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

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.

Integration

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.

Facebook