term
dependence on state social welfare system and a consideration
of refugees as a “social burden” by the wider Slovak
society.
R.K.: What are the main changes in asylum and
integration policy that Slovak NGOs push for
nowadays?
K.Z.: Because official state integration policy is, both on paper
and in practice, absent, the focus of NGOs is not only to provide
“social assistance” but also to develop systematic solutions
and recommendations to state authorities. I can summarise
these recommendations in the following way: 1)
Creation of courses in language and professional training for
refugees/asylum seekers, 2) Creation of training programmes
focused on providing refugees/asylum seekers with orientation,
social and marketable skills, 3) Providing supporting-motivational
activities, aiming to build on the independence and selfsufficiency
of refugees/asylum seekers, 4) Launching programmes
aimed at improving attitudes of potential employers
towards target groups, 5) Raising of public awareness.
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Migration Processes in Central and Eastern Europe: Unpacking the Diversity