Month: July 2023
Survey to find out the needs of migrants
Survey on what people fleeing conflict need in Romania In April and July, ARCA launched a survey in which it asked questions to discover the vision and experience of humanitarian migrants regarding accessing essential services in Romania. The questions were designed to find out more about the need of people fleeing Ukraine for food, shelter, health services, acquiring language skills, accessing education and finding a job. Basic needs revealed by the survey: food/clothing/hygiene products People mentioned initially that the coordination between authorities and grassroots organizations ensured access to basic necessities, such as food, clothing, hygiene essentials, and no issues were reported in this regard in April. shelter The emergency government ordinance 15/2022 implementing such humanitarian assistance measures was amended in May 2022. Its housing programme created to sustain a large number of humanitarian migrants suffered changes that are still undergoing implementation issues, as the monthly payments for housing and food expenses were not granted, thus creating imbalance and uncertainty for people in need of such supportive integration measures. This issue is awaiting resolution. While some people reported the need to move and find another place to live or even to return to the host country or move to another country, other people reported that mutual understanding and kindness were the foundation of their good relationship with the flat owners. healthcare services In the picture below, it can be seen how in April people fleeing Ukraine reported accessing healthcare services: When asked how they communicated with the doctor, 30.8% reported that they were helped by a translator, 26.3% used Google translator or similar online translation apps, 20.2% were speaking English or Romanian, 12.6% reported that the doctor was speaking Russian/Ukrainian. The remaining percentage of people did not need a doctor. In July, 31.7% of respondents mentioned that there is at least one member within their family with a disability, while 68.3% reported no disabilities. Out of the 31.7%, 11% are being offered social support, 21.7% remaining without assistance. language, access to education, finding employment language In our July needs assessment, the most commonly identified language needs were related to employment (e.g., workplace communication, job interviews) and everyday interactions (e.g., shopping, public transportation). They also expressed the need for language support in healthcare settings, including doctor visits and medical terminology comprehension. When asked what their plans for the future are, some of them answered that they need English and Romanian for both short-and long-term stay in the host country. access to education In April, one participant in our focus group discussions outlined that adaptation to Romanian government requirements is necessary to benefit from facilities. However, proximity to Ukraine makes it more difficult to assume the integration process fully, consequently, to enroll children in the Romanian public educational system. If they had been located further away from their home country, they would have adapted faster to the new society. Also in April, our needs assessment concluded that 43,7% of respondents had their children enrolled in online Ukrainian schools, while 22,7% answered that their children are enrolled in Ukrainian educational hubs in Romania. 10,9% reported having their children included in the Romanian public educational system. In July, we addressed similar questions related to education: When asked about how many children there were in the family, 35,4% answered that they have 2 children. 32,9% have one child, followed by 14,6% with no children, and 9,8% with 3 children. While 2 respondents have 5 or more children, and 1 has 4. On enrollment, 48,8% answered that they did not enroll their children in school/kindergarten, but they are searching for one. 25,6% have their children enrolled in school for less than 4 hours per day. While 23,2% have their children going to school or kindergarten between 4 and 8 hours daily. 2,4% don’t have children. Out of the 48,8% above, 31,7% mentioned that they need support with identifying a school or kindergarten. 17% do not need such support. finding employment An average of 62,2% of people from our 2 assessments conducted in July are currently unemployed in Romania, while 16,8% are working part-time and 14,2% have a full-time job. The following roles were mentioned: teacher, interior designer, business manager, lawyer, realtor, machine operator, cleaning personnel, psychologist, IT, engineer, massage therapist. Among reasons for impossibility to currently work, our respondents mentioned: child care; enrollment in school; language barrier; disabilities; other serious health issues; being older people. 85.2% of respondents have at least one child in their care. Derived conclusions from the survey: on language acquiring needs The language support initiatives should prioritize developing tailored language programs that address the specific needs identified by migrants, implicitly a focus to be put on designing language courses that incorporate vocabulary and scenarios relevant to employment, healthcare, and daily life interactions. Efforts should be made to enhance the accessibility of language learning resources, including online materials. Flexible language learning options, such as morning, evening or weekend classes, both online and offline can accommodate the diverse schedules of migrants. Additional support, such as language buddies or peer tutoring, can be established to provide opportunities for practice and enhance confidence in speaking. on other essential needs Based on the findings of the report, it can be concluded that employment support, as well as support with identifying a school/kindergarten would be needed, especially during August and September, when the housing programme will impose employment as a prerequisite for receiving financial assistance for housing. With regards to any further financial assistance, it can be highlighted that the most vulnerable categories of people in need of such support will be mothers with young children in care and not able to work, as well as older people and people with disabilities. The current article is part of a series of communication materials with the overall objective to increase awareness around migration-related issues through #constructive narratives. The project #UkraineNow is co-financed by the European Union through Erasmus+. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the content, which reflects only
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Necessary steps in integration
NECESSARY STEPS IN INTEGRATION Brief overview of good practices on post-pandemic education and employment for humanitarian migrants to facilitate integration Once arrived in a new country, either forcefully or voluntarily, any human being needs to go through the process of integration. While the new society would make their services available to progressively assimilate them. Learning the language is the most important step for any newcomer into Romanian society. Having a common language is a prerequisite for further integration prospects, particularly for humanitarian migrants who have not chosen to leave their home country due to their own will. As a result of the pandemic period most organizations have adapted their services to the online environment. Therefore we have also developed online courses both for Romanian and English languages. Incertitudinea zilei de mâine – factor demotivant If we can take into account the situation humanitarian migrants face such as the uncertainty of the short to long term perspectives of their future considering the geopolitical context, the loss and hardships of leaving home and the pressure to adapt to the new society with different language, social and cultural requirements, putting life on hold can not be an option for too long. One of the most difficult things observed in practice is how to adapt faster to the new situation in which humanitarian migrants find themselves in leaving fear, non-acceptance or denial of reality aside and to better understand how to support them on this path, by involving them also in the process. Creating a new scenario where the current situation can be used as a fuel for the future adds up to the need to consider the best ways in which education can be of use to humanitarian migrants. As the Romanian class can be of little or no interest for someone who considers its time in Romania is limited, English classes can be a way for learning a language of common use in Europe and its benefit stays longer regardless of the geopolitical situation herein. Other topics of interest related to education can be workshops and training on human rights, children’s rights, parenting, conflict resolution etc. The online environment does come with advantages and disadvantages extended accessibility less time and costs related to reaching classes flexibility of the programme (days and hours) multimedia resources available (visuals are a plus for learning) the need to have a good connection to the internet and access to the new technology (a prerequisite for online classes) minimum technological skills for learning optimization the need for self-discipline and less interaction with peers As each individual is unique we consider adjusting our services for both online and offline learning sessions in order to better address the needs of the people, highlighting the importance of the existing opportunities and focusing more on constructive perspectives for short to long term. Economic inclusion implies cooperation and communication. Financial resources represent an essential component in reaching self-sustainability and redeveloping the ability to support the loved ones. Having a secure livelihood and good health is the basis on which the other aspects of integration can be built. This process could be extremely strenuous. Especially if there is war trauma involved, family members to support, no savings available and limited knowledge or resources about the steps to be taken in achieving economic independence in the new country. This is where support measures, when correctly implemented, strengthen one’s power to move forward. Continuous coordination between human beings demonstrates the principle of interdependence and can be extremely beneficial to jumpstart the newcomer’s future. Such coordination requires some key steps to be followed: 1. Raising awareness brings up ATTENTION on the importance of the PROBLEM; 2. Creating the link between the main actors such as AUTHORITY – PRIVATE SECTOR – BENEFICIARY; 3. Willingness of the person to integrate – support structures can be successful in achieving their purpose only when humanitarian migrants make the effort to grow and overcome challenges; 4. Maintaining and developing the RELATION created; 5. Building up further opportunities. There are certain gaps in a society’s structure that can only be filled through common vision, trust and efforts from all sides involved in order for any human being, no matter their nationality, to have their dignity restored. The current article is part of a series of communication materials with the overall objective to increase awareness around migration-related issues through #constructive narratives. The project #UkraineNow is co-financed by the European Union through Erasmus+. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the content, which reflects only the views of the authors. The Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
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