A reflection on changing policy & legislative environment regarding refugee integration making a comparative assessment trends in the UK and Germany.

1. Refugee ‘Integration’: policy andRefugee ‘Integration’: policy and
discourse in the UK and Germanydiscourse in the UK and Germany
Berhanu Kassayie

2. Changing Policy & legislative environmentChanging Policy & legislative environment
 Hysteria post September 11
 Worsening situation in source countries
Increase in immigration
Strengthening appeal for right-wing politics
 Ever increasing demand for inward migration
Ageing population, Race in ‘globalisation’
 New migration from ‘non-traditional’ regions and
EU enlargement

3. Refugees: mythRefugees: myth and realityand reality 20052005
World refugee population 9, 167, 900
Region Refugees % Asylum seekers % Total %
Africa 33 33 33
Asia 39 12 36
Europe 21 29 21
Latin America & Caribbean
0 1 1
Northern America
6 25 8
Oceania 1 0 1
Total 100 100 100
Germany 0.9 0.1 0.8
United Kingdom 0.3 0.9 0.3

4. Refugees: mythRefugees: myth and reality Trendand reality Trend
-20.0%
-15.0%
-10.0%
-5.0%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
1997-
1998
1998-
1999
1999-
2000
2000-
2001
2001-
2002
2002-
2003
2003-
2004
2004-
2005
Refugees Asylum seekers

5. Refugees: mythRefugees: myth and reality-and reality- EnglandEngland
•Population 49.1m.
Economically inactive 29% or 14.2m
Population support ratio 2.2:1
 Asylum seekers 59,000
Potential refugee settlement demand :
0.1% of population
0.001 person / 1000 citizens.
 Getting population support ratio close to the 3:1 means
95,000 inward migration for the next 20 years
Deficit in 2001 amounted to 35, 500

6. Refugees: mythRefugees: myth and reality- Englandand reality- England
Estimate based on 30% success rate:
Potential refugee settlement:
0.5% population or
0.05 refugees / 1000 citizens.
 Economic implications:
0.03% rise in unemployment
0.007% decline in unfilled vacant positions
0.001% rise in BME population
0.9 Vacant housing per homeless person
including refugees.

7. Emerging Policy frameworkEmerging Policy framework
Changes in perspectives
‘Securitisation’ of immigration
Deterrence led restrictive immigration
legislation
Managed migration
Does this mean changes in the global and
receiving countries are turning refugees into
‘visible’ migrants we can do without?

8. A quest to redefining theA quest to redefining the
fundamentals?fundamentals?
• The UN 1951 Convention
• Historical roots
• Evolution since the late 1980s
• The post 9/11 discourse
• A human right or a positive contribution
argument?

9. Integration: the conceptIntegration: the concept
A nebulous concept shaped by ideological,
political and socio-historical factors
A process of mutual adaptation focusing on
overcoming the differential disadvantage of
refugees.

10. Integration: UK and Germany 1Integration: UK and Germany 1
Contrast and similarity :
Historical roots
Dissociation of asylum from integration
Integration policy: Social marginalisation/
social economic cohesion
Laissez fare / corporatist

11. Integration: UK and Germany 2Integration: UK and Germany 2
Contrast and similarity:
NGO role: large complimentary /
numerous localised ‘autonomous’
Integration and the receiving
community, systems and agencies
Refugees in integration
discourse

12. Integration: UK and Germany 3Integration: UK and Germany 3
Tendency to converge?
• Deterrence led restrictionist policy
• The social cohesion agenda:
 A move away from multiculturalism
 Destitution in material welfare
 Integration a governance challenge of
community relation

13. Integration: a communityIntegration: a community
development modeldevelopment model
Personal
Empowerment
Positive
Action
Community
Relation
Participation &
Influence

14. Concluding remarksConcluding remarks
The debate to be had:
The right for protection
Social cohesion: rights based / assimilationist
Citizenship, culture- dynamic?
Governance: Immigration control and
integration
Democratic impatience and the integration
ideal

15. Integration: a refugee perspectiveIntegration: a refugee perspective
“Still feel hungry though I have lots to eat
Still feel thirsty though I have plenty to drink
Still feel restless though I have enough sleep
Still feel the cold though I am well dressed
Still feel homeless though I have a shelter
Still feel like a stranger and I keep losing my way
Why, why do I?
Still feel distressed when asked
where am I from”
Translated verse, Aster Aweke’s song- ‘Sew Hulu Bageru’

16. Thank you!Thank you!
Berhanu Kassayie