National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (NIEM). Measuring and improving integration of beneficiaries of international protection

Report on the evaluation of the integration of beneficiaries of international protection

This report is the result of the first of the three planned rounds of evaluation – the so-called baseline evaluation, comprising 186 indicators from different areas of integration. The next evaluation will be carried out in 2019 and then again in 2021, both followed by the release of national reports as well as a joint European report comparing the reviewed dimensions of the integration policies of all 14 countries participating in the NIEM project. The report covers the situation until 31 December 2016, the data were collected in 2017 and the report was written in 2018.

The report is addressed to representatives of the public administration, academic and research centers, groups of experts, non-governmental organizations and all others dealing with migration and integration issues. We hope that the report will be of interest to you and will provide a good basis for policy-making and deepening the knowledge on the integration of beneficiaries of international protection.

National Report Slovenia

The European benchmark for refugee integration: A comparative analysis of the National Integration Evaluation Mechanism in 14 EU countries, 2019

The report presents a comparative, indicator-based assessment of the refugee integration frameworks in place in 14 countries: Czechia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Conclusions cover the full range of integration dimensions, such as housing, employment, education and aspects of legal integration, and refer to recognized refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. Legal and policy indicators are the focus of analysis, as well as indicators on mainstreaming, coordination and efforts to involve refugees and locals. Results are presented in terms of concrete steps that policymakers need to take in order to establish a refugee integration framework in line with the standards required by international and EU law.

The European benchmark for refugee integration

Newest NIEM report on integration of refugees in 14 EU countries, 2020

What are the gaps in the refugee integration policies of European countries? Have there been any changes from 2017 to 2019?

1️⃣ Few changes occurred since 2017. The widest gaps remain in the policies that support integration and multi-stakeholder collaborations.
2️⃣ Countries that had the strongest positive change across all areas include France; and Lithuania, followed by Latvia and Slovenia.
3️⃣ Countries that slipped back include Romania, Italy; and Hungary.
4️⃣ Sectors which saw the highest number of countries deteriorating are residency, housing and health.

Find the report

Evropsko merilo za integracijo beguncev: primerjalna analiza nacionalnega mehanizma za evalvacijo integracije v 14 državah EU, 2019

Poročilo predstavlja primerjalno oceno na podlagi kazalnikov integracije beguncev v 14 državah: Češka, Francija, Grčija, Madžarska, Italija, Latvija, Litva, Nizozemska, Poljska, Portugalska, Romunija, Slovenija, Španija in Švedska. Sklepi zajemajo celotno paleto integracijskih razsežnosti, kot so nastanitev, zaposlovanje, izobraževanje in vidiki pravne integracije, in se nanašajo na osebe s priznano mednarodno zaščito (kar zajema status begunca in status subsidiarne zaščite). Pravni kazalniki in kazalniki politik so v središču analize, ki obsega tudi kazalnike o administrativnih ter finančnih vložkih države, koordinaciji relevantnih deležnikov in prizadevanjih za vključevanje beguncev in domačinov. Rezultati so predstavljeni v smislu konkretnih ukrepov, ki jih morajo sprejeti politiki, da bi vzpostavili okvir za vključevanje beguncev v skladu s standardi, ki jih zahtevajo mednarodno pravo in pravo EU.

The European benchmark for refugee integration

NIEM primerjalno poročilo o integraciji beguncev v 14 EU državah, 2020

Kakšne so vrzeli v politikah integracije beguncev? Ali je bilo od leta 2017 do 2019 kaj sprememb?

1️⃣ Od leta 2017 smo zaznali malo sprememb. Največje vrzeli ostajajo v integracijskih politikah in sodelovanju med različnimi deležniki.

2️⃣ Največ pozitivnih sprememb na področju integracije beguncev smo zaznali v Franciji in Litvi, sledita Latvija in Slovenija.

3️⃣ Države, kjer v največji meri zaznavamo negativne spremembe, so Romunija, Italija in Madžarska.

4️⃣ Področja, na katerih se je stanje poslabšalo v največ državah, so urejanje prebivališča, iskanje nastanitve in zdravstveno varstvo.

Poročilo lahko preberete TUKAJ.

Maja Ladić, Veronika Bajt, Vlasta Jalušič: Nacionalni mehanizem za evalvacijo integracije, Slovenija, Poročilo za leto 2018

To je drugo Nacionalno poročilo o Sloveniji, ki smo ga pripravili v okviru projekta »Nacionalni mehanizem za evalvacijo integracije (National Integration Evaluation Mechanism – NIEM)« o izvajanju različnih področij integracijske politike za osebe s priznano mednarodno zaščito. Prvo poročilo se je osredotočalo na časovno obdobje od 1. januarja 2016 do 31. decembra 2016 in je vključevalo prvo celostno evalvacijo migracijskih in integracijskih politik v Sloveniji (glej Ladić et al., 2018). Po tej prelomni objavi, sestavljeni na podlagi kazalnikov, ki so bili izpeljani v letu 2017, pričujoče poročilo zaključuje drugi krog ocenjevanja, ki je bil izveden leta 2019 in je obsegal 186 kazalnikov, namenjenih diagnosticiranju obstoječega stanja v Sloveniji. Obsega časovno obdobje med 1. januarjem 2018 in 31. decembrom 2018.

Poročilo lahko preberete tukaj.

Alexander Wolffhardt, Carmine Conte and Thomas Huddleston: The European Benchmark for Refugee Integration: A Comparative Analysis of the National Integration Evaluation Mechanism in 14 EU Countries Evaluation 1: Comprehensive Report, 2020

This report is part of the “National Integration Evaluation Mechanism. Measuring and improving integration of beneficiaries of international protection” project, co-funded by the European Union through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the International Visegrad Fund.

NIEM is led and coordinated by the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA). The Migration Policy Group (MPG) is the coordinating research partner responsible for the development of NIEM indicators, analysis and comprehensive comparative reports.

Read the report here.

Maja Ladić, Alaa Alali: The influence of Covid-19 pandemic and preventive measures on lives of refugees in Slovenia, 2020

In the light of the global Covid-19 pandemic on March 12 2020 the epidemic was declared also in Slovenia. From that day on, several measures have been adopted on the state level to prevent further spread of the virus. In June and July 2020 we have conducted 45 interviews with refugees and asylum seekers, asking them about how these measures have influenced their lives.

Read the report here. | Report in Arabian language.

Maja Ladić, Alaa Alali: Awareness of refugee men of human rights, 2020

End of August 2020, we conducted a focus group discussion with eight male beneficiaries of international protection who live in Slovenia for at least four years or more. Due to covid-19 measures, we organized two separate discussions in small groups, one group consisting of five younger single men and the other group consisting of three married men with families. We planned to organize separate focus groups with female beneficiaries of international protection, however, due to covid-19 situation, we have not yet managed to conduct them.

The topic of our focus group discussion was refugee  experience with integration in Slovenia and the obstacles they are dealing with. Within this broad frame, we focused on more specific topics: the awareness of refugees  of their rights and obligations,  of women’s and children’s rights, civil and political rights, social norms in Slovenia, and also,  of their changed lifestyle in a new European country (especially  regarding the “ghetto” influence – a large migrant community – or “ghetto” absence in Slovenia, where, except for migrants from former Yugoslav republics, other migrants do not have large communities).

Read the report. | Report in Arabian language.

Comparative Report on Refugee Integration, 2022

New comparative report reveals that countries welcoming the most Ukrainian refugees are the least prepared. Summary of key findings of the report:

• Since the last NIEM comparative evaluation report two years ago, there has been little to no progress by the 14 countries analysed.
  As a matter of fact, many countries have even seen some backsliding, specifically in the areas of residency, housing and social security, although there has been slight progress in the areas of citizenship, collaboration, family reunification and language learning and social orientation.
• Compared to the legal provisions in place on residence and equal access, all countries do worse when it comes to active policies supporting integration, cross-sectoral coordination and government support for civil society and local authorities.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries with more inclusive integration policy frameworks had more favourable outcomes in terms minimising the effects of COVID-19 upon refugees.
• Slovenia achieved the highest score (64.3) in the legislative framework, 58.2 in the policy area and only 24.3 in the implementation and cooperation framework. This points to existing differences between theory and practice.

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Third National Report on Slovenia’s implementation of different areas of integration policy for beneficiaries of international protection

The research, carried out in 2020 and 2021, comprised more than 180 indicators aimed at diagnosing the current situation in the field of integration of refugees in Slovenia. These indicators measure or evaluate different types of data, encompassing legal, administrative, statistical, financial, etc. data in practically all areas of integration – from residence, citizenship, family reunification, education, employment, vocational training, health, social protection, access to housing, language learning, social orientation, to building bridges with the local population. The third and final research carried out in the NIEM project covers the time period between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2021.

In the third evaluation of the integration of beneficiaries of international protection in Slovenia under NIEM, we found that in most areas the situation has remained the same as three years ago, whereas in some areas it has worsened. With regard to the indicators measured, we did not find a systemic improvement in any of the areas.

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Video: Integration of refugees in 14 EU countries, NIEM 2016-2022 

Researchers from 14 EU countries share their evaluation of the integration laws, policies and measures, while refugees share their real life experience with integration in their new home countries.

Ten women, ten different stories … The experience of refugee and migrant women in Slovenia

Due to the fact that migrant or refugee women face specific challenges and obstacles in integration, and due to our previous NIEM research work focusing more on refugee and migrant men, we identified the need to carry out additional (small scale) research with the focus solely on women. We prepared questionnaire for semi-structured interviews, with questions reflecting on personal experiences with integration in Slovenia, including the aspect of potential discrimination they might be facing, and Covid-19 impact on their lives.
In the period between December 2021 and May 2022 we have conducted ten interviews with women who are asylum seekers (one woman), who got international protection (three women) or who arrived to Slovenia through the family reunification with their husbands who were granted
refugee status (six women). All of them have lived in Slovenia for at least one year.

Read the report