Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in Europe

Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in EuropeIn this second analysis, immigrant pupils are considered in terms of the location of the schools theyattend (Figure 2.7), the level at which they are present in schools (Figure 2.8) and the language they use athome with their families (Figure 2.9).2.1. Immigration Trends over the last 25 YearsIn the period between 1985 and 2001, trends in immigration to the various countries of the EuropeanUnion differed markedly. Figure 2.1, which illustrates these immigrant flows in relation to the totalpopulation in five-year intervals over the total period, shows that countries may be classified into threemain categories in accordance with the trends observed.Within the last 20 years, four countries have experienced immigration flows corresponding to over 1.5 %of the total population for several consecutive years, namely Germany, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Iceland.During this period, Luxembourg has experienced the highest sustained inflow of immigrants with respectto the total population (over 2 % annually). These flows satisfied requirements linked to its demographicdeficit as well as to the labour shortage resulting from its strong economic growth. Immigration toIceland has increased in the last six years and the origin of immigrants has changed: an inflow of Nordiccountry nationals has partly given way to immigration from eastern Europe (Poland and Lithuania) andfrom Asia (the Philippines and Thailand). After experiencing immigration on a considerable scale in theyears immediately following reunification and the political opening up of the eastern European countries,Germany has recorded a constant decrease in immigration into the total population since 1992. However,these flows still represented 1 % of the total population in 2001.The situation is less striking in a second category of countries which have experienced annualimmigration of between 0.5 % and less than 1.5 % of the total population (Belgium, Denmark, France,Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway). Among these countries,Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have a long history of immigration linked totheir colonial past, their industrial characteristics or both. These countries remain attractive as a result ofthe privileged relations they have retained with their former colonies, the tendency for families to sticktogether and the establishment of informal reception networks developed through past migrations.Countries such as Ireland and Norway have experienced an upsurge in immigration since the 1990s and1980s respectively, in the wake of their economic growth.Explanatory note (Figure 2.1)This indicator has been calculated by dividing the number of immigrant arrivals during reference year (X) by the totalpopulation on 1 January of the year (X). Detailed data for each year in the period are available on the CD-ROMannexed to the Eurostat publication (2002).The immigrants are either non-nationals who have arrived from abroad, or nationals returning from abroad whointend to be resident in the country for a certain period. This period, which ranges from one month in the case of aDutch person returning to the Netherlands, to 12 months for anyone entering the United Kingdom, is determined bythe appropriate authorities in each country.The population on 1 January corresponds to all inhabitants within a given area on 1 January in the calendar year (orin certain cases, on 31 December of the previous year). This population is based either on data obtained during themost recent census, which have been corrected by data on the components of population growth since that census,or on population registers.18