Over the past years, tens of thousands of migrants, including children and young people, have arrived in Europe seeking a brighter future. They represent an important part of our society which, at least in the short and medium term, will increase, despite the demographic decline in Europe. The new arrivals join the migrants who have already settled and are living in Europe, namely the second generation of migrants, with parents from outside the European Union. Despite their obvious differences, they all face the challenge of integrating in order to be full and active citizens of the European Union. Given the growing importance of immigration in our societies, recent years have seen a dramatic shift in the public debate on the ‘second generation’ in Europe, as a large number of European Union citizens are beginning to engage with the issue.
Let us look at young people – second generation migrants born in the European Union, who have one or two parents coming from outside the EU. There are certain challenges that need to be overcome in order to provide these young people with the necessary skills to achieve successful integration. Attention must be paid to the importance of the active citizenship of these young people, their social inclusion and their contribution to the overall development of democracy. To best address this challenge, we must prepare our schools and teachers by providing them with the necessary methodologies and tools to do so. Although educational policies are regulated at national level, a rethink is needed as all the Member States of the European Union are faced with a new situation concerning both national and European policy makers.
The education debate should not only include second generation migrants’ access to the classroom, but also active integration and engagement work. According to a recent report from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, young people with a migrant background are more likely to drop out of school before high school. In this context, it is crucial to provide additional language support to ensure good learning outcomes. Inadequate language proficiency is the main cause of poor academic performance. Education as a key element of integration is achieved through and thanks to language. Overcoming language barriers must be a top priority for the EU, although this is far from sufficient. Society and the family still play a major role in the formation of cultural identity.
There are other factors to take into account. Second-generation migrants are most often at risk of poverty and marginalisation, they often face difficulties in having their education and work experience acquired in another country recognised, discrimination on religious or ethnic grounds. The largest differences between migrants and nationals are observed in Belgium (53.3%), Sweden and Greece (both with 37.6%) and Spain (36.7%). In some cases, although second-generation youth with a migrant background attend local schools and speak the language, they are still not considered full citizens. Therefore, it is crucial to involve all institutions in the process in order to achieve successful integration. We need to work both with the migrants we accept in their countries and with the host communities. In order to achieve lasting results, change must start with the youngest – namely, the introduction of education about fundamental European values, including tolerance, equality, and human rights, in kindergartens and schools. It is the education in these values, as well as in active citizenship, from an early age, that guarantees the formation of a healthy European society.
It is clear that integration policies should create favorable conditions for the economic, social, cultural and political participation of these people.
One of the initiatives in this direction is the RAYSE project, co-funded by the “Erasmus+” program of the European Union. The project aims to promote young people’s active citizenship, social inclusion and active participation in democratic life.
Team “Communication” TIA Formazione Coordinator of the project Rayse
