Abstract :
[en] The project “EMpowerment through liquid Integration of Migrant Youth in vulnerable
conditions” (MIMY) studies the integration of young vulnerable migrants in European
societies. In particular it is interested in understanding how this is be facilitated, what barriers
exist, and how they can be overcome.
The main aim of this report is to highlight the role of the local as a setting for migrant arrival
and integration, where access to resources and local participation is constantly being
negotiated between migrants and the local population.
The findings presented here are based on qualitative empirical research in 18 selected case
study localities in 9 European countries (England/UK, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg,
Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden) between mid-2020 and mid-2021. It draws on
interviews with 265 stakeholders involved in migration or integration matters.
The following summarizes the key findings:
• Localities provide distinct opportunity structures for migrant integration, which are
shaped by local economic development paths and by migration histories. Thus local
contextual factors can result in significant variations between places, even when these appear similar based on statistical indicators.
• For young vulnerable migrants the local context is of particular importance. The
livelihoods of this group are often particularly embedded locally. Depending on the
context, their status of transition between educational systems and the labour market
may be seen as a potential or challenge.
• These local opportunity structures also shape place-specific migrant populations with regard to size and composition. Countries of origin, legal status, socio-economic status or age thus vary considerably. These characteristics then also influence local
discussions around entitlement to resources, the focus of migration and integration
approaches, and whether the attitudes towards migrants are more or less favourable.
• Policy approaches and service provision vary considerable between countries and
case studies. We find ‘thick’ structures and a wide range of infrastructures and services in several case studies, while there is much less such support in other cases. In case studies with a broad range of different government and non-government actors, exchanges between actors often allow for relatively quick and targeted responses to arising challenges (e.g. arrival of refugees around 2015, COVID pandemic). More substantial support systems are of particular importance for vulnerable young
migrants, but may also raise questions about entitlement and access.
• Local approaches with regard to migration and integration can differ from overarching national policies, for example when welcoming approaches are adopted locally within anti-integration regimes on the national level. Such local-national (dis)connections can highlight how the responsibilities of migrant vulnerabilities are being delegated to and dealt with the local level. There is certain leeway for place-specific approaches of migrant integration, albeit within certain limitations, particularly when decision-making with regard to social systems and welfare is allocated at the national level.
• Stakeholders emphasised the importance of interactions between local populations
and migrants to reduce prejudices and conflict. For facilitating such encounters
particular local spaces are of particular importance for young migrants.
• In addition to the spaces for encounter, the ability to establish local social networks is
an important part of migrant integration. Across Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic
continues to restrict the opportunities for such encounters.
• To understand differences between places using a comparative research approach
allows for identifying possible variations between urban and rural areas, between
economically thriving and struggling regions, those with growing or declining
populations or between places with a high or low share of migrants.
