The case for a European Immigrant Support Centre Network: learning from the experiences of the Portuguese migrant integration policy. (MA Thesis)

COLLEGE OF EUROPE

NATOLIN, WARSAW CAMPUS

EUROPEAN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

The case for a European Immigrant Support Centre Network: learning from the experiences of the Portuguese migrant integration policy.

Supervisor: Professor Jörg Monar Thesis presented by

Joaquim Torrinha

for the

Degree of Master of Arts in European

Interdisciplinary Studies

Academic Year: 2011/2012

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Declaration

I hereby declare that

a) I submitted the MA thesis with originally signed Statutory Declaration constituting an integral part of the thesis,

b) I agree that one copy of my MA thesis is deposited in the College’s library provided it is graded for at least 15/20,

c) I agree that the summary of my MA thesis is published on the internet site of the College of Europe provided it is graded for at least 15/20.

[Please cross out as appropriate]

I send attached two copies of my MA thesis by post. The electronic version of the thesis and the thesis summary have been sent to Ms Renata Sulek ([email protected]).

Date Signature

NB: The declaration, two copies of the MA thesis, an electronic version of the thesis and the abstract have

to be received by the Academic Department (College of Europe, ul. Nowoursynowska 84, 02-797

Warsaw, Poland) the latest at 5 p.m. CET on Friday, 4th May 2012.

Maria Skłodowska-Curie Promotion

Natolin Campus

2011/2012 academic year

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Statutory Declaration

I hereby declare that this thesis has been written by myself without any external unauthorised help, that it has been neither submitted to any institution for evaluation nor previously published in its entirety or in parts. Any parts, words or ideas, of the thesis, however limited, and including tables, graphs, maps etc., which are quoted from or based on other sources, have been acknowledged as such without exception.

Moreover, I have also taken note and accepted the College rules with regard to plagiarism (Section 4.2 of the College study regulations).

Déclaration sur l’honneur

Je déclare sur l’honneur que ce mémoire a été écrit de ma main, sans aide extérieure non autorisée, qu’il n’a été déposé auparavant dans aucune autre institution pour évaluation, et qu’il n’a jamais été publié, dans sa totalité ou en partie. Toutes parties, mots ou idées, aussi limités soient-ils, y compris des tableaux, graphiques, cartes etc. qui sont empruntés ou qui font référence à d’autres sources bibliographiques sont présentés comme tels, sans exception aucune.

Je déclare également avoir pris note et accepté les règles relatives au plagiat (section 4.2 du règlement d’études du Collège).

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ABSTRACT

The case for a European Immigrant Support Centre Network: learning from the experiences of the Portuguese migrant integration policy.

This study delves into the Portuguese policies for migrant integration, as a recognised model of good practices at the European level. Given the priorities established by the European Commission for the Agenda 2020, in regards to renewing the European labour force, it is perhaps relevant to reflect on what way effective migrant integration policies can assist those objectives. Portugal, as a privileged example among Member States, has been following the recommendations of the Commission closely since the past decade and has lately been regarded as a model country in that regard. In this study, there is an attempt to verify if an absolute statement of success can be valid for the entire policy body that Portugal implements internally. It provides an analysis of recent and current policy plans and attempts to show the reader an encompassing perspective of their results in the field. This is further aided by analysing the situation of the Ukrainian immigrant community in Portugal. This practical case-study shall assist in understanding the extent of the impact of migrant integration policies on the reality of migrant communities. Nonetheless, in case the policy plans in their entirety would prove insufficient in regards to the real world, this study also departed from a parallel premise. This regards the Portuguese network of National Centres for Immigrant Support (CNAI), which was the main factor that called the attention of the United Nations and the Migration Integration Policy Index in their recognitions. From the CNAI model, proven already to be effective, we then attempt to extrapolate a European-wide network. This projected structure would have as its main objective the pooling of information, promoting mobility and welfare throughout Europe: the European Immigrant Support Centre Network.

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KEY WORDS Migrant Integration Policies Portugal European Union Ukrainian migrants European Immigrant Support Centre Network

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ACIDI - High-Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue (Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural) AIPA - Association of Immigrants from the Azores (Associação de Imigrantes dos Açores) ANQ - National Agency for Qualifications ( Agência Nacional para a Qualificação) CLAII - Local Immigrant Integration Support Centres (Centros Locais de Apoio à Integração de Imigrantes CNAI – National Immigrant Support Centre(s) (Centro Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante) CNO - New Opportunities Centres (Centros de Novas Oportunidades) CAMPO - Migrant Support Centre in Country of Origin (Centro de Apoio ao Migrante no País de Origem) CPB’s – Common Basic Principles on integration DGHA - Directorate-General for Home Affairs GDP – Gross Domestic Product EEAS - European External Action Service EIIN - European Immigrant Information Network EMN – European Migration Network EISC - European Immigrant Support Centre(s) EISCN - European Immigrant Support Centre Network EU – European Union ICT – Information and Communication Technologies IEFP - Institute for Employment and Professional Training (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional) IPAD – Portuguese Institute for Development Support (Instituto Português de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento. I.P. – Public Institute (Instituto Público) GARF - Office of Support for Family Reunification (Gabinete de Apoio à Reunificação Familiar) GAJI –Office of Legal Assistance for Immigrants (Gabinete de Apoio Jurídico ao Imigrante) GAS - Office of Social Support (Gabinete de Apoio Social) GAH- Office of Housing Support (Gabinete de Apoio à Habitação), GAT - Office of Employment Support (Gabinete de Apoio ao Emprego) GIP - Office of Professional Insertion (Gabinete de Inserção Profissional) GAIC -Office of Support for the Immigrant Consumer (Gabinete de Apoio ao Consumidor Imigrante) GAQ - Support Office for Qualification (Gabinete de Apoio à Qualificação) GAT – Office for Reception and Screening (Gabinete de Apoio e Triagem) OIM – Organisation for Migration MIPEX - Migrant Integration Policy Index NGO – Non-Governmental Organisation(s) PII1 - I Plan for Immigrant Integration (2007-2009) PII2 - II Plan for Immigrant Integration (2010-2013) SEF - Foreign Nationals and Border Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) SII – Social Insertion Income

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UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

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CONTENTS

Introduction ....................................................................................................... 10

I The relevance of migration integration and the Portuguese policy towards the

Europe 2020 Agenda Goals ............................................................................. 15

I.1. Migrant Integration and the Objectives of the Europe 2020 Agenda ....... 15

I.2. General overview of the Portuguese policies: an introduction ................. 17

I.3. An outline of the II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013 ................. 18

I.3.1. Welcoming ........................................................................................ 19

I.3.2. Education and Culture ...................................................................... 21

I.3.3. Employment, Professional Training and Business Dynamics ........... 22

I.4. The Portuguese Plan and the European Agenda for the Integration of

Third-Country Nationals ................................................................................ 23

II.4.1. Integration through participation ...................................................... 24

I.4.2. More Action at Local Level ................................................................ 25

I.5. The results of the I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009 ................ 27

I.5.1. Welcoming ........................................................................................ 30

I.5.2. Culture and Education ...................................................................... 32

I.5.3. Employment, Professional Training and Business Dynamics ........... 33

I.6. Evaluation of the ACIDI activities under the I Plan for Immigrant

Integration (2007-2009) ................................................................................. 36

I.7. Conclusions............................................................................................. 38

II The case of the Ukrainian migrants’ integration in Portugal and the

Portuguese migrant integration policy .............................................................. 39

II.1 An historical overview of the Ukrainian migration to Portugal and internal

changes to the legal and political framework ................................................ 39

II.2. The profile of the Ukrainian immigrant community in Portugal ............... 43

II.3. The characteristics of the Eastern European migrant communities and

the development of the Portuguese immigrant integration policies ............... 44

II.4. The Ukrainian community and the Portuguese policies for Immigrant

Integration ..................................................................................................... 47

II.5. Conclusion: An insufficient practical example for proving overall effective

success and the relevance of the CNAI ........................................................ 51

III An European Immigrant Support Centre Network ........................................ 54

III.1. Possible Legal basis and Structural Framework ................................... 55

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III.2. Main functions ....................................................................................... 57

III.3. The European Immigrant Information Network ...................................... 58

III.4. A budgetary example: a possible EICSN implementation in Portugal,

Spain and Ireland. ......................................................................................... 59

III.5. Conclusions ........................................................................................... 61

Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 62

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 66

Appendix I ........................................................................................................ 73

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Introduction

“The Europe 2020 Strategy and the Stockholm Programme fully recognise the potential of migration for building a competitive and sustainable economy and they set out, as a clear political objective, the effective integration of legal migrants, underpinned by the respect and promotion of human rights”.1

The adoption of the European Agenda for the Integration of Third Country Migrants (July 2011) was a landmark in which the European Commission (hereafter the “Commission) stated the importance of making legal frameworks and national barriers more flexible and just to the entrance of third country migrants. More importantly, this statement refers to the influx of migrants as an element that can revive the European labour market, where shortages of workers have been identified in various sectors. This would serve to counter not only short-term deficiencies, but also to ease the effects of an ageing European labour force (it is estimated that the European labour force will have a deficit of 50 million people by 2060)2: “Europe is also strongly influenced by demographic changes, including the ageing population, longer life expectancies and a declining working-age population. Legal migration can help to address these issues, in addition to maximising the use of the labour force and skills already available in the EU and improving the productivity of the EU economy. Demographic trends vary from region to region and need to be addressed through tailor made solutions. If the full benefits from migration are to be realised, Europe needs to find a way to better cope with its diverse and multicultural societies through more effective integration of migrants.”3 The European Union (EU) recognised in 2005 that a strategy of harmonisation regarding the integration of legally residing migrants would be a cornerstone in tackling not only a question of benefiting the labour market as such, but the European societies as a whole. It was realised that managing migration should still focus on safety, security and internal affairs, but should not overlook its social consequences upon incoming and domestic populations. The Commission’s communication A Common Agenda for Integration: Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union (2005) was a primary consolidated set of recommendations to bring about an EU-wide concern for the social integration of third-country migrants4. Hence, it presented suggestions that aimed at encouraging concrete sets of measures by

1 European Commission, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament,

The Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. COM(2011) 455 final. Brussels, 20.07.2011. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/news/intro/docs/110720/1_EN_ACT_part1_v10.pdf. (Consulted on 06.03.2012). p.2 2 European Commission, 2011/413/EU: Commission Recommendation of 11 July 2011 on the

research joint programming initiative ‘More years, better lives — the potential and challenges of demographic change’. L 183, 13/07/2011. Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:183:0028:01:EN:HTML (Consulted on 06.03.2012) 3 European Commission, European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, op.

4 Note: throughout this study, whenever we use the term “migrant” or immigrant” it refers to

third-country migrants, unless specified to the contrary.

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Member States, supported by an established role of the Commission itself. These focused on the previously established Common Basic Principles of Immigrant Integration Policy in the European Union (CBPs), adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council in November 2004. Summarising, the points made thereby mainly addressed the following: “1. Integration is a dynamic, two-way process of mutual accommodation by all immigrants and residents of Member States (...) [which] are encouraged to consider and involve both immigrants and national citizens in integration policy, and to communicate clearly their mutual rights and responsibilities. 2. Integration implies respect for the basic values of the European Union. 3. Employment is a key part of the integration process and is central to the participation of immigrants, to the contributions immigrants make to the host society, and to making such contributions visible. 4. Basic knowledge of the host society's language, history, and institutions is indispensable to integration; enabling immigrants to acquire this basic knowledge is essential to successful integration. 5. Efforts in education are critical to preparing immigrants, and particularly their 6. Access for immigrants to institutions, as well as to public and private goods and services, on a basis equal to national citizens and in a non-discriminatory way is a critical foundation for better integration. 7. Frequent interaction between immigrants and Member State citizens is a fundamental mechanism for integration. Shared forums, inter-cultural dialogue, education about immigrants and immigrant cultures, and stimulating living conditions in urban environments enhance the interactions between immigrants and Member State citizens. 8. The practice of diverse cultures and religions is guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights and must be safeguarded, unless practices conflict with other inviolable European rights or with national law. 9. The participation of immigrants in the democratic process and in the formulation of integration policies and measures, especially at the local level, supports their integration. 10. Mainstreaming integration policies and measures in all relevant policy portfolios and levels of government and public services is an important consideration in public policy formation and implementation. 11. Developing clear goals, indicators and evaluation mechanisms are necessary to adjust policy, evaluate progress on integration and to make the exchange of information more effective.”5 The principles hereby established would constitute the basis for the future policy-making orientation in regards to migration, which inspired the current general framework delivering the European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, the Stockholm Programme.6 This policy-making orientation document has somewhat enshrined in which way integration policies should be put forth,

5 The Council of the European Union, Press Release: 2618th Council Meeting - Justice and

Home Affairs. 14615/04 (Presse 321). Brussels. 19.11.2004. Available at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/jha/82745.pdf (Consulted on 06.03.2012) pp. 17-18. 6 The European Council. The Stockholm Programme – An Open and Secure Europe serving

and protecting citizens. 2010/C 115/1. 04.05.2010. Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:115:0001:0038:en:PDF. (Consulted on 25.02.2012).

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and consequently be directed to the use that is to be made of the integration of migrants in the context of the Lisbon Treaty. The question was hereafter developed by the Commission in a more targeted fashion, oriented towards the 2020 objectives, by addressing it directly in the 2011 European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Migrants. The latter shall be a reference for the present study. But what is to be a model for accomplishing these goals? What examples can be drawn from the internal practices of Member States which can set a starting point? How to accomplish a coherent and proportionate common policy recommendation? In what way can the real-world examples of practices shape the Stockholm orientations into an effective and result-delivering exercise? Taking into account an exchange of good practices in the EU, this thesis sets out to attempt at proving if the exercise of migration policies in one Member State could be taken as a model to expand one policy structure to the EU level. Article 79 (4) of the Treaty of Lisbon, which addresses the question, clearly puts EU competences out of the area of migrant integration. Nonetheless, it leaves room for an approval by the institutions, through the ordinary legislative procedure, for the creation of initiatives in this regard. If such propositions would become reality, what Member States practices could inspire them? In Chapter I, we analyse the aforementioned issues, adopting the case of Portugal for this purpose, as it is a Member State which has repeatedly been acclaimed as an example of good practices in respect to migrant integration policies. Acknowledging that migration policies cut through various fields and dimensions of society and institutional areas, a selected analysis of what was recently undertaken by this Member State shall be provided. In this regard, this country’s recent policy frameworks shall be looked upon closely, particularly what was established in the I Plan for Immigrant Integration (2007-2009) (hereafter “PII1”) and the II Plan for Immigrant Integration (2010-2013) (hereafter “PII2”). So as to not make this analysis uselessly exhaustive, this thesis shall concentrate on topics that relate more closely to the Commission’s common framework propositions. Thus, the categories analysed therewith shall focus on “Welcoming”, “Culture and Education” and “Employment, Professional Training and Business Dynamics”. It shold be noted that the PII2 largely builds on the principles and achievements of the first Plan. This positive discrimination of fields will assist in explaining an eventual matching between the European vision and the Portuguese practices in this respect. Henceforth, and given that “practices” is what is hereby being assessed, the analysis shall depart from two different approaches for the two aforementioned Portuguese policy frameworks. Firstly, the PII2 will be covered, providing an outline of the policies at hand and a comparison of current measure proposals with the principles set out by the Commission. Secondly, a summary of the results and evaluations of the previous version of this plan shall be looked into, so as to find a relation between its contents and the international recognition is has received in the period between 2007 and 2009. The focus will be directed at selected measures which were in fact implemented (again, we purposefully select the more relevant characteristics that are considered relevant for the

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purpose of these pages). Particularly, the study will then attempt to clarify what the characteristics and the “place” of the network of National Immigrant Support Centres is in this context. In order to further prove the relevance of taking up the Portuguese example to then project a European-wide migrant integration-oriented structure, this analysis will attempt bring to light which aspects of the national practice are pertinent to be taken as an example. For this purpose, in Chapter II, we chose to isolate the case of the Ukrainian migration to the country. By providing an overview of the characteristics of this migrant population, we expect to discern if the Portuguese policies, as such, had indeed a wide impact on changing the conditions under which this population lives and works in Portugal. Concerning the internal policy culture, it will then be relevant to sequentially check if the shift in the way these policies were put forth is the product of both the European guidelines (which were introduced more consistently from 2005 on) and the adaptation to a completely new immigrant population in respect to the country’s reality before the Eastern European migratory wave in 2001. The thesis shall briefly note the recent history of the Ukrainian migration to Portugal and its potential factors. A more thorough explanation of the characteristics of the first incoming Ukrainian migrant spectrum will be inserted in Appendix I. To this end, the information therewith will mainly draw from the only comprehensive study of the Ukrainian phenomenon in Portugal. Urkrainian Immigration in Portugal and Southern Europe: the emergence of one or several communities?7, edited by researchers José Carlos Marques, Maria Ioannis Baganha and Pedro Góis (2008); will serve as central reference for the presented information. Additionally, we shall seek to establish an evaluation on the efficiency of social integration in the country, taking into account the most recent possible data we have been able to come across in the research stage. This will further aid in establishing if, in fact, this example proves or excludes the possibility that the whole of the Portuguese approach can be subject to be taken as an example for a European common structure regarding migrant integration. Finally, Chapter III of this essay shall present a project for a European Immigrant Support Centre Network. The detail in which this thesis delves in this respect will not be exhaustive, but shall attempt to provide a general idea of how such a structure could come to be. This idea draws from the Portuguese National Immigrant Support Centres8 (CNAI) network, which, to date, has been the most highlighted acclaimed feature of this Member State’s policy framework. In relation to what was said above, it is considered for the purpose of proving which of the Portuguese practices are worthy of note, that the particular international acknowledgement was aimed mainly at the fact that Portugal has made effective and accessibility-efficient services available for migrants. It is perhaps relevant to note that this study relies exclusively on sources which are available electronically for its references. This is so not because the main references are not published in hard copy, but because it provided for an easier

7 Translation: Imigração Ucraniana em Portugal e no Sul da Europa: A Emergência de uma ou

várias comunidades? 8 Translation: Centro Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante (CNAI)

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consultation process. This choice also enables the reader to quickly consult the references hereby introduced. Additionally, we shall draw from various sources for statistical data and rely on governmental, EU and study documents on the field of migrant integration and related subjects. Above all, this study shall attempt to provide a real account of what good practices in migrant integration policies signify, and what practical form they may adopt in the real world. This is especially relevant because it shows how the Commission’s recommendations may be reflected on the practical field. On the other hand, an extrapolation forged in direct action by the institutions in the set-up of a European Immigrant Support Centre Network represents a far-reaching type of political action, which would no longer be fed by the action of Member States, but would be an undertaking of the Union itself. Extrapolating such action to this dimension, taking as basis one of the Member States’ practices as a role model, can represent a new approach to a commonly identified question. This, of course, would require new dynamics of relation, going beyond the sheer two-way communication between the institutions and the national governments in regards to migrant integration. Finally, such a network could truly constitute a gateway to a European area of employment and education equality, benefitting society, improving welfare, and upholding the common values of equality of opportunities and non-discrimination As so many times in the EU’s history, areas of competence that were at first not estimated to be conferred onto the institutions, were at a given time subject to a judgement of inevitability by the Member States. Taking into account the reality of the Schengen zone, the need for labour mobility in the Economic and Monetary Union, the ageing of the European workforce and the objectives of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice; such might be the case in the future, where migrant integration policies could be included in the exclusive or shared EU competences. It is here that we find the main relevance for the present project.

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I The relevance of migration integration and the Portuguese policy towards the Europe 2020 Agenda Goals

I.1. Migrant Integration and the Objectives of the Europe 2020 Agenda The scope of the European 2020 agenda is far-reaching. The strategy, proposed in March 2010 by the Commission, bets on 5 headline targets to be achieved by the end of this decade, which accomplishment aims to revive the European economy and set Europe on the right path in a new global context. Summarising, the 2020 strategy expects member states to contribute for the following: an employment rate of 75 % of the population aged 20-64; a 3% of GDP investment in Research and Development; achievement of the “20/20/20” climate/energy targets; reduce early school leavers to 10% of the European student population, while assuring a 40% higher education graduation for the younger generation; and reducing poverty-risk population by 20 million people.9 In regards to which the scope of this study is concerned, we shall focus the target which might pertain more directly to enhancing the effectiveness of a common European migration integration framework: the increase of the employment rate and its related education and legal status aspects. Although we are fully aware that illegal or poorly integrated third country immigrants may contribute to the numbers of the poverty rate10, it is taken that focusing on what surrounds the employment dimension may better show the impact of

Figure 1. Evolution of the Employment rate in the EU (2007-2011)11

9 European Commission. Press Release: Europe 2020: Commission proposes new economic

strategy in Europe. IP/10/225. Brussels, 03.10.2010. Available at: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/225 (Consulted on 25.03.2012) 10

Eurostat, Europe 2020 Headline Indicators. Available at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/europe_2020_indicators/headline_indicators (Consulted on 25.03.2012) 11

Source: Eurostat. Employment Rate by Gender, Age Group 15-64. Last Update: 18.04.2012. Available at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graph&plugin=1&pcode=tsiem010&language=en&toolbox=data (Consulted on 15.04.2012)

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Figure 2. Impact of the recession on employment, EU-27+12

integration policies in the “new European objectives”. The financial crisis has affected the evolution of the overall average of the employment rate for the EU, when, according to the earlier Lisbon Strategy, it was supposed to reach 70% by 2010. The new target for 2020 is a more ambitious one. However, the evolution of the employment rate has been one of decline since 2008, and forecasts, as the one shown above, do not strongly counter this trend. Although it is expected that employment will recover, it is expected that it may only reach pre-crisis levels in 2020. This, however, is not predicted to happen in the height of the ambitious 2020 targets. Nevertheless, it can be considered that promoting ambition may be a way to encourage further political effort. As mentioned above, the 2020 Agenda makes reference to migrant integration as a solution for the current and future status of European employment: “the employment rate of the population aged 20-64 should increase from the current 69% to at least 75%, including through the greater involvement of women, older workers and the better integration of migrants in the work force.13” In addition to this, it has been argued that the ageing of the European workforce can also be alleviated if effective policies for immigrant integration are set afoot. For instance, a study by Joan Muysken of the University of Maastricht upholds the integration of migrants in this context, arguing that, in order “to stimulate investments and economic growth it is of utmost importance that immigration policy as a means to mitigate the aging problem should not only focus on the number of immigrants, but also on their employability by keeping the skill structure in line with the skill distribution of domestic labour market entrants. This requires two steps: (1) skill neutral screening of immigrants and (2) and education policy that has the aim and ability to educate the second and third

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Source: Cedefop – European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Skills Supply and Demand in Europe – Medium Term Forecast up to 2012. 2010. Available at: http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/3052_en.pdf (Consulted on 23.03.2012). p.35 13

European Commission, Communication from the Commission: Europe 2020 – An Agenda for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. COM(2010)2020. Brussels, 03.03.2010. Available at: http://eunec.vlor.be/detail_bestanden/doc014%20Europe%202020.pdf (Consulted on 23.02.2012)

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generation of immigrants, at least in line with the average skill distribution in a country.”14 In conclusion, these recent considerations about the relation between the integration of immigrants and tackling the abovementioned two main identified problems (evolution of employment and the ageing of the European workforce); give sense to considering that the integration of migrants can improve chances to achieve the 2020 objectives in regards to employment; and make them a part of a renewed European society in the long term, with particular reflections upon security and overall welfare.

I.2. General overview of the Portuguese policies: an introduction In Portugal, the abovementioned integration rationale has been taken into consideration for almost a decade. Hence, the political concern dedicated to the inclusion of immigrants has not just been one of labour market, but also towards society as a whole. The main landmarks were the changes to the legal framework of legalisation, followed by a policy setting which delivered positive results, the I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009: “the first Plan for Immigrant Integration, effective from 2007 to 2009, placed Portugal in the restricted group of EU countries which had adopted an instrument for global orientation of public policy on the integration of immigrants. This instrument was cross-ministerial and implemented with due supervision. Its implementation rate was extremely high.”15 Not disregarding loose policy measures, it is hereby considered that it might be useful to concentrate the analysis in the two versions of the Plan for Immigrant Integration, given its consolidated character. There are other measures and activities undertaken by the High-Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue (ACIDI16) and other institutions, but the exhaustiveness considered reasonable herein gives sense to a focus directed at these particular policy papers, taken they are the central policy sources for the Portuguese conduction of migrant integration policies. The Portuguese Migration Policy is discussed and approved by the governmental “umbrella” institution, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers,17 and implemented by the ACIDI, in connection with various governmental

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Joan Muysken, Immigration Can Alleviate the Ageing Problem. EIPASCOPE 2008. Available at: http://eunec.vlor.be/detail_bestanden/doc014%20Europe%202020.pdf. (Consulted on 23.03.2012 15

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/_cfn/4d346c9b80687/live/Consulte+a+vers%C3%A3o+da+Plano+2010-2013+em+Ingl%C3%AAs (Consulted on 12.12.2010) p.5 16

Definition of the High-Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue (ACIDI – Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural): autonomous public institution under the authority of the PCM, responsible for implementing, advising and reporting on public policies in regards to the integration of migrants and promoting inter-cultural areas are under the authority of the PCM. It is formally headed directly by the Prime-Minister, assisted by a Secretary-General. 17

Definition of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM – Presidência do Conselho de Ministros): The Presidency of the Council of Ministers is a central department of the Government of Portugal. It supports the Council of Ministers, but also undertakes policy-making in areas not assigned to a specific ministry. Various governmental institutions in a diverse range of areas are under the authority of the PCM. It is formally headed directly by the Prime-Minister, assisted by a Secretary-General.

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bodies, civil society and particularly the Foreign Nationals and Border Service (SEF)18,. The Portuguese model for migrant integration has produced singular results in promoting the take-up of the best advantage of the immigrant’s skills in order to promote integration into society and enrich the national labour force with the skills brought by these workers.

I.3. An outline of the II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013 Before delving into the analysis of the policy itself, it is perhaps pertinent to provide a general understanding about the context upon which they were are applied. Without attempting to go into much generic detail, the conjuncture of the Portuguese population in 2010 was the following: “The estimated resident population in Portugal was 10,636,979 at the end of 2010, accounting for a decrease of 734 individuals compared to the same period from 2009, corresponding to a crude rate of total population change of -0.01%. The decrease in population was a result of a negative natural growth rate (-0.04%), as well as of a decrease in the net migration growth rate, from 0.14% in 2009 to 0.04% in 2010. Vis-à-vis the previous year – with a crude rate of total population change of 0.10% – the crude rate of population growth decreased slightly, as a consequence of a strong decrease in the net migration growth rate (-30%), and despite the slight increase in the natural balance observed from 2009 to 2010.”19 The distribution by country of legally residing migrants in Portugal was: Figure 3. Foreign population with legal resident status (main nationalities – 2010)

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18

Translation: Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) 19

Instituto Nacional de Estatística, Statistical Yearbook of Portugal 2010. Available at: http://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_publicacoes&PUBLICACOESpub_boui=133813349&PUBLICACOESmodo=2 . Consulted on (01.07.2010) p. 92 20

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatística, Statistical Yearbook of Portugal 2010. op.cit. p. 96

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As observed, the leading groups of nationalities are Brazil and Ukraine. In regards to illegal immigration, SEF declares to have identified 3878 situations of illegally staying individuals, with a variation of 3.80% since 201021. Consulted estimates about the number of illegal immigrants as of 2010 are not sufficiently reliable. The International Organisation for Migration (OIM) mentions that in regards to Portugal’s immigrant population the Net Migration Rate for 2010-2015 is of 2.3 migrants /1000 and that immigrants constitute 7.9% of the national workforce22. The official number is of 443055 legally residing immigrants23, which make up 4.2% of the total population. The policies applied in the II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013 (“PII2” or the “Plan”) take into consideration that, in order for an incoming migrant to be fully integrated, lawfully and sustainably, it is not only its sole presence that has to be taken into consideration: “The key objective of the aforementioned Plan continues to be the full integration of immigrants in culture, language, employment, professional training and housing.”24 As noted, the Portuguese policy, following the previous I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009, which results will analysed further ahead, adopts an orientation towards a social integration of migrants, going beyond sheer concerns with legality and admission controls. As such, the PII2 considers the following: “Structurally, key features of the new Plan include the diversity and intercultural dialogue areas (which were previously included in a cross-sectoral axis), and the protection and integration of unemployed immigrants and especially elderly immigrants, in an endeavour to respond to the growing challenges posed by immigration to Portugal. This last consideration also takes into account the fact that 2012 is European Year for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity.”25 For the purposes of summarising these policies, focus shall given to three chapters of the Plan, namely chapter 1 Welcoming, chapter 2 Culture and Education and chapter 3 Employment Professional Training and Business Dynamics.

I.3.1. Welcoming Acknowledging that the arrival of immigrants be it legal or illegal, should be managed accordingly and sustainably, the Plan largely addresses the created structures for effectively inserting the new comers into society. The Portuguese policies for the integration of migrants have addressed the issue with the creation of an infrastructure for welcoming arriving migrants and discern as to their conditions to reside and work in the country.

21

Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras, Relatório de Actividades 2010. Available at: www.sef.pt/documentos/56/RA2010.pdf . (Consulted on 01.04.2012). p. 22 22

International Organisation for Migration, Portugal profile page. Available at: http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/portugal (Consulted on 15.03.2012) 23

Instituto Nacional de Estatística, Statistical Yearbook of Portugal 2010. op. cit. p. 104 24

Ibid. p.6 25

Ibid. p.5

20

Firstly, the network of National Immigrant Support Centres (CNAI26) should be mentioned. This structure, designed as a network of “one-stop-shops”, was initiated in 2004 and created to address “difficulties experienced by immigrants in their integration process in Portugal. Cultural differences, differences in the organization of society, legal systems’ differences, the amount of different services to which immigrants have to turn to, led the ACIDI to gather, in the same space, different departments, institutions and offices for Immigrant Support. A space designed especially for immigrants.”27 The CNAI are open to both legal and illegally residing immigrants and protect the personal information of those who seek their services. Public points are not obliged to share its information on the beneficiaries with any other public authority. However, in the case of an illegal migrant, the centres do promote legality and advise the individual on legalisation possibilities. The multi-purpose structure of the CNAI network structure arose from the need to congregate, within the same space, various services and administrative departments with public workers trained in serving the needs of communication with immigrants. This facilitates the understanding of the functioning and accomplishment of the legal procedures from the migrant’s part, but also what job or training opportunities that the individual can enjoy in the country. This methodology aimed to tackle the particularity of the contact with the newly-arrived or poorly integrated migrants, the “complexity displayed in their interaction with different Public Services, located in various locations, with different modes of operation, and sometimes incompatible schedules. Another difficulty experienced by a large proportion of immigrants in Portugal was the communication, either by language differences, or by cultural differences. (...) the need was felt to congregate and to cooperate, within the same space and with the same operating philosophy, (...) various services that relate to immigration: the Foreign Nationals and Border Service (SEF), the Social Security, Authority for Working Conditions, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. (...) The CNAI Lisbon and Porto are the result of the identification of these needs. Today, immigrants who go to the CNAI can find, in the same premises, different public institutions and support offices in order to resolve, in one visit, several issues related to their integration in Portugal. Apart from institutions, the CNAI also features specialised agencies created by the ACIDI, aimed at providing support and information in different and specific areas. They are: the Office of Support for Family Reunification (GARF), the Office of Legal Assistance for Immigrants (GAJI), the Office of Social Support (GAS), the Office of Housing (AHG), the Office of Employment Support (...) the Office for Professional Insertion (...), the Office of Suuport for the Immigrant Consumer (GAIC) and the Support Office for Qualification (GAQ). As for cabinet support in the general operating of the CNAI there is also an Office for Reception and Screening, known as GAT. Mediators are provided in 12 different languages and dialects, such as Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Creole of Cape Verde, Chinese, among others. (...)The operation of the CNAI centres is subject to regular evaluation at the external and internal levels.”28

26

Translation: Centro Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante (CNAI) 27

Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, Website, Centro Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/es-imigrante/servicos/centros-nacionais-de-apoio-ao-imigrante---cnai (Consulted on 12.02.2012) 28

Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, Website. op. cit.

21

Secondly, in the “Welcoming” chapter, the previous Portuguese government highlights the need to develop an “immigrant service orientation” logic, as a means to make administrative services increasingly useful. It thus speaks of the consolidation of Local Immigrant Integration Support Centres (CLAII)29 (usually located within the premises of local public administrative units throughout the country or headquarters of civil society organisations). It additionally commits itself to improve the national sharing of information between departments, institutions and authorities in order to better manage knowledge applied in the implementation of the framework by “Strengthening the National Immigrant Information Network”. This comprises not only the sharing of practical knowledge and data among the immigrant public contact points, but also the modernisation of the access to online information. Thirdly, the Plan mentions measures regarding the legal status of migrants and how to inform individuals about legal flexibility for regularisation. Among them, one of the main highlights is the Simplification of the Family Reunification Process, “by extending the range of documents which immigrants can produce as proof of income, via the revision of Ordinance no. 1563/2007 of 11 December, which establishes the proof of means of subsistence required from foreign citizens for their permanent admission to Portugal. For the descendents [single, aged between 18 and 25 (...), dependent and residing outside Portugal] of foreign citizens holding a residence permit to be reunited with their parents, they must present a document attesting to their enrolment in a Portuguese educational establishment.”30 Additionally, the Plan also mentions the improvement of public service at the SEF, by enhancing online capabilities and inter-departmental communication.

I.3.2. Education and Culture The section “Culture and Language” addresses integration in these areas as a fundamental means to provide the migrant with language skills and understanding of the Portuguese context and society. This is regarded as fundamental, both in the formal and informal dimensions of integration. The first main measure thereby referred to is the “Portuguese for All” programme, which uses schools and CNAI premises to host Portuguese language A2 courses, required for a permanent residence authorisation, long-term resident status and the acquisition of nationality31. The Plan also provides for measures aiming at the expansion of this programme to other levels and areas, as well as the promotion and consolidation of other language training programmes. Secondly, it highlights “Basic Literacy Training for Social Insertion Income [SII] beneficiaries”32. This is a benefit payment for individuals able to prove extreme conditions of poverty, and was a governmental flagship anti-poverty measure of the Barroso administration in 2003. In the Plan, there is a clear insistence to tie it to social integration and especially reading and writing skills, given that many

29

Translation: Centros Locais de Apoio à Integração de Imigrantes (CLAII) 30

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. op. cit., p.13 31

Ibid. p.15 32

Ibid. p.16

22

immigrants receive this benefit. The rule is that, in order to receive the payment, beneficiaries should undergo the proposed training and regular appointments, among which language education is obligatory, with the objective of achieving a basic level of the Portuguese language. Finally, this section also mentions measures to encourage the respect for cultural diversity in school education and the raising awareness in the cultural sector.33

I.3.3. Employment, Professional Training and Business Dynamics This chapter addresses measures directed at three fundamental challenges: employment-oriented training, better enforcement and monitoring of the rights of migrant workers and the maximising of the qualifications of residing immigrants. Regarding the first, the Plan introduces measures to reinforce entrepreneurship among immigrants, namely the “Immigrant Entrepreneurship Programme”34, which was implemented until 2011. The programme included training in corporate organisational skills and coordination with other entities in order to establish a set of instruments to enable an all-encompassing set of possibilities for participating immigrants. In the same breath, other programmes, already implemented in coordination with the SEF, aimed at training immigrants on their rights and duties regarding employment. Concerning the insertion of competence-oriented programmes, the Plan mentions the continuation of the Intervention Programme for Unemployed Immigrant Workers35, an inter-institutional multi-task training initiative. Concern is also noted for promoting more and better education in regards to ICT skills. In reference to the recognition of qualifications, the PII2 addresses the need for efforts to complete a national system, which would include the participation of higher education establishments. This has been adopted in the Portuguese response to the National Reform Programme 2020 (in response to the European agenda) with the National Qualifications Catalogue.36 Secondly, the Plan addresses the need for deepening the monitoring of the rights of immigrant workers. It mentions, in its “Measure 15”, an intensification of the “action against the use of illegal labour via reinforcement of inspections”, in coordination with the Authority for Labour Conditions.37 Moreover, the Plan refers to measures for the continuity on the Workgroup on Social Responsibility38, which had already engaged in contacts with the corporate sphere for the creation of an “ethics benchmark” for the promotion of diversity and ethical principles. Finally, in regards to this thematic field, “Measure 20” speaks of “Guaranteeing the renewal of immigrant residence permits in the event of employers’ non-

33

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. op. cit., p.16 34

Ibid.17 35

Ibid.19 36

Conselho de Ministros, Programa Nacional de Reformas Portugal 2020. Available at: https://infoeuropa.eurocid.pt/registo/000046536/documento/0001 (Consulted on 02.04.2012) p.39. 37

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. op. cit., p.17 38

Ibid. p.18

23

compliance with Social Security obligations”39. This aims to enforce the legal framework in force so that immigrant workers are not refused the renewal of their residence permit when their Social Security contributions – to be paid by the employer in case of fixed-term contracts – are not in order: “the aim of this measure is to prevent that the failure of certain employers to comply with their obligations.”40 Thirdly, the set of measures put forth by the policy paper at hand expresses concern for making the most of the qualifications of residing migrants, while expanding diversity in the national education system. Firstly, the Plan aims to create an information system of highly-qualified immigrants, in an inter-institutional job-matching effort. Secondly, it aims to insert into the national educational practice a component of exchange and intercultural dialogue. These measures include, for instance, to “extend the skills of teachers working in increasingly multicultural contexts (....) diverse strategies for supporting the integration of school students whose parents are immigrants, taking into account characteristics such as age, language ability and time spent in Portugal (...) Providing foreign minors with no residence papers access to professional training as a special schooling option, clarifying the restrictive interpretation“41 of the current national regulation for education. Furthermore, further attention is given to promoting and monitoring cultural diversity in schools, through the improvement of statistical data and inclusive intercultural approaches to teaching and training in the national school system. Finally, the “SEF goes to school” initiative is worthy of note, for it aims to streamline “document regularisation processes for immigrant minors attending state schools.”42

I.4. The Portuguese Plan and the European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals The last document proposed by the Commission following the Stockholm Programme was the European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (20.07.2011). This document aims to establish principles and recommendations to fulfil the new framework in the area of integration. The Commission thereby follows the principles included in the Stockholm Programme, but also seeks to stress the idea that the inclusion of migrants is a shared responsibility in the European space. The main ideas in this document are divided in three key areas of action: “Integration through participation”, “More action at local level” and “Involvement of countries of origin”. This section aims to verify if the PII2 matches the recommendations and policy principles of the Commission in the current European policy framework for integration of migrants – particularly third-country migrants. This is useful as a first barrier of relevance, in order to establish policy coherence between the internal practice and the EU approach. This shall be further completed by the 39

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. op. cit., p.19 40

Ibid. p.18 41

Ibid. p.21 42

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. op. cit., p.23

24

analysis of the effectiveness of the Portuguese model in regards to the Ukrainian immigrants’ case. For the purposes of this thesis, focus shall be given to the first two items of the Commission’s agenda, given that third-country cooperation is not of pertinence to the purposes of this study, considering the focus on direct intervention of the integration policies.

II.4.1. Integration through participation The Commission’s main goals in this section of the document aim mainly at upholding a “bottom-up” approach to integration policies. The relation to the description of the Portuguese PII2 can roughly be automatically inferred. The inclination of the latter matches that of the Commission, even before these recommendations were more explicitly put forth in 2011: “language learning, introductory measures, access to employment, education and vocational training and the fight against discrimination, which all aim at increasing migrants' participation in society. Integration requires the engagement by the receiving society in accommodating the migrants, respecting their rights and cultures and informing them about their obligations. At the same time, migrants need to show the willingness to integrate and to respect rules and values of the society in which they live.”43 To better establish a contact between the two policy catalogues, this analysis looks closer to the summary of recommendations with which the Commission concludes each section of the document. For this purpose, we describe first what the PII2 includes, then presenting the respective Commission’s recommendation immediately below.

1. Measures in I.3.1 The activities described in I.3.1 in regards to the CNAI network are self-explanatory, in the sense that an elaborated infrastructure for a first approach to integrating the migrant into society is put in place. The information provided to any immigrant who desires to use the CNAI services directs the individual to employment and training possibilities:

“the organisation of introductory programmes for newly arrived migrants, including language and civic orientation courses...”44

2. Measures in I.3.2. The PII2 largely ensures measures regarding the introduction of language skills training are proposed, particularly respecting the stage and characteristic of migrants, reflected in the variety of different programmes proposed:

“the provision of language courses, reflecting migrants varying needs at different stages of their integration process.”45

3. Measures in I.3.3. The Plan’s policies specifically refer to the introduction of migrant integration policies in the national school system, as well addressing the training of teachers in this respect. Additionally, the focus on collecting information on highly qualified migrants and the restructuring of the National Qualifications

43

European Commission, Communication from the Commission (...): European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, op. cit., p.5 44

Ibid. p.8 45

Ibid. p.7

25

Catalogue. The question of enforcing the rights of immigrants and avoid discrimination is also addressed. This can be directly matched to the following:

“measures to map and assess the individual's needs and to validate qualifications and professional experiences;”46

“efforts in education systems equipping teachers and school leaders with the skills for managing diversity; recruiting teachers from migrant backgrounds; and participation of migrant children in early childhood education;”47

“increasing labour market participation of migrants through active labour market policies;”48

“measures to implement in practice the principle of equal treatment and to prevent institutional as well as every-day discrimination.”49 However, no direct relation (although most appear as secondary objectives in various measures) can be found to the following Commission’s recommendations:

“special attention to specific needs of vulnerable groups of migrants.”50

“These programmes should address the specific needs of migrant women in order to promote their participation in the labour market and strengthen their economic independence.

measures to implement in practice the principle of equal treatment and to prevent institutional as well as every-day discrimination;

efforts to remove obstacles to migrants' political participation. The involvement of migrant representatives in the drawing up of and implementation of integration policies and programmes should be further enhanced. ”51 Finally, the Commission identifies its own role as to support:

“the exchange of practice and policy coordination in the areas of employment, education and social policies;

and a better use of existing EU financial instruments to support migrants' participation;

the full and correct implementation of existing directives on non-discrimination and in the area of legal migration.”52

I.4.2. More Action at Local Level This section of the Commission’s communication addresses the need to disseminate and diversify the efforts made in the implementation of policies in the field of migrant integration. It encourages the involvement of local authorities in the shaping of these policies, highlighting the need to adapt policies for disadvantaged urban areas, territorial coordination and multi-level governance cooperation. Hence, the Commission stresses that “local authorities are responsible for a wide range of services and activities and they play an

46

European Commission, Communication from the Commission (...): European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, op. cit., p.7 47

Ibid. 48

Ibid. 49

Ibid. 50

Ibid. 51

Ibid. 52

Ibid.

26

important role in shaping the interaction between migrants and the receiving society.”53 In regards to how the aforementioned measures in the PII2 of the Portuguese government fit these guidelines; the recommendations are largely met by what is stated in point I.3.1.. The CNAI network, the Local Immigrant Support Centres and “Strengthening the National Immigrant Information Network” all tackle this requirement. Portugal is, in terms of political administration, a highly centralised country. This means that, in the Portuguese context, the “territorial” approach could be replaced by a “nationally disseminated” one, which is foreseen in the Plan. As was explained above, the programme does have a multilevel governance approach, assured by the involvement of different entities, as well as the respect and consultation of NGO’s and other related associations. Moreover, civil society was included in the very design of the policy strategy: “The Second Plan for Immigrant Integration is based on an evaluation of the previous plan and on the identification of intervention needs for the period 2010-2013, benefiting from the contributions of all ministries and the participation of civil society, especially immigrant associations or those who work with immigrants, both permanent and essential partners for this national endeavour.”54 Summarising, it can be considered that the Plan relates to the following Commission recommendations:

“comprehensive integration strategies designed and implemented with the effective involvement of all local and regional stakeholders with a 'bottom-up' approach.

'Territorial pacts', as a framework for cooperation between relevant stakeholders at different levels, to be developed for designing and implementing integration policies. ”55 Conversely, the Commission identifies its own role as to support:

“the involvement of local and regional actors in the definition of integration policies within the framework of EU programmes, through a strategic partnership with the Committee of the Regions and European networks of cities and regions;

a higher degree of coordinated programming of existing EU financial instruments to target local action. This should be done through the use of the European Fund for the Integration of third-country nationals, the European Refugee Fund, the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. ”56

53

European Commission, Communication from the Commission (...): European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, op. cit., p.11 54

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. op. cit., p.10 55

European Commission, Communication from the Commission (...): European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, op. cit., pp. 10-11 56

Ibid.

27

I.5. The results of the I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009 In order to make it coherent that the Portuguese policy for the integration of migrants could or not be used to extrapolate a possible European action framework, it is crucial to show the extent to which this programme was successful, or in the least largely executed. The general context of the Portuguese population and immigration by the time when the following plan was applied was: “Resident population in Portugal as at the end of 2007 was estimated at 10,617,575 persons, accounting for an increase of 18,480 persons from the same period in 2006, corresponding to a crude rate of increase of 0.17%. The increase in population resulted from a positive contribution from net migration, which in 2007 corresponded to a migration growth rate of 0.18%, given a rate of natural increase of -0.01%, corresponding to a negative natural balance of -1,020 persons. With regard to the previous year – with a crude rate of increase of 0.28% – crude population growth slowed down, resulting from both the deceleration in migration growth and the negative natural balance.”57 Furthermore, the overview of the legal immigrant population was, for 2007: Figure 4. Foreign population with legal resident status (main nationalities – 2007)

58

The weight of the officially declared population of immigrant holders of a residence permit (40161259) in Portugal on the total population was of 3.8%. Cape Verde and Brazil nationals led the numbers for the immigrant population at the time. In regards to the illegal immigrant population at the time, a study by researcher Carla Leão of the New University of Lisbon, states that, in 2007, Portugal had between 30 and 200 thousand illegal immigrants. The same document also mentions that the then Director of the entity responsible for migrant legalisation referred to a number close to 130 thousand.60

57

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatística, Statistical Yearbook of Portugal 2007. Available at: http://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_publicacoes&PUBLICACOESpub_boui=48434179&PUBLICACOESmodo=2 . Consulted on (01.07.2010) p. 89 58

Ibid. p.94 59

Ibid. p.101 60

Carla Leão, Imigrantes Ilegais Utentes dos Serviçoes de Saúde – Choque Identitário. CEPESE/Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Available at:

28

We hereby present a summary of the outcome of the previous plan for two reasons. Firstly, because the abovementioned PII2 is still underway. And secondly, for the fact that the latter is built upon the former, and holds more of an expansive spirit in regards to what we will now be covering than an entirely new set of policies. We consider that there is a direct relation, which differences are too scarce to highlight for the purposes of these reflections. Enacted by the Council of Minister’s Resolution nº63A/2007, the I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009 was the first truly consolidated action plan for migrant integration policies: “This plan intends, therefore, to launch new initiatives, ensuring the consolidation of existing initiatives as well as both simplifying and reducing the bureaucracy surrounding various procedures.”61 The plan not only intended to become a cohesive policy body, but also to relate initiatives which were already underway. The integration of “awarding-winning” measures into one single policy setting can have contributed to the successful international evaluation of the PII1, as explained below. Notwithstanding, before its publication, for instance, the CNAI project had already received the attention of the international community: “the project CNAI was honoured in 2005 with the 1st place Prize in Best Practices in the Public Sector in the category customer service (...) and the "Handbook on Integration for policy makers and practitioners "(November 2004), from the Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security of the European Commission.”62 The implementation of the PII1 by the ACIDI and the government and the services for migrants it entailed (and which were mostly followed in the PII2) produced international acclamation. In this regard, the highlight goes to the 1st place attributed by the United Nations in its Human Development Report 2009: “developed countries, which have more migrants, also tend to have rules that provide for better treatment of migrants. For example, India has the lowest score on provision of entitlements and services to international migrants in our assessment, but has an immigrant share of less than 1 percent of the population; Portugal has the highest score while having an immigrant share of 7 percent.”63 Regarding the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX)64, Portugal has, since 2007, been well above the Euro-27 average in regards to the integration of migrants’ indicators. In 2010, Portugal’s efforts are reflected on its standing at the 2nd place of this indicator (as in 2007), as runner-up to Sweden. This is verified in either of the two considerations in the MIPEX, “with” and “without” education policy included. Given the two countries budgetary and political tradition and capacity, it is notable that Portugal has maintained its status as a

http://www.cepese.pt/portal/investigacao/working-papers/populacao-e-prospectiva/imigrantes-ilegais-utentes-dos-servicos-de-saude.-choque-identitario/identidade-politica-e-migraaaes_publicaassapso (Consulted on: 27.04.2012). p. 7 61

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/_cfn/4d346c9b80687/live/Consulte+a+vers%C3%A3o+do+Plano+2007-2009+em+ingl%C3%AAs (Consulted on 12.05.2012). p.5 62

Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, Website, Centro Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante, op. cit. 63

United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2009. Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf (Consulted on 12.11.2011). p.38 64

Definition MIPEX (Migration Integration Policy Index): operated by a joint international network of civil and official bodies, as an observatory and statistical office for migration integration, supported European Commission.

29

leading country in this area, even after the impact of the financial crisis. In comparison to the Member States of the EU-27, the following charts may be of use to illustrate the relevance of discussing Portugal’s case. Figure 5. Comparison (2007/2010) of the MIPEX results (without education): EU 27 and Portugal:

65

Figure 6. MIPEX results 2010 (without education): by EU Member State

66

65

Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), Website. Available at: http://www.mipex.eu/play/bar.php?chart_type=bar&countries=3,32&objects=2&periods=2007,2010&group_by=country (Consulted on 01.04.2012) 66

Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), Website. Available at: http://www.mipex.eu/play/bar.php?chart_type=bar&countries=9,10,11,13,14,15,3,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,25,26,27,28,29,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,39&objects=2&periods=2010&group_by=country (Consulted on 01.04.2012)

30

Figure 7. MIPEX results 2010 (with education): by EU Member State 67

In regards to what the practical consequences of the PII1 might have been, focus shall be given to on the report of its implementation. This evaluation can be useful to conclude as the extent of its practical success, taking into account the results themselves. In order to better understand the outcome presented in this report, these conclusions will be framed along the division of topics presented above for the PII2, although the wording in the covered document may be different. Additionally, we shall then establish a link between main examples of the accomplishments mentioned, somewhat linking them with the proposed measures mentioned in the PII2. Again, we remind the reader that this relation is possible because the second version of the plan largely builds on the guidelines of the first.68 Moreover, we recall that we are not covering the full set of measures, but rather selecting those which have had the most impact and have a direct link to the purposes of this study.

I.5.1. Welcoming Firstly, the report on the application of the first programme shows that indeed, there has been a development in the national system of services for immigrants.

67

Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), Website. Available at: http://www.mipex.eu/play/bar.php?chart_type=bar&countries=9,10,11,13,14,15,3,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,25,26,27,28,29,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,39&objects=1&periods=2010&group_by=country (Consulted on 12.03.2012) 68

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/_cfn/4d346c9b80687/live/Consulte+a+vers%C3%A3o+do+Plano+2007-2009+em+ingl%C3%AAs (Consulted on 12.05.2012).

31

In this regard, the focus goes not only to the evolution of the CNAI network, but also to the creation of new services and departments under the ACIDI. Indeed, this evolution had already been verified in the PII1, with the expansion of the CNAI network and the inclusion of new and innovative services with dynamic customer service methods. As referred to in both plans, the general framwork dedicates special attention to the usefulness of these centres and not just their mere existence as a reference point for new coming migrants. As mentioned, the report points out the implementation of these measures: “the CNAI in Lisbon and Porto, created in 2004 (…) have been strengthened, not only with the opening of an extension of the CNAI (...) in Faro, on April 3rd 2009, but also by increasing the number of offices. (...) The Customer Service in Faro (...) gave a major contribution to the integration of immigrant communities in the region of the Algarve, [the district] where (...) the second largest number population of immigrants is concentrated.”69 Moreover, the proposed improvement of language services in the 2007-2009 plan was indeed implemented: “as had happened with the CNAI Lisbon and Porto, the service is done by Socio-cultural mediators from different communities, providing the CNAI Faro service in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Creole of Cape Verde, Bengali and Hindi.” 70 In regards to extending the CNAI services, it is visible from the outline of the PII2 above that this was a practice already envisaged in therein. Moreover, the report in the PII1 refers to the new services which had already been implemented: “The strengthening of the service offices was reinforced not only in the Lisbon CNAI, but also in Porto, overcoming the goal of openig two new offices by 2009. In Porto, we highlight the opening of the Office of the Central Registry in 2007 and, in Lisbon, the Consumer Support Office (GAIC) in 2008, and the Office of Support for Qualification (GAQ) in 2009.”71 The expansion of a “CNAI-like” approach to cooperation with local services, within the centralised administrative map of Portugal is also deemed as having been implemented in this report. It speaks of a “surpassing” of the initial objectives, with the opening of new departments dedicated to immigrant integration issues. These have been working, as planned, within the premises of different district bodies and in cooperation with NGO’s and other associations. “In late 2009, the network CLAII which already incorporated the 85 existing centres of late 2008 (69 at the end of 2007), opened 5 Offices for Immigrant Specialist Support, a partnership with Lusotemp (Immigrant Point) and Migrant Support Centre in the Country of Origin (CAMPO) in Cape Verde, under a partnership of the ACIDI with the Portuguese Institute of Development Support (IPAD, IP) and the Association of Immigrants from the Azores (AIPA). The target set in the Plan (80 CLAII in 12/2008) was thus exceeded Similarly, the goal of 20,000 visits / year, as provided in Measure 2 was largely overcome, with 25,125 visits in 2007, 54,517 in 2008, and 63,823 in 2009.”72

69

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/_cfn/4d346c9b80687/live/Conhe%C3%A7a+o+Relat%C3%B3rio+Final+do+PII+%282007-2009%29 (Consulted on 02.04.2012). p.6 70

Ibid. 71

Ibid. 72

Ibid. p.7

32

Moreover, the report on the PII1 already refers, in regards to the “welcoming” section, to an aspect which the PII2 currently aims to expand as a nation-wide information framework: the National Immigrant Information Network. In regards to this programme, which has today been given a different shift, the report mentions that “in 2007, [this initiative has] performed 23 activities and co-sponsored four Intercultural festivals, noting, in 2008 and 2009, respectively, an increase in participation of 52.2% and 25%.”73 As seen above, one of the concerns of the PII2 was to further endow the national system for the reception of immigrants with progressive technological capabilities and enhance its informative possibilities in regards to the Internet. This had also been already approached in the first programme. The report establishes a relation between physical visits and the launching of information via the Internet: “In 2009, 291,613 visits in total were registered in the two CNAI and the service office in Faro, representing an implementation of about 73% of the set target. The explanation for this lies not only in the downward trend in the arrival of immigrants in Portugal, but also the fact that, since 2008, [information] began to be available on the website of the ACIDI, I.P., in a content section about the CNAI. The availability for all CNAI offices in regards to a telephone appointment system and an extension of the network of Local Centres to Support Integration of Immigrants (CLAII) made it possible to avoid unnecessary travel and decentralise the CNAI support network.”74 Finally, the “improvement of public service at the SEF, by enhancing online capabilities and inter-department communication”75 is also mentioned by the report on the PII1, although it did was not part of its initial objectives. This concern was afterwards, as mentioned, inserted in PII2: “SEF created the programme "SEF in motion" (...) Specifically, 9 sites in 2007, 34 in 2008 and 154 in 2009 [were visited]. Under this programme 1210 foreign citizens have been regularised.”76

I.5.2. Culture and Education Following the sequence of examples given in the description of the PII2, this analysis proceeds to try and link the two programmes’ intents for the abovementioned measures. The first main measure thereby referred to is the “Portuguese for All” programme, addressing a comprehensive plan for language training. The proposal in the PII2 of the same programme stems from the following results in the 2007-2009 period: “in the first application period in 2008, 376 courses were approved, expected to involve 6,824 students. In the second, in 2009, 306 training sessions were subject to approval, for a universe of 5,330 trainees. In both years, the program covered a number of students which surpassed the target 10,000 by 2009 (...). In the amount of trainees participating, over 40 nationalities were covered, originating from a diverse set

73

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.7 74

Ibid. 75

Vide. p.16 76

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.7

33

of countries such as Pakistan, Suriname, Ukraine, China, Austria, Guinea-Bissau, Venezuela, Russia, and others ...”77 Two out of the three main types of measures highlighted in the outline of the PII2 for this section (“Portuguese for All”, promotion of cultural diversity in school education and the raising awareness in the cultural sector) are already approached in the PII1. The measure that is not covered in the latter concerns the “Basic Literacy Training for Social Insertion Income [SII] beneficiaries”. Regarding the second included measure for this section mentioned herewith, the report notes some initiatives that went towards fulfilling this goal in PII1: - the successful completion of the curricular offer for Portuguese as a Non-Mother Tongue in all schools; - organisation of various Portuguese for Foreigners courses for adults in coordination with the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP)78 and the National Agency for Qualifications (ANQ) and others.7980 - Introduction of school graduation exams of Portuguese language adapted to A2 and B1 levels for lesser advanced students – non-eligible students are obliged to take the regular examinations;81 - courses of technical Portuguese for 4 different fields of employment (16 courses in 2008-2009 with 156 attendees; although it is noted that the execution rate of this measure was only of 60%);82 - regarding the ongoing training of school teachers for a better intercultural approach, the report mentions that a formal working group was not created as foreseen, but that several informal activities aimed to tackle this, covered the participation of 1772 teachers;83 - development and distribution of informative multilingual educational support material in every school on national territory, involving several universities and their language departments, the ministries responsible for Education, Science and Higher Education, and the Portuguese Teachers Association84.85 - in higher learning, the opening of intercultural studies programmes in academic graduate and post-graduate programmes marked the statement of success (53 undergraduate and 36 masters programmes)86

I.5.3. Employment, Professional Training and Business Dynamics Herewith, this subject is looked into in regards to the elements of this section which have correspondence in the first Plan. Hence, this section referred to measures directed at three fundamental challenges: employment-oriented training, better enforcement and monitoring of the rights of immigrant workers and the maximising of the qualifications of residing immigrants.

77

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.38 78

Translation: Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP) 79

Translation: Agência Nacional para a Qualificação (ANQ) 80

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.38 81

Ibid. 82

Ibid. 83

Ibid. 84

Translation: Associação Portuguesa de Professores 85

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.38 86

Ibid.

34

Concerning the first mentioned field, there is a clear relation of the PII2 with this Plan, especially in regards to the initiation of the “Immigrant Entrepreneurship Programme”. The evaluation of this multi-institutional programme, regarded as a fundamental measure, is in this context is as follows: - involvement of 159 potential entrepreneurs, of which 99 attend the “Support for the Creation of Businesses” course; - 45 business ideas were forwarded for financial support; - 5 companies were created; - involvement of 14 mentors (highly regarded business professionals); - integration of immigrant-specific services in state entities which provide support directed at entrepreneurship; - 330 interviews in this respect were conducted at the CNAI; - additionally, applicants were successfully directed to entrepreneurship programmes conducted by other governmental institutions; The PII1 also planted the seed for the inclusion of an immigrant integration-specific articulation with the national system for the recognition of qualifications. In the PII2 this was addressed as “the need to complete a national system”, which was initiated in the PII1, with the conclusion of the establishment of the Support Office for Qualifications (GAQ)87: “[the] GAQ, in turn, translates a partnership between ACIDI, I.P. and the National Agency for Qualification (...),seeking counselling and referral of immigrants for the best suited processes of qualification, be it at the level of education and training, or, in regard to the Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competences (...), implemented in New Opportunities Centres (CNO).88 The second field, concerning the protection of the immigrant’s rights at work and promoting the respect for diversity, the PII1 primarily refers to the “unionising” of immigrant workers as a means to delegate their protection onto specialised organised civil society entities. This is mentioned in relation to the completion of a protocol between the ACIDI and one of the major trade union federations in Portugal.89 Although the PII1 does not address the “reinforcement of inspections” as in the programme currently in force, it does share with the PII2 the question of promoting “ethics” in the corporate sphere. For this purpose, the ACIDI collaborated with civil society organisations working in this field in 2008-2009: “the ACIDI has collaborated in the production of the handbook “Enterprises, diversity and inclusion”, having delivered (...) two workshops directed at 40 specialists in charge of recruiting and selection/management of human resources (...) suggestions have been presented for the enrichment of the Code of Ethics in the Management of Persons”90 (national reference for the field of human resources, which now includes this concern).91

87

Translation: Gabinete de Apoio à Qualificação (GAQ) 88

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.17 89

Ibid. 90

Ibid. p.56 91

Associação Portuguesa de Técnicos e Gestores de Recursos Humanos, Código de Ética na Gestão de Pessoas. Available: http://www.apg.pt/downloads/file22_pt.pdf (Consulted on 27.04.2012)

35

Furthermore, it is worthy to note that in regards to the protection of worker’s rights, the PII2 clearly builds on policy implementation occurred in the period of the first programme. In this regard, the PII1 refers to the crucial publication of the Law-decree nº204/2009 which extended social benefits to holders of permanent and long-term resident statute. The PII2 clearly aims to secure this, with the reference to the need of enforcing thereby conferred rights by combating the unlawful absence of employee-corresponding contributions by employers to the national system.92 Thirdly, it might be safe to add that the first programme was the spark for an expansionist qualification-building policy. This is reflected in the PII2 where diversity in the national education system, especially higher education, is taken into account. However, the path followed by the PII2 is clearly different in this respect. The latter focuses more on a further stage of an interlinked professional and academic qualification recognitions policy, concentrating on high qualifications and the training of teachers in cultural diversity. In regards to what the report states, we also note that there is a stronger inclination to the academic field, which in the PII2 is oriented to the professional area. Nonetheless, the report on the first plan mentions a new legal instrument for the recognition of foreign degrees (Law-decree nº341/2007), in force since 2008. Concerning this matter, the report presents a concise graphic explanation as to the number of academic recongnitions introduced between 2007 and 2009: Figure 8. Third-country academic degree recognition (2008/2009) under the law-decree nº341/2007

9394

The report additionally mentions that, in regards to the GAQ services, 1005 interviews were conducted, in regards to higher qualifications and the New

92

Vide. p.7 93

Source: Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.14 94

Support translation for Figure 6.: Licenciado (Bachelor), Mestre (Master), Doutor (Doctorate).

36

Opportunities Programme95 (the relation to this Ministry of Education’s initiative was abandoned in the PII2). Finally, in a context of articulation of the entire policy body with the SEF is visible in many areas. The connection between the normative field of immigration and education is also seen in the initiative referred in the PII2 “SEF goes to school”. Indeed, this measure aims to reinforce the achievements of related measures already included in the PII1, mentioned by the currently discussed report. In the wake of the new legal framework for immigration in 2007 (Law nº 23/2007 of the 4th of July), the ACIDI and the SEF collaborated in informing the public, both nationals and migrants, of the new setting. The report mentions massive media campaigning96 conducted by the SEF. The relevance of the legalisation of student minors is carried further in the PII2, but hereby lied with the “campaign of information and clarification on the right to education and legalization of school-age children”97 and the renewed “right to obtain a residence permit to children born and remaining in national territory, attending pre-school, primary, secondary or professional schools and parents exercising the parental authority over their children.”98

I.6. Evaluation of the ACIDI activities under the I Plan for Immigrant Integration (2007-2009) Taking into account that the evaluation of the initiatives put forward under the PII1 would gain further credibility with external evaluation, the ACIDI activities, and particularly the CNAI network, were subject to external reviews by the International Organisation for Migration (OIM). For the purpose of the present thesis, it is useful to highlight the evaluation of the CNAI, as it consitutes the “gate” to all the measures the global policy plans aim to achieve. The concentration of services and the inter-institutional, multilingual and multi-purpose dynamics of these administrative units have made possible, to a large extent, to implement what was envisaged in both plans for Immigrant Integration. In 2010, the OIM ‘s conclusions can be summarised as follows99: - the services deliver effectively integrated and multilingual responses to immigrants, which is the very reason as to why they were created; - the CNAI have contributed to bring the immigrants and the public administration closer;

95

Definition: New Opportunities Programme (Programa Novas Oportunidades): flagship education reform measure of the previous government (still ongoing) which aims for to recover the educational qualification certificates of the adults who have left or stopped early the school journey. 96

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.74 97

Ibid. p.9 98

Ibid p.9 99

International Organisation for Migration, Sistema Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante – Avaliação de Acompanhamento May 2010. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/_cfn/4cdc2b612e36c/live/Relat%C3%B3rio+de+Avalia%C3%A7%C3%A3o+da+Organiza%C3%A7%C3%A3o+Internacional+das+Migra%C3%A7%C3%B5es+%28OIM%29+a+servi%C3%A7os+de+apoio+ao+imigrante+2009%2F2010. (Consulted on 29.03.2012) pp. 131-139

37

- according to institutional partners, the CNAI have largely contributed to a real reduction of administrative transaction costs. - areas in which there was a support deficit have been compensated with the creation of new departments and offices, for which the academic qualifications department in cooperation with several universities is highlighted; - 89,4% (Lisbon) and 93,9% (Porto) of the inquired immigrants that resorted to CNAI are satisfied with the overall quality of the services, although in the second there is a higher concern about its operational functioning; - 90% of the inquired attendees stated satisfaction in regards to the employment and informative services of the CNAI; - in regards to the Common Agenda for Immigrant Integration of the EU, the CNAI is considered coherent with its point 6 and its recommendations: “Access for immigrants to institutions, as well as to public and private goods and services, on a basis equal to national citizens and in a non-discriminatory way is a critical foundation for better integration.”100 - Further involvement of multilingual mediators is deemed necessary, as a structuring element of the CNAI; - the opening of the CNAI in Faro, a district with high immigrant influx, is upheld as an effectively introduced measure; - the Immigrant SOS hotline has presented an high rate of global satisfaction, with the figure going around 90%; - the “field teams” of the ACIDI have been essential in promoting and encouraging activities involving local associations and NGO’s, especially in under favoured areas, generating a double value for what the structures aim to achieve; Conversely, the report for the PII1 summarises its implementation rate as follows: Table 1. Measures proposed and implemented in the PII1 (2007-2009)

101

100

European Commission, Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee and the Committee of the Regions - A Common Agenda for Integration - Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union.COM/2005/0389. Brussels, 01.09.2005 Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52005DC0389:EN:HTML (Consulted on 12.03.2012) 101

Source: Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op. cit., p.85

38

In regards to the table above, the final report (far-right column), states a 81% rate of implementation as to what was proposed and in fact implemented. Furthermore, it is perhaps relevant to state that 48 measures did not achieve the proposed goals.

I.7. Conclusions The aim of this chapter was to show why immigrant integration policies have a relevance status towards the “new Europe” that the Commission aims to inspire. By presenting an outline of the current Portuguese PII2 and the results of its previous version, the PII1, there was an intention to show the reader how migrant integration policy initiatives and results are reflected in the practical field. Conversely, a connection between these and the European guidelines for this field was also established, and verified to a large extent. On the other hand, as was shown above by the summary of the external evaluation on the model of the CNAI, it was already shown that this is a particularly successful aspect of the Portuguese policies. In this chapter, it was thus partially shown why it might be useful to use this strucuture to devise a project for a European Immigrant Support Centre Network As shown above, the measures of the PII1 were largely implemented. However, as we shall see in the case of the Ukrainian migrants analysis, success can only be verified in respects to the positive evolution of policies. Such positive attitude cannot be named as the main factor for a massive change in the immigrant’s situations. We shall return to this issue further ahead. Notwithstanding, the next chapter covers the practical case of the Ukrainian migration movement to Portugal, specifying if a good execution rate of the policy plans as a whole is enough to prove them worthy to adopt them as a role model.

39

II The case of the Ukrainian migrants’ integration in Portugal and the Portuguese migrant integration policy

II.1 An historical overview of the Ukrainian migration to Portugal and internal changes to the legal and political framework The case of the Ukrainian migration to Portugal can be considered to be a particularly interesting one. When the goal is to conclude as to the efficiency of the immigrant integration policies implemented over roughly the past decade, isolating this particular community may provide a more concrete insight as to the impact of the Portuguese policies in this area. The Eastern European, and particularly the Ukrainian migratory influx of the early 2000s, can be said to have ignited an important change in the Portuguese policy culture for immigration. Thus, it is felt that it may be useful for a global perspective to isolate the particular case of the Ukrainians. This analysis will cover a period that spans mainly from the early 2000s to 2009, as more recent detailed information about the impact of the latest policy frameworks is not easily accessible. Studies have proven that many popular myths towards this community have been empirically proven to be untrue. These may have stemmed from the novelty agitated by the fact that the Ukrainians arrived suddenly and became a top immigrant community in Portugal. Among these was the misperception that most Ukrainian immigrants were mostly highly-qualified, but working in underqualified positions, which was later proven not to be entirely accurate as explained further ahead. In this respect, the Ukrainian community was balanced in terms of qualifications but was able to regularly overcome one of the most important barriers to integration, the language. According to specialist João Carlos Marques, co-author of the study Ukrainian Immigration in Portugal and Southern Europe: the Emergence of one or several communities?: “Much was said about the fact that Ukrainian emigrants were highly qualified, but it was verified that such was not true. If there were individuals with high qualifications, as doctors and engineers, there was a percentage of medium and another of low qualifications.”102 However, Pedro Góis, another specialist on migration issues further states that “these few qualifications were still above the national average, which was quite low, and maybe this is where the myth comes from.”103 Before the 2000s Portugal was perceived by its own nationals as a “sending” and not a “receiving” country in regards to migration. The majority of the immigrant communities, well-rooted in society, although arguably well integrated, mostly came from ex-colony African countries: “Overall, the presence of immigrants in Portugal was, until 2000, relatively low and the main migratory movements occurring were clearly rooted in the country’s colonial past, its historical and cultural links, as well as its main economic

102

José Carlos Marques, Comunidade Ucraniana em Portugal, SOL, 15.01.2011. Available at: http://sol.sapo.pt/inicio/Sociedade/Interior.aspx?content_id=9327 (Consulted 28.03.2012) 103

ACIDI, Ucranianos em Portugal: uma Comunidade para ficar?: Interview Pedro Góis. Revista B-i nº89, March/April. 2011. Available: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/_cf/34517 (Consulted on 12.04.2012) p.6

40

connections.”104 This being, the arrival of a surprising set of nationals to the country completely changed the immigrant landscape in Portugal. The year of 2001 witnessed the surprising leap, as shown in the table below, in regards to the presence of immigrant communities which had no historical links to Portugal: the Eastern European. Among them, the Ukrainian community was particularly numerous, and confirmed the shift of the character of the country in its role towards migration: “it was the Ukrainian community that made Portugal wake up to the reality of being a hosting country...”105

Table 2. Residence permits according to region of origin of migrants

106

As shown above, between 2000 and 2001, the Eastern European legal migrant share in the immigrant population went from a share of 18.1% in 2000 to 55.8% in 2001. The table below shows the specific case of the Ukrainian migrants in this respect.

104

João Carlos Marques and Pedro Góis, Ukrainian migration to Portugal. From non-existence to the top three immigrant groups. January 2007. Available at: http://aa.ecn.cz/img_upload/3bfc4ddc48d13ae0415c78ceae108bf5/JCMarquesPGois_UkraniansinPortugal.pdf (Consulted on 15.02.2012) p.6 105

Marques, Comunidade Ucraniana em Portugal, SOL, 15.01.2011, op. cit. 106

Source: Delta Consultores, A Imigração em Portugal. Available at: http://www.dlt.pt/ficheiros/deltaconsultores_a_imigracao_em_portugal.pdf (Consulted on 20.04.2012) p. 8

41

Table 3. Eastern European immigrants in Portugal (2000-2001)107

This table shows that, between residence permits issued in 2000 and the Ukrainian citizens declared in the national Census 2001 campaign, there is an increase of 10630 (first row, far right column). Specialists João Carlos Marques and Pedro Góis present some of the reasons that might justify the coming of Eastern European migrants to Portugal. Going beyond collected official justifications for this movement108, the researchers explain that, at the “macro level”, a new wave of Eastern European migration took place in the 1990s and early 2000s, due to three main factors109: “legal barriers to external mobility were progressively dismantled in all Eastern European countries”, “income and welfare differences between the Eastern European countries and those of the European Union had become public knowledge”, and “in some regions, a strong traditional migratory culture was reactivated”. In the specific case of the migration to Portugal, Eastern European migration mainly took place because there was a “promotion of Portugal made by “travel agencies” in Eastern European countries, which offered attractive packages that included travelling, documents, transportation and a promise of work in the country of destination. These were offered to a large segment of the population”. Secondly, “wages in Portugal are several times higher than those practiced in the country of origin”. And thirdly, “there was an extraordinary regularisation of immigrant workers, opened permanently between January and November 2001, which offered a real alternative to an eventual illegal stay in another European Union country”.110 107

José Carlos Marques e Pedro Góis, Novos Fluxos da Imigração em Portugal: O Novo

Posicionamento de Portugal no Sistema Migratório Europeu. in: José Carlos Marques, Maria

Ioannis Baganha, Pedro Góis (ed.), Imigração Ucraniana em Portugal e no Sul da Europa: a

emergência de uma ou várias comunidades?. January 2010. Colecção Comunidades nº3.

ACIDI/Presidência do Conselho de Ministros. Available at:

http://www.oi.acidi.gov.pt/docs/Coleccao_Comunidades/Estudo_Comun_3.pdf (Consulted on

20.12.2011) p.14 108

Marques, Góis, Novos Fluxos da Imigração em Portugal: O Novo Posicionamento de Portugal no Sistema Migratório Europeu. op. cit. p. 19 109

Ibid. 110

Ibid.

42

Henceforth, the Ukrainian migrant community in Portugal quickly became the largest migrant group, surpassing, as mentioned above, the traditional sets of communities. As shown below, the difference between the landscapes of migration by country of origin in 1999 is significant, not only because the Ukrainian immigrants became the largest nationality, but also because of the inclusion of new ones in the list: “The development of a massive migratory flow with its origin in countries with no previous historical, cultural and economic links to Portugal (Baganha et al 2004b) and the political will to modify the Table 4/5. Third-country national residents in Portugal 1999 and 2002

111

This sudden change also produced a new political attitude towards migration in the country, in order to respond to a new reality. This was reflected in the enactment of a legal setting, but also unveiled new questions in regards to immigrant integration. This can be considered the “seed” of a new policy-making culture in Portugal towards migration which later produced the policies described in the previous chapter appear. “The development of a massive migratory flow with its origin in countries with no previous historical, cultural and economic links to Portugal (Baganha et al., 2004b) and the political will to modify the framework on immigration led to the enactment of a new legislative framework on entry, residence, and expulsion from the Portuguese territory. Through law nº 4/2001, which came into effect on January 10th, the government tried to develop a more active approach to immigration that, at least theoretically, should allow the Portuguese state to better plan and control the entrance, work and residence of foreign citizens. The elaboration, for the first time in the brief history of Portuguese immigration law, of an annual report that foresaw the employment opportunities and the sector of activity where they exist (article 36, nº 2) was seen as an instrument to control the total number of labour immigrants entering the country.”112 One of the two main historical factors, which later served as a further catalyst for the coming of new waves of Eastern European immigrant entries, was the aforementioned Law nº4/2001. This new act “introduced a new type of permit (the stay permit) in the set of existent legal documents which allowed foreign citizens to stay and work in Portugal, thereby dividing the foreign population between the holders of a permanent residence permit and the holders of a four times renewable annual stay permit. This last group of immigrants remained in a very unstable situation, both because their legal presence in the country was determined by their ability to renew their permit each year and also because it was politically unclear what would happen after reaching the maximum number of allowed renewals.”113 The present framework, under the Law 23/2007,

111

Marques, Góis, Novos Fluxos da Imigração em Portugal: O Novo Posicionamento de

Portugal no Sistema Migratório Europeu. op. cit. p. 16 112

Marques, Góis, Ukrainian migration to Portugal. From non-existence to the top three immigrant groups. op. cit. p.2 113

Ibid. p.3

43

transposes European law into the national legal order, and altered the wording to “authorisation for temporary residence” which is now renewable for periods of two years, whenever conditions are met, namely the existence of a valid work contract (Article 75).114 The sudden arrival of this wave of Eastern European migrants, with clear advantage to the number of Ukrainians in particular (estimated to be 89.4% in their share with Moldavians, Russians and others,115 according to the referenced study). However, the arrivals decelerated after 2002, and the community, however remaining at the top, largely lost its leadership of the table to the Brazilian community: “What statistics tell us is that there was a positive evolution of a very abrupt growth in the first years and up to 2003/2004. Afterwards, in a moment after 2004, there was stagnation and even a rollback in the number of Ukrainians. Although, from 2006/2007 on, the number of Ukrainians in Portugal rose again, however, at a very different pace from that which took place the beginning of the decade. The community continues to grow, but this growth is of a different sort. In the beginning of the decade, isolated individuals were the ones coming to work in Portugal, but by the end of the decade, it is verified, however, that there is an ongoing process of family reunification still taking place.”116 In regards to the future of the Ukrainian community in Portugal, the researcher Pedro Góis defends that 50% of the Ukrainian immigrants will remain in the country, given the large percentage of employment and the mixed marriages already occurred throughout the last decade.117

II.2. The profile of the Ukrainian immigrant community in Portugal This analysis relies mostly on the only comprehensive study on Ukrainian immigration to Portugal, for which the main features shall be highlighted. Assuming that the characteristics of the immigrant population hereby considered are those of the first migration wave (1999-2002), stress shall be put onto the main conclusions included in the study brought forth by José Carlos Marques, Maria Ioannis Baganha and Pedro Góis Ukrainian Immigration in Portugal and Southern Europe: the Emergence of one or several communities?. The study was sponsored by the Immigration Observatory (OI)118, a department which operates under the ACIDI. The research therein deeply analyses the context of the Ukrainian community at the time and shall be taken as a reference for the purposes of the present

114

Presidência da República, Decreto do Presidente da República nº57/2007 – Lei nº 23/2007 de 4 de Julho. Diário da República, 1.a série—N.o 127. 04.07.2007. Available at: http://alfa.fct.mctes.pt/L23_2007.pdf. (Consulted on 01.03.2012). p. 15 115

José Carlos Marques and Pedro Góis, Quando os Extermos se Tocam: Imigrantes Ucranianos em Portugal. in: José Carlos Marques, Maria Ioannis Baganha, Pedro Góis (ed.), Imigração Ucraniana em Portugal e no Sul da Europa: a emergência de uma ou várias comunidades?. January 2010. Colecção Comunidades nº3. ACIDI/Presidência do Conselho de Ministros. Available at: http://www.oi.acidi.gov.pt/docs/Coleccao_Comunidades/Estudo_Comun_3.pdf (Consulted on 20.12.2011) p.32 116

ACIDI, Ucranianos em Portugal: uma Comunidade para ficar?: Interview Pedro Góis. op. cit.. p.5 117

Ibid. p.4 118

Translation: Observatório da Imigração (OI)

44

document. The relevance of the period to which Marques, Baganha and Góis’s work refers to is explained by one of these co-authors: “In 2001, when the last census was made, the Ukrainians were not yet in Portugal and therefore the census could not capture their characteristics. In 2011, we shall have a new census, but a great part of that migratory flux has already retreated. Hence, our study – as others that were being made in different universities – is ultimately one the elements that allow this phenomenon to be characterised. It was something completely unexpected. We were not expecting so many people from Eastern Europe in such a short period of time and moreover it was this migratory flux that made immigration policies in Portugal change. By coincidence, or even due to this migratory flux, the Portuguese State’s policy changed from this moment on.”119 In regards to the composition of the arriving Eastern Europeans in 2002, the aforementioned research points out the following main traits of this community at the time of the peak of their presence in Portugal. It is important to mention that although the surveys included different nationalities, the Ukrainian represent 89.4% of the inquired, in a sample which included 6.5% of Russian nationals, 1.2% Moldavians and 2.9% of other nationalities.120 For this reason, the data hereby presented should take into account 10.6% as a margin of error, as it potentially might refer to other nationals. The main characteristics pointed out in the aforementioned study are included in Appendix I, and can be consulted in case more depth in analysing the profile of the Eastern European, and particularly Ukrainian migrant community is necessary. A summary of these characteristics can relate to the challenges, in this particular case, to which the future Portuguese immigrant integration policies sought to respond.

II.3. The characteristics of the Eastern European migrant communities and the development of the Portuguese immigrant integration policies 1. Demographic characteristics: As shown in Appendix I, the first wave of the Eastern European migration to Portugal, in which the Ukrainian community is inserted, were male and between 25 and 40 years old. Most of them (89.4%) came from the Ukraine (49.2% from the Western part of the country) and 70% resided in urban areas. Most entered the EU and Portugal in the year of 2001, and presented “economic reasons” as the biggest reason for emigration. Most positioned themselves in the working and lower middle classes and established mostly in Portugal’s high density population areas of Lisbon and Porto (especially in the case of the Ukrainian). The outline of the Portuguese Plans for Immigrant Integration presented in Chapter I can closely relate to these traits. In this respect, it might be important to immediately highlight a weakness in these policies, which were surprisingly not oriented to tackle this concern. The integration of women as a specific

119

ACIDI, Ucranianos em Portugal: uma Comunidade para ficar?: Interview Pedro Góis. op. cit.. p.5 120

Marques, Góis, Quando os Extermos se Tocam: Imigrantes Ucranianos em Portugal. op. cit. p.26

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objective could have, in my opinion, been given more attention. As seen above, most Ukrainian migrants arriving in 2002 were male, so the policies might have been shaped to accommodate general labour force integration needs. On the other hand, in the current PII2, designed long after the period which we cover in this profile of the Ukrainian community, there is still little regard for approaching specific underfavoured groups of migrants. In the case of the integration of female immigrants, the absence of a direct measure towards the latter also disregards the recommendation of the the European 2020 agenda recommendations, which calls for a “greater involvement of women”121. Returning to the linkage currently discussed, the fact that there is a natural concentration in the large population density areas also might indicate why there was such a big development of the Lisbon and Porto CNAI, and only later a Faro centre was envisaged. On the other hand, the concern with the span of accessibility of immigrants to welcoming and support services was further developed with the expansion of immigrant-specific offices. The CLAII network, mentioned in Chapter I, started its implementation in 2003 and has been able to tackle transaction costs and reply more effectively to site-specific questions, while contributing to the effectiveness of the overall national service to migrants (90% rate of overall satisfaction of attendees in 2008.122). 2. Employment Status A large number of employed migrants were performing intellectual and scientific professions (32.4%), workers or artisans (28.6%) or worked as machinery installation operators (10.1%) in their country of origin. However, there is a measure of disqualification when the list is re-distributed as to their current occupation in Portugal at the time of the survey. In this respect, 62.1% were competing in the labour market as unqualified workers, while only 16.3% found positions as workers, artisans and similar, while in other categories the values are residual. Most migrants where employed at the time of the study (80.1%), which shows an availability of the Portuguese labour market, partially explained by a period in which construction at the service of national-wide campaign of public works was taking place. When analysing the way in which migrants found work, it is maybe useful to take into consideration that many of them were not legally eligible to be employed in the country upon their arrival. This is visible from the statistics presented in Table 3 (Appendix 1), where the social networks of immigrants have a large preponderance in the manner in which jobs were found. Another interesting statistic finding indicating a “black market” for work at the time shows a large percentage of jobs found through a mediator or agent (21.6%). The habituation in residing in the country clearly reflects on the manner in which the following jobs were found, namely a rise in job-seeking by own initiative. The presented statistics also show that most immigrants were at the time earning between 451 and 600 Euros. The concern with disqualification and making the best advantage of the immigrant’s original qualifications has been a marked concern of the discussed policies. As shown, the Portuguese policies have followed the

121

European Commission, Communication from the Commission: Europe 2020 – An Agenda for

Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. op. cit. p.12 122

ACIDI, Ucranianos em Portugal: uma Comunidade para ficar?: Interview Pedro Góis. op. cit.. p.16

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recommendations of the Commission in this respect, and have thus put effort on developing effective recognition policies. In Marques, Baganha and Góis study, it further stated that: “the group of immigrants with Eastern European origins emerged as essential to the construction of a new typology towards this group, allowing, in regards to the Portuguese case, for the introduction of concepts such as “brain waste” or “brain gain”.123 This may show how significant the arrival of this group was in changing the Portuguese immigrant migration policies, adding to the shift that EU itself was already recommending and would establish in 2005 with the Common Agenda for Integration. Ultimately, the evolution of the Portuguese policy in this respect resulted in the comprehensive framework of the PII1 and the PII2. Job-seeking and “job-matching” was also largely approached by the later Portuguese immigrant integration policies from 2007 on. The diversification of services, co-ordination with employment authorities and other initiatives described in Chapter I show that there was a concern in eliminating “mouth-to-mouth” and black market job-seeking. This allows for the public administration to better allocate resources and guide inquiring migrants so that their qualifications are recognised, first through the various processes for doing such, and finally their matching to the National Qualifications Catalogue. 3. Qualifications: The studied sample of migrants presented a high rate of polytechnic education and profession-oriented studies (56.4%). Moreover, some also held academic under and postgraduate degrees (30.7%). According to the researchers, this represented a quality upgrade in qualifications even when comparing it to the Portuguese population average. In regards to the command of the Portuguese language, most migrants came largely unprepared. Already in 2004, roughly 2 years past the largest wave of entries into Portugal, most immigrants had mostly an average command of the language in all three aspects of learning covered by the study. Moldovans were slightly above Russians and Ukrainians, which might have also to do with the fact that Romanian is a language of the Latin group. Nonetheless, the study notes that the Ukrainians were already resorting, more than the other groups, to services made available by the Portuguese public administration, at the time the “Acolhe” programme124. As shown in Chapter I, the evolution of the Portuguese policies was likely influenced by the characteristics of this community. It was noted above that, after the arrival of a significant non-Portuguese speaking community, with different traits and qualifications, the policy culture in Portugal somehow shifted to tackle newfound priorities. The first publicly sponsored language programmes for immigrants are the beginning of an encompassing policy, as we have seen in Chapter I, with the “Portuguese for All” programme. Additionally, we also mentioned integrated Portuguese language education measures integrated in connection with national education system and authorities for employment. 4. Legal Status

123

Marques, Góis, Quando os Extermos se Tocam: Imigrantes Ucranianos em Portugal. op. cit. p.26 124

Ibid. p.11

47

More than half the immigrants arrived to Portugal with a visa issued by Germany, also showing a preference for the German-Polish border. Almost all migrants were holders of a tourist or a Schengen visa, and almost none had worker visas. By 2002, 63.8% of the inquired immigrants declared to be legalised against 26.4% which stated not to be. 52.7% affirmed to have had no problems in their legalisation process, while 38.4% stated to the contrary. Of course, the policy of legalisation facilitation which was in force in the country throughout 2001 might have contributed to this result. However, there are numerous factors, especially the uncertain actual legal situation in each individual case, which makes this figure unpredictable. In regards to employment relations, the presented statistics show a preponderance of written contracts already in 2002. However, it is not clear what the nature and validity of these contracts were and there is still a percentage which declared to be working without a written contract (22.8%). However, the policies previously covered do make the CNAI network the “welcoming” gate for immigrants, either legal or illegal, with guaranteed data protection. In this regard, one of the functions of the CNAI is to give advice as to the legalisation process, but also to give candidate migrants a chance to prove the social requirements that could eventually be needed to prove eligibility for legalisation (such as employment and qualification opportunities). As for progressive improvement of the rights of workers, the policies clearly responded to this need and have in 2009 reinforced the tone on the enforcement of the rights of immigrant workers and the respect for ethics in employment relations, as we have previously discussed.

II.4. The Ukrainian community and the Portuguese policies for Immigrant Integration The Portuguese policy frameworks covered in the present study have a different context from that of to the early years of Ukrainian migration to Portugal. Hence, the I Plan for Immigrant Integration 2007-2009 and the II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2009-2013 are directed to a new state of affairs. However, the previous analysis reveals to be crucial, as far as Ukrainian Immigration in Portugal... can be considered the current scientific seminal depiction of the Ukrainian community in Portugal. Current data does not go into the desired detail, but it would be useful to portrait the current state of affairs in regards to the Ukrainian community and how far the current immigrant integration measures have deserved its attention. Before delving into this description, it is maybe useful to recall that, after 2004, the immigrant communities in Portugal generally declined, with a particular bearing on the Ukrainian community: “From 2004, when the cycle of the great public works was finished, in a context of economic recession and greater efficiency of illegal immigration and undocumented workers control mechanisms, there was an inversion of the growth tendency in immigration. A reduction of the stock of legalised foreigners in a regularised situation was observed. On a

48

disaggregated analysis, it is further observed that this decline affected foremost the Ukrainian community.”125

It is perhaps useful to recall the above table 2/3 which points to the existence of a community that was 62.041 strong in 2002. However, and for the very general reasons explained above, the evolution after 2004 was one of decline, in spite of a recovery in 2008. The evolution in Portugal’s legally residing immigrant landscape is shown below. Table 6. Third-country nationals legally residing in Portugal (2007-2009)

126

The table above shows a backdrop after the aforementioned dominance of the Ukrainian community, which clearly decelerated as far as roughly just 61% (2007) of its size in 2002. Another change in the composition of the residing Ukrainian community is the change in distribution by gender, which witnessed a dramatic increase of female migrants since the early years of the coming of these nationals to Portugal. Figure 9. Evolution of the population of Ukrainian migrants in Portugal by gender (2009)

127

125

Maria Lucinda Fonseca, Imigração, Diversidade e Novas Paisagens Éticas e Culturais. Available at: www.oi.acidi.gov.pt/docs/Col_Percursos.../2_PI_Cap2.pdf. (Consulted on 05.04.2012) p. 55 126

Ibid. p.16 (translated) 127

José Edmundo Xavier Furtado de Sousa, Imigrantes ucranianos em Portugal : da satisfação das necessidades de imigração à adopção de comportamentos saudáveis. Universidade Aberta. Available at: http://repositorioaberto.uab.pt/handle/10400.2/2094 (Consulted on 23.03.2012) p. 170

2006 2007 2008 2009 1st Cape

Verde 65.485 Brazil 66.354 Brazil 106.961 Brazil 116.220

2nd Brazil 65.463 Cape Verde

63.925 Ukraine 52.494 Ukraine 52.293

3rd Ukraine 37.851 Ukraine 39.480 Cape Verde

51.352 Cape Verde

48.845

4th Angola 33.215 Angola 32.728 Romania 27.771 Romania 32.457

5th Guinea-Bissau

24.513 Guinea-Bissau

23.733 Angola 27.619 Angola 26.557

49

As shown, while in 2002 women immigrants were much less than the number of men, in 2007-2009 there is a sharp increase of this number. The question of whether the Ukrainian community is well integrated is not an easy one, especially because no recent studies, in similar depth as the one we relied on previously, have been issued so far. Nonetheless, it be shall attempted to provide some examples which may suffice to extrapolate what is the extent of this integration. In this regard, it should be taken into consideration that the short history of Ukrainian migration was strongly covered by a new and intense shift of migrant integration policies in Portugal. In this context, Portugal surprisingly still remains a notable destination for Ukrainian immigrants. Figure 10. Numbers of the Ukrainian citizens in the EU (2009)

128

There is no absolute statement, based on concrete data, which might be able to accurately prove that the Ukrainian community in Portugal is largely integrated. However, some examples can be given, taking into consideration the already mentioned policy shift. Some studies point to a high rate of employment of the Ukrainian migrants, still today. In a study conducted by Edmundo de Sousa (2011) is its said that the “unemployment rate within the treated sample is 3.5%, a low number, about a third of Portugal’s unemployment rate in 2009. This low unemployment rate would have as grounds the great adaptation capacity of the Ukrainian migrant to the labour market.”129 Additionally, Paula Costa (University of Lisbon) adds that “the unemployment rate is high amongst Ukrainian women”. 130 This might indicate an even larger need for the aforementioned women-targeted policies, given that the landscape has indeed changed in 2009 in regards to gender distribution. As for type of occupation, the situation towards qualification has perhaps not changed largely: “the Ukrainians display great concentration of workers in the

128

Source: Martin Hofmann and David Reichel, Ukrainian Migration: An analysis of migration movements to, through and from Ukraine. ÖIF-Ländersinformation nº10. March 2011. Available at: http://www.integrationsfonds.at/nc/laenderinformation/ukrainianmigration/?cid=9605&did=8453&sechash=0cfb6ffb (Consulted on 29.04.2012) 129

de Sousa, op.cit. p. 184 130

Paula Costa, Imigração em Portugal:tendências recentes. Os imigrantes guineenses, ucranianos e brasileiros no mercado de trabalho português. Universidade de Lisboa – Faculdade de Letras. Available at: http://ler.letras.up.pt/uploads/ficheiros/7690.pdf (Consulted on 16.03.2012). p. 17

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the group of the Non-Qualified (69.3%), closely followed by the worker and artisan group.”131 In terms of employment, in fact, the situation among the Ukrainian community has not largely changed: “Portugal fits in a logics of migration which implies the recruitment of workforce to perform undervalued occupations and unwanted by the country’s nationals. The high over-representation of the Non-Qualified Workers group is associated with situations of precarity and informality, typical of the informal labour market. However, in the face of the education levels brought by these immigrants, mainly the Ukrainians, from their countries of origin, eventual processes of ascending professional mobility may be facilitated.”132 Although the PII1 may have benefited migrants and that might represent a value in itself, they have not greatly altered the situation of disqualification. According to the sample studied by Costa, there are still 48.1%133 of Ukrainian migrants with high qualifications present in the Portuguese labour market, which are largely not performing corresponding professional occupations. Another symptom that, even with efforts at a high political level, with the 2009 Agreement between the Government of the Ukraine and the Government of the Portuguese Republic for the Mutual Recognition of Education certificates, titles and Academic Degrees, the situation has broadly remained the same.134 In regards to education, statistical information that can permit to conclude as to the participation of Ukrainian migrants or their offspring in the Portuguese education system is not available. Inclusive initiatives have largely resulted in the production of informative material. The report on the PII1 does refer, in terms of education, that Ukrainian students have received public scholarships (17 in 2007 and 15 in 2008135). It is one of the few examples in which the report on the PII1 distinguishes Ukrainian migrants from the remaining nationalities. Even so, the participation rates in the activities are far too low to infer from the Plan’s actions that the bearing on changing the context in which the community finds itself is pertinent. Furthermore, the official statistics of the Ministry of Education and Science’s do not discriminate third-country students, either in the “Youth” or the “Adults” annual statistical reports136. Moreover, the situation of the second generation Ukrainian-origin youth in Portugal is still largely understudied: “Maybe we should study this new generation more deeply, because it is very recent. In fairness, it is what researchers call a generation “1.5”, for it is not truly yet a second generation. It is those who were born in their country of origin, wherein the process of primary socialisation was not yet completed, and have learned our culture by attending Portuguese schools. There is however a very important detail: the preference for a good education

131

Costa, op.cit., p.20 132

Ibid. pp.22-23 133

Ibid. p.12 134

ACIDI, Ucranianos em Portugal: uma Comunidade para ficar?: Interview Pedro Góis. op. cit.. p.11 135

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros/Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, I Plano Para a Integração de Imigrantes – Relatório Final. 2010. op cit. p.68 136

Ministério da Educação e Ciência, Números da Educação – Website. Available at: http://www.gepe.min-edu.pt/np4/611.html (Consulted on 14.04.2012)

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as a mechanism of social ascension and consolidation in the Portuguese society.”137

II.5. Conclusion: An insufficient practical example for proving overall effective success and the relevance of the CNAI As seen above, no sufficient data can be put forth to prove that the Portuguese immigration integration policies have indeed had much bearing in the integration of the specific case of the Ukrainian migrants. The overall approach, however, is one of expansion and further concern with this issue, despite the impact of the financial crisis. In this respect, the ACIDI that is, as explained, the main governmental body for implementing the governmental measures foreseen in the Plans for Immigrant Integration, has benefitted from a rising budgetary capacity. From 2003 to 2009, its budget augmented exponentially, from mere 0.85M€ in 2003 to 10.5M€ in 2009. However, the 2010 budget has suffered a cut of 19%138. The communitarian funds for this budget are around 26%. If taken as such, this may be a sign that the policies implemented are somewhat obliged to be in line with those of the EU, which they mostly are, as shown in Chapter 1. In fact, although we pointed out some aspects of the Portuguese policy which do not fall directly into the guidelines of the Commission, one feature of success could be said to be the generally aligned form of policy-making by the Portuguese governments with the EU: “In an explicit manner, the reports from Portugal and Italy have conveniently taken the EU guidelines into consideration and used them a basic guideline to establish integration policies in these countries. The Report from Portugal states that the recent systematisation of the integration policy of immigration has been designed by following community guidelines. In Portugal, Government Decrees 4/2001 and 34/2003 contain the programme of the 17th Government of Portugal: “Our obligation is to provide access to basic existence and integration conditions. In exchange, immigrants must accept and exercise the basic social co-existence rules offered by the Constitution"”.139 The document from where this is extracted, a Proposal for contributions to the formulation of a system of common integration indicators (2007), co-sponsored by the Spanish government and the European Commission, tries to draw from the different definitions and priorities of Member States to formulate a matching common list of indicators for immigrant integration140: a) Work, employment and social security, b) education, c) health,

137

ACIDI, Ucranianos em Portugal: uma Comunidade para ficar?: Interview Pedro Góis. op. cit.. p.6 138

ACIDI, Relatório de Acitividades 2010. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/_cfn/4d346bd641db7/live/Relat%C3%B3rio+de+Actividades+do+ACIDI+%282010%29 (Consulted on 31.03.2012) p.6 139

Miguel Ángel Gil Leal et al. Proposal for contributions to the formulation of a system of common integration indicators. Available at: www.wodc.nl/.../1365_fulltext_tcm44-80242.pdf. Ministério del Trabajo y Assuntos Sociales. 2007. (Consulted on 02.04.2012) p.24 140

Ibid. p.28

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d) housing, e) social services f) basic knowledge of the language, history and the institutions; g) observance of values ( respect for law and values of host societies); h) access to the institutions and public and private services, inter-cultural competence, inclusion of the matter of immigration in the formulation and application of other policies; i) interaction between immigrants and citizens of the member states, intercultural dialogue, social networks, citizen participation, participation in the civil society, social participation; j) participation in the democratic process and in the formulation of policies and integration measures, especially locally; k) population attitudes; l) means of communication. In a certain manner, it can be said, as explained above, that the Portuguese policies aim to tackle all of these, which results are explained in transparent and regular yearly reports, like the one previously looked into. Although this analysis focused more on employment and education, different aspects of the policies broadly touch the remaining points. It is perhaps important to add that, although not a measure in PII2, democratic and inclusive participation as also been versed by the Portuguese Plans. For instance, the ACIDI created in 1998 a “consultative council” which includes representatives of different communities141; and, although not referred in the appropriate section, the PII2 has as its Measure 58 “Promoting the registration of the immigrant population eligible for voting in elections.”142 The extrapolation which this essay was initially attempting to establish had as condition a wide success of the Portuguese immigrant integration model. As shown above, both by the presentation of the results of the PII1 and the case of the Ukrainian migrants, it cannot be scientifically ascertained that the policies have produced overwhelming effects. Nonetheless, an evolutionary policy development and adaptation to new contexts and migratory fluxes did take place. However, if this can be taken as a positive outcome, we risk saying that the acclaimed success of the Portuguese model in 2009 largely lies on the CNAI network. As such, a basis with which the CNAI model could be exported to a EU-wide dimension will be the focus of the following section. The success of this initiative, as explained in Chapter 1, is enough to take it as an efficient model that is able to link national immigrant services to national policies, thus tackling transaction and administrative costs. Moreover, the atomisation of service points and its inter-institutional structure may provide a more individualised and thus effective response to the migrant, the national society and labour market needs. Furthermore, if immigrant integration can be initiated in the access of the migrants to centralised information, relying on an

141

ACIDI, Conselho Consultivo para os Assuntos da Imigração – COCAI. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/acidi-i-p-/conselho-consultivo-para-os-assuntos-da-imigracao---cocai (Consulted on 02.02.2012). 142

Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, II Plan for Immigrant Integration 2010-2013. op. cit., p.32.

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all-encompassing public service as an information and opportunity hub; then we believe the example of the CNAI is crucial for a EU-wide effective implementation of both the aforementioned Commission’s recommendations and a de facto access of the immigrant to integration in the European society. Finally, the relevance of the CNAI has thus been distinguished as a proven effective instrument, standing out from the whole of Portuguese policies. As proven with this case-study, the situation of the Ukrainian community has not changed dramatically in the present day. This will be the basis for the relevance of the extrapolation contained in the next chapter.

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III An European Immigrant Support Centre Network As explained previously, the Portuguese CNAI network functions as a “gateway” to all that was built in regards to policies, measures and structures for migrant integration in Portugal. It is further worthy to note that the network began to be extensively developed from 2004 on, in a context of a policy shift, as was mentioned in the previous chapter. It was also noted that, in regards to devising a EU-wide mechanism at the service of migrant integration, the full extent of the Portuguese framework could not have been useful. The lack of data found in connection to the given practical example and the current indicators in this respect, were concluded to be insufficent to prove the full efficiency of these policies towards immigrant integration. Although the incremental policy development can be taken as a positive sign, the fields analysed in this document did not reflect a clear impact of the policies as such. In Chapter I, it was described in detail what the place of the CNAI network was in the “Welcoming” category of measures in the Portuguese PII2. As such, it can be inferred that this network concentrates a myriad of opportunities in directing the users to the appropriate departments and delivering adequate infomation. As shown in Chapter I (I.4.5), the CNAI is regularly subject to an external evaluation. The displayed results of 2010 have shown to be reasonably positive. Additionally, as was also referred, Portugal was, in 2009, considered by the UNDP the country in which services for migrants were best achieved, thus fostering an effective accessibility to an integrated life in the host society. Of course, the dimension of the migrant population is taken into account in these statistics. Nonetheless, Portugal scores above all European countries in this regard. Figure 11. Foreign-born migrants and EIU accessibility score

143

143

United Nations Development Programme, op. cit. p.38

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This makes the case for an extrapolation of a possible structure of a European Immigrant Support Centre Network (EISCN), that could, under the coordination of the EU, improve immigrant services and follow a similar method as the one proven to be succesful in Portugal. As noticed, the creation of such a network can tackle different needs and introduce agility in the administrative system. It can further improve the legality status of migrants and thus spare the enforcement authorities by adopting a social approach to legalisation. This is reflected in the CNAI network, where both illegal and legally staying migrants are welcome to obtain information in total confidentiality. Finally, another important aspect is the promotion of mobility, by promoting employment opportunities in Member States which have more need for a certain type of workers. Ultimately, an EISCN could provide frontdesk information on what each Member State has to offer. The establishment of a European-wide network of this nature meets a logics of stance towards migration management that has increasingly been popularised. For instance, “the U.S. government’s enforcement-without-reform approach to undocumented immigration has created an unsustainable contradiction between U.S. immigration policy and the U.S. economy. So far, the economy is winning.”144 Civil society immigrant organisations participate in the policies of the ACIDI, and as such, influence the way the CNAI is managed. As seen in Chapter I, this meets the requirements of the latest reccomendations of the Commission145. It is to be taken into account that the development of eventual European-wide networks of this sort should count on the continuous consultation of civil society, according to the practices already in place at the EU-level.

III.1. Possible Legal basis and Structural Framework According to the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU is not conferred with the exclusive or shared competence to legislate over immigration integration policies. Article 79, however, provides in its paragraph 4 that “The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, may establish measures to provide incentives and support for the action of Member States with a view to promoting the integration of third-country nationals residing legally in their territories, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States.”146 It is here that the EISCN finds its legal place. Moreover, it is an opportunity that the Lisbon Treaty has clarified this matter for the first time in regards to the previous treaties, towards common integration policies. Nonethelss, Kay Hailbronner argues that an absence of competence does not necessarily avoid harmonisation of practices: “Thus, it has been clarified that there is no legislative competence for harmonisation in

144

Immigration Policy Centre, The Politics of Contradiction: Immigration Enforcement vs. Economic Integration –Website. Available at: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/politics-contradiction-immigration-enforcement-vs-economic-integration (Consulted on 15.04.2012) 145

European Commission, European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, op. cit., p.7 146

European Union, “Consolidated Versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union of 13 December 2007”, Official Journal of the European Union, C83, 30 March 2010, Article 79.

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integration legislation. The EU may only establish measures in order to promote integration, for instance by financial support or policy programmes. Once again, it is not quite clear to what extent the European Union may establish large financial programmes which in turn may require Member States to adjust to certain EU prescribed policy guidelines in order to participate at the financial support by the EU. Increasingly, the European Union becomes a substantial source of money. As experiences in every federal state have shown, the dependence upon participation in financial programmes may easily be the same result as harmonised legislation.”147 The type of management of an EISCN is obviously dependent on the tabled proposal to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union by the ordinary legislative procedure. In my opinion, ideally, such proposal should enable the Commission be able to directly manage these centres, in the image of the European External Action Service’s (EEAS) delegations in third-countries. The funding would also be extracted from the Commission’s budget, which in turn would be allocated to the Directorate-General for Home Affairs (DGHA). Similarly to the EEAS, DGHA would be responsible for the recruitment of personnel, establishing a department which would be responsible for setting up and managing the network. This department should draw from specialist public officials of the EU, which could be best fit to technically recruit the required personnel and provide the proper guidelines, in line with the Commission’s agenda for migrant integration. Another crucial general function of this coordinating department would be to perform what the Commission seeks to establish as its own function in the last Agenda: “the exchange of practice and policy coordination in the areas of employment, education and social policies.”148 In this respect, and implementing an EU commitment directly by the institutions, the coordinating department, similarly to the CNAI, would manage data, programmes, initiatives and statistics, which would allow the different European Immigrant Support Centres (EISC) to inform migrants as to the situation in other Member States. The success of this structure would largely depend on the expertise and knowledge of the coordinating team, both in Brussels and in the different centres. Furthermore, it is crucial that the centres are set up in close cooperation with the Member States’ governments. An obligation to cooperate and technically assist the Commission in setting up the centre must be included in an eventual proposal. Furthermore, reports and other technical and statistically informative materials should be a requirement for Member States, on a quarterly basis, in order to allow for the coordinating centre in Brussels, under DGHA, to effectively distribute this information and updating the databases which would be used by each centre. This information would be built into a European Migrant Information Network, directed to expand, beyond national-level, job-matching, training opportunities and provide safe information to the migrant as to the

147

Kay Hailbronner, Implications of the Lisbon Treaty in the EU Immigration Law. Transatlantic Exchange for Academics in Migration Studies. 2010. Available at: http://migration.ucdavis.edu/rs/files/2010/hailbronner-implications-of-the-eu-lisbon-treaty.pdf (Consulted on 15.04.2012) 148

European Commission, Communication from the Commission (...): European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, op. cit., p.8

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Member State in which the individual has more chances of integration. In this respect, information on legalisation processes is crucial. The Commission would appoint the directors for each centre, which would then decide on its structure, taking into account the local specificities. Medium-experienced EU officials (grade 6) should be considered for this role. They would advise on the personnel selection, composed largely of nationals of the centre’s Member State. However, obligation towards independence should be observed in their functions. These employees should be grade 1 EU administrative personnel or temporary contract agents, duly scrutinised by the department coordinator.

III.2. Main functions The purpose would not be to overlap with the national structures that advise the public as to their possibilities or even perform the same functions as the CNAI. The European Immigrant Support Centres (EISC) would not serve as “watchdogs” for the Member States policies, which should remain, according to the Treaties, to be conducted with national discretion. These guidelines are very general, but they might assist in providing an idea of the EISC’s general mission. Their focus would be divided into an EU-level connection and a national connection. Regarding the first, the EISC would have as main functions: 1. Remain under the authority of the appointed DGHA department, following the recommendations established thereby. 2. Provide regular information as to the functioning of the department, contacting the superior department whenever doubts arise as to the EU acquis or information coming from another Member State. 3. Submit a quarterly report as to the activities undertook by the EISC, taking into account that initiatives such as workshops, conferences and co-sponsoring of nationally-implemented activities should be included in the scope of their activities. 4. Make recommendations to the European Parliament’s adequate committee, the Justice and Home Affairs Council and the DGHA as to changes that might be implemented in order to improve the functioning of the centre and its mission in a given member state. Moreover, the EISC should work closely with the European Migration Network (EMN), as it is the EU agency responsible for collecting data on asylum and migration. This would further avoid an overlapping of the functions of the EMN in its function of supporting policy-making149. 5. Organise and manage the logistics of the department, with the information provided by the local authorities by the time of its implementation, so as to assure a proper functioning that can be relied on by the central department. Regarding functions at the local level, the main objectives of the EISC would be: 1. to monitor the local centres that perform CNAI-like functions and report on three aspects: inter-institutional dynamics, public service quality and

149

European Migration Network, Home page. Available at: http://emn.intrasoft-intl.com/html/index.html (Consulted on 12.05.2012)

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participation and interaction between the local Immigrant network centres and the EISC. 2. To direct and advise travelling migrants as to their legalisation, employment and training possibilities in each Member State, directing them to the proper department in the local immigrant support centre. In case the immigrant wishes to move to another Member State or inquires as to a cross-border issue (i.e. qualifications recognition, family reunification, etc.), the proper information and follow-up should be provided. 3. To establish an immigrant telephone hotline, functioning in working hours, which would provide for quick information, appointments and support. 4. To establish a meeting schedule with representatives of the local centres, in order to monitor their provision of information to the European Immigrant Information Network (EIIN). 5. To convene regularly with the national authorities and representatives of the organised civil society, namely immigrant associations and local entities, to better promote immigrant opportunities at the EU level.

III.3. The European Immigrant Information Network The exchange of information would be technically dependent on the development of an information network, fed by the different national departments on immigration. This would require a massive technical effort, but could produce good results in the medium-term. The objective is the same as in the CNAI, to list and make available employment, training opportunities and legal and practical information on the Member State to which the inquiring immigrant wishes to move to. This network would be operated by a technical department under the coordinating body of the DGHA, and overseen by the director of the latter. The EIIN, which is not to be used for storing any particular formal data on individuals, would aim to pool, from the different EICS, the information which is provided to them by the national authorities that deal with immigrant integration. This would not represent a national burden, as the Network would simply reproduce the national information, but in this case, of all Member States which adhere to the establishment of EICS in their territory. The EU translation services would be use in order to make the information available in all the official languages. Although, on a first stage it would be limited to an English and French version, until further proof of the success of the initiative. The EIIN should be of public access only in its consultative version. Regarding the Intranet version, it is the duty of the employees of the different EICS to regularly consult the activities of the national authority that deals with immigrant integration in society, and select the relevant information to be inserted. This will then be used by other EICS in order to advise the immigrant towards mobility. The information in the EIIN should be online and consultable by the wider public. Content management should be handed to a specialist in communication, who should understand the purpose of this instrument and be properly trained as to the end of its functions. Finally, the establishment of this electronic information instrument would contribute to monitor the activities of each EICS and popular use. It is important to remind that the exchange of information in the EICSN would be totally dependent on an instrument of this sort (similarly, the CNAI receives information

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from several state departments and then selects and treats information so as to service the immigrant accordingly and organise its services). Although local centres of this nature normally have no website, they exist for public physical service. In this respect, an EU-wide service would only make sense if long-distance information is permanently accessible.

III.4. A budgetary example: a possible EICSN implementation in Portugal, Spain and Ireland. Relying on the expenses and structure of the Portuguese CNAI, we now extrapolate how this could maybe be set up at other national levels. The CNAI expenditure cannot be taken as a reference in this respect. The ACIDI budget does not discriminate with exactness how much the CNAI networks cost. This is so because not all of the departments thereby installed are under the responsibility of the same governmental department, but are rather extensions of the different bodies which are thereby present in an office inside the Centre. For the purposes of this project, we provide a basic idea of how much the setting up of these centres would cost. For this purpose, we take as a reference some EU expenditure references, assuming that the proposed structure would be implemented by the Commission, with logistics and premises assured by Member States. We will cover only three categories: personnel, cost of setting up an electronic network such as the proposed EIIN, and funding for activities. In this extrapolation, we shall suppose that 10 employees are a fair number for a population of 443055 legally residing immigrants (current numbers in Portugal). We then shall adapt these numbers to the cases of Spain and Ireland, adapting them to the context of the countries. The wages shall be drawn from the European Union staff regulation categorisation150 and the personnel would be drawn from the Commission, with preference for at least 65% of nationals of the country. As was mentioned above, temporary agent contracts could also be used for this purpose. It is assumed that the coordinating department at the DGHA will be recruited from in-house Commission staff. It is found that there is sense in taking as a general reference the budget of the European Migration Network (EMN). In this respect, the EMN is also structured in one centralised coordination office, dealing with several national contact points, who provide information that is then presented to the wider public through a centralised source of information. Contrary to the proposal for a EICSN, the EMN does not conduct public service, but has a outsourced set of private service providers for organising studies and other field activities151. Conversely, the EICSN would not conduct studies, but would have to guarantee effective public service and inter-departmental communication, as well as meetings and the co-sponsoring of nationally-driven events. In this respect, it is assumed that these activities ultimately compensate the mentioned activities of the EMN, as far as to take it as a reference. The total

150

European Commission, Staff Regulations. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/salary_officials_en.pdf (Consulted on 15.04.2012) Article 66. 151

European Migration Network, Work Programme 2011. Available at: ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/.../EMNWP2011.doc (Consulted on 15.04.2012)

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budget for the EMN is €7 500 000, of which €5 971 000 is allocated to the national contact points. For this purpose, it is assumed that 1 529 0000 is allocated to the development and maintenance of the online platform, which dimension would be similar to that of the EIIN. The current calculation is estimated for a first stage 3-EISC implementation. Therefore, we selected as examples Portugal, Spain and Ireland in order to calculate a possible rough estimate. In relation to having the EMN as a budgetary reference, it is considered that this body is a well-established structure, working already with 27 National Contact Points. Hence, the EISCN is best thought as a pilot project, which results would determine its expansion. Despite the compensation of functions in an expenditure perspective referred to above, only three member states are considered for this calculation. For this purpose, it was considered pertinent to select a small, a medium and a high-intensity immigration Member State to present this projected rough budget. It is also assumed that the Member State would provide the local EISC with premises, working physically as a department in a governmental property. If not in a CNAI-like location, preferably with a body dealing with immigration issues, such as a ministry branch. However, a requirement of the network is that the Member State provides, free of charge, a location where the department may function, including logistical expenses. This being, a rough budget for a three-centre first implementation phase EISCSN would include the following. Table 7. A possible rough budget for the EISC

Centre Item Calculation €

Portugal (443,055 legally residing third-country immigrants)

Administrative personnel

9 Commission grade 1 employees x 12 months x 2654.17

286 650.36

Coordinating personnel

1 Commission grade 6 employee x 12 months x 4921.28

59 055.36

Spain (3.331,883 legally residing third-country immigrants152)

Administrative personnel

45 Commission grade 1 employees x 12 months x 2654.17

1 433 251.8

Coordinating personnel

5 Commission grade 6 employees x 12 months x 4921.28

295 276.8

Ireland (130,555 legally residing third-country immigrants)153

Administrative personnel

4 Commission grade 1 employees x 12 months x 2654.17

127 400.16

152

Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Avance del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero de 2009 - Datos provisionales. 2009. Available: http://www.ine.es/prensa/np551.pdf (Consulted on 15.04.2012) 153

European Migration Network, Latest Statistics on Immigration in Ireland 2011. Available at: http://www.emn.ie/index.jsp?p=100&n=105&a=207 (Consulted on 30.04.2012)

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Coordinating personnel

1 Commission grade 6 employee x 12 months x 4921.28

59 055.36

EU Immigrant Information Network

Technical maintenance of databases and domain charges

1 529 0000

EU/EICSN Budget for activities and other local co-sponsoring154

On the basis of propositions approved by the DGHA coordinating unit

663 444.44

TOTAL 4 447 134.2

III.5. Conclusions This project is presented as in a basic outline, but could be used as a basis for a EU-wide network of centres for immigrant support. As shown previously, the CNAI network in Portugal, with its multi-level and inter-institutional dynamics, drawing information from several departments and regions, has managed to deliver a fruitful service to migrants. Regarding the EU, and following the recommendations of the Commission for a diversification of policies regarding integration, much sense can be found in bringing the EU itself to implement its own structure for this purpose. The promotion of labour mobility in the Economic and Monetary Union as an Optimal Currency Area principle; and the achievement os the goals of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice could be met, in a very pragmatic sense, by the installation of a structure such as the EISCN.

154

In this case, we divided the mentioned amount attributed by the EMN to the National Contact Points by 27 Member States, then multiplying the unitarian amount by 3.

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Conclusion

This study departed from the consideration that acclaimed good practices in the evolution of the Portuguese migrant integration policies could be exported to the EU level. In Chapter I, it was briefly shown why the Commission had a case in establishing immigrant integration as a priority for the Europe 2020 agenda. In this respect, new theories, like the one presented, have been arguing that the problematic ageing of the European population may be compensated by the correct integration of third-country migrants.

In regards to this and the Commission’s ideas, this study then set out to present the main characteristics of the current Portuguese II Plan for Immigrant Integration (2010-2013). In this regard, and so as not to make it excessively extensive, given that the programme touches many fields, focus was given to the sections Welcoming, Culture and Education and Employment, Professional Training and Business Dynamics. These were selected because they are the areas more closely tied to the Commission’s proposals for bringing migrant integration policy to the restructuring of the European economy.

Henceforth, this essay attempted to establish a correspondence between that which is estimated in the presented Portuguese framework and the latest Commission recommendations in the Common Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (2011). The latter builds from the current flagship framework for delivering the European Area for Freedom, Security and Justice: the Stockholm Programme. The importance of the abovementioned communication from the Commission lies precisely in targeting the specific issue of migrant integration, which is the field upon this study concentrated upon. In this sense, it was verified that the Portuguese policies largely follow what the Commission has envisaged, and have accompanied the European guidelines since 2005. Nonetheless, in our research we observed that there were also weaknesses in the comparison of the policies to what is intended in the common agenda. For instance, it was found that there was a lack of targeted measures to protect less favoured migrant groups, and, more specifically, towards the integration of women migrants. Or, for example, that even though circular migration and cooperation with third countries was included in Portugal’s programme, the government was only able to complete the project CAMPO with Cape Verde in this regard, leaving out other two third country cooperation projects.

Following a presentation of the actual policy framework, another barrier of relevance was addressed as to why the Portuguese policy context could be subject to become an efficient model. To this end, we moved on to describe the results of the I Plan for Immigrant Integration (2007-2009). As mentioned, the plan was regarded internationally as having obtained excellent results. A summary of the governmental report on the execution of the plan was framed in the same set of items as elaborated on in the explanation on the current Plan. Although officially this version was not drawn out in this manner, it was thought useful to select the elements that more closely related to what had been covered previously. Furthermore, this thesis presented the results of the

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international evaluation made on the plan, particularly highlighting the Network of National Immigrant Support Centres (the CNAI network).

When looking upon the MIPEX and the UN considerations of good practices, it was concluded that the CNAI network was the main reason why the Portuguese policies were internationally considered among the most effective. This was such because they highlight “accessibility” and “support services to migrants” as the main reasons for the high scores obtained by Portugal.

To better understand this question on a practical level, a possible profile of a practical case was presented, which was that of the Ukrainian migrants. Although recent data as to the integration of this specific group is hard to find, studying this community, the context of their arrival, and a possible framing of their integration, revealed itself to be important for four main reasons. First, because they represented a first wave of non-Portuguese speaking migrants and influenced a shift in the political culture towards migration. Second, because the Ukrainian community inspired a new approach and the devising of the CNAI network and further pushed the Portuguese policy-making into absorbing the Commission’s guidelines, namely in 2003-2005. Third, because it revealed that the policies and the labour market were not ready to deal with a particularly highly qualified set of migrants, thus producing ultimately a disqualification of their original competences. Fourth, that even though the Portuguese policies were widely acclaimed, there is no specific and detailed data on the Ukrainian community of today which can prove a de facto high degree of integration. In fact, statistics and studies are lacking in regards to specific communities, and that was the reason why the presented information was, to a large extent, based on the seminal study Ukrainian Immigration in Portugal and Southern Europe: the emergence of one or more communities? (2008).

Despite the fact that it analyses the Ukrainian community of 2002-2004, much before the policies hereby analysed, the depth of this study helps to provide an image of what sort of profile characterises the Ukrainian community in Portugal. It was assumed and then proven with the however scarce data that we found for the current status of this group, that the situation had not largely changed in 2009-2010. Moreover, it was also assumed that the renewal of the community in 2004-2006, when a retreat and a comeback took place, made it more likely that the traits described by Marques, Baganha and Góis still remain roughly unchanged. In fact, the information found in the research stage actually indicated towards a same context of easy access to the labour market, but low qualification-matching and participation in the national education system. Finally, it was also verified that, in the image of what was described in the extended summary included in Appendix I, the currently present Ukrainians still present high levels of education in comparison to other communities. Finally, it was also sustained that the phenomenon of a second generation of migrants is still too young to be dealt with in depth, although it could provide more insight as to the current situation.

The Ukrainian case and the slight weaknesses in the Portuguese policy body as whole prove that an export of the general Portuguese model to the EU-level would not have been entirely reasonable. While it is true that the Portuguese

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Plans for Immigrant Integration follow the guidelines provided for the Commission in this respect, irrevocable success cannot be ascertained therewith. This was shown by explaining the policies in comparison with the latest Commission guidelines. Furthermore, it was also confirmed in the case of the Ukrainian migrants in Portugal. What was concluded was that, indeed, issues regarding employment and education appear to remain highly unresolved. This is such, despite a positive and dynamic evolution of policy frameworks.

Henceforth, it was concluded that the CNAI network was probably the greatest achievement of the Portuguese migrant integration policy model. It was supported that it serves as a gateway to all that the developments of the internal policies have to offer. Moreover, that it provides for an effective inter-institutional interaction in a “one-stop-shop” model, with the capacity to concentrate nation-wide employment, training and legal information, which becomes publicly available to the migrant user. The effectiveness of the network is further improved by the support of the CLAII, which ties the CNAI to different local institutions and organisations in order to deliver a local-specific service. All of these dynamics effectively contribute to the sparing of transaction costs and promote integration, whichever the practical quantitative results may be. Furthermore, they largely reflect Portugal’s compliance with many of the Commission’s recommendations in the field of migrant integration, with the promotion of the initiatives taken in the fields of language learning, participation in the labour market, or legal advice as to rights and access to the public health and social security systems. All of this is done in a setting also recommended by the Commission: multi-level cooperation between several state departments and offices and the organised civil society.

Given the strict following of the spirit of the common approach to migrant integration and the proven success of the CNAI, we found that there were grounds for an extrapolation of this particular model to the EU level. In the context of this thesis, a shortly elaborated project was presented in order to present what a European Immigration Support Centre Network (EISCN) could resemble. We felt that there is a need for direct action of the Commission in this respect, given that competences in the field are not attributed to the EU. Nonetheless, a common effort with the participation of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, could enable the existence of such a network.

The idea was not to make it overlap with existing CNAI-like structures in Member States, but to pool their efforts into a EU wide information system, backed by public service points. Information on any given Member State would immediately be shared with the entire network. Moreover, the centres would also serve as welcoming and personalised information and follow-up locations, especially directed to migrants who want to discover their possibilities of establishment in other Member States. Thus, the network would benefit from centralised reporting and information of national systems, particularly regarding employment, education and legal requirements. For the implementation of the EISCN, we presented a basic budget, a legal basis and an outline of the possible structure, to provide the reader with the idea of how such a network could come to be.

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In conclusion, this thesis essentially aimed to provide a clear image of best practices and weaknesses of a national policy framework. In this case, we drew from the Portuguese example a set of elements which may assist in a mental construction of a de facto policy building and how it evolves and adapts to new contexts and migratory flows. In the same vein, we have shown its relation to the common EU position, believing that following these guidelines can build more cohesiveness in the European ability to welcome and integrate its immigrants. The EISCN would be a materialised reflection of common practices, forged in a spirit of shared learning and mutual recognition.

Above all, it is hereby acknowledged that future structures or policies directed at migrant integration and which are shared by all Member States can project the European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice to serve not only Europeans, but all those who seek to live by Europe’s common values and principles.

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http://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_publicacoes&PUBLICACOESpub_boui=48434179&PUBLICACOESmodo=2 (Consulted on (01.07.2010) Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), Website. Available at: http://www.mipex.eu/play/bar.php?chart_type=bar&countries=3,32&objects=2&periods=2007,2010&group_by=country (Consulted on 01.04.2012) Source: Delta Consultores, A Imigração em Portugal. Available at: http://www.dlt.pt/ficheiros/deltaconsultores_a_imigracao_em_portugal.pdf (Consulted on 20.04.2012) Source: Martin Hofmann and David Reichel, Ukrainian Migration: An analysis of migration movements to, through and from Ukraine. ÖIF-Ländersinformation nº10. March 2011. Available at: http://www.integrationsfonds.at/nc/laenderinformation/ukrainianmigration/?cid=9605&did=8453&sechash=0cfb6ffb (Consulted on 29.04.2012) Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Avance del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero de 2009 - Datos provisionales. 2009. Available: http://www.ine.es/prensa/np551.pdf (Consulted on 15.04.2012) European Migration Network, Latest Statistics on Immigration in Ireland 2011. Available at: http://www.emn.ie/index.jsp?p=100&n=105&a=207 (Consulted on 30.04.2012) Websites and other

International Organisation for Migration, Portugal profile page. Available at: http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/portugal (Consulted on 15.03.2012) Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, Website, Centro Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/es-imigrante/servicos/centros-nacionais-de-apoio-ao-imigrante---cnai (Consulted on 12.02.2012) Alto Comissariado para a Imigração e Diálogo Intercultural, Website, Centro Nacional de Apoio ao Imigrante. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/es-imigrante/servicos/centros-nacionais-de-apoio-ao-imigrante---cnai (Consulted on 12.02.2012) Associação Portuguesa de Técnicos e Gestores de Recursos Humanos, Código de Ética na Gestão de Pessoas. Available: http://www.apg.pt/downloads/file22_pt.pdf (Consulted on 27.04.2012) ACIDI, Conselho Consultivo para os Assuntos da Imigração – COCAI. Available at: http://www.acidi.gov.pt/acidi-i-p-/conselho-consultivo-para-os-assuntos-da-imigracao---cocai (Consulted on 02.02.2012).

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Immigration Policy Centre, The Politics of Contradiction: Immigration Enforcement vs. Economic Integration –Website. Available at: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/politics-contradiction-immigration-enforcement-vs-economic-integration (Consulted on 15.04.2012) European Migration Network, Home page. Available at: http://emn.intrasoft-intl.com/html/index.html (Consulted on 12.05.2012)

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Appendix I

A Profile of the Eastern European Immigrant Community in Portugal (2002) Selected data retrieved from the study155: José Carlos Marques and Pedro Góis, Quando os Extremos se Tocam: Imigrantes Ucranianos em Portugal. in: José Carlos Marques, Maria Ioannis Baganha, Pedro Góis (ed.), Ukrainian Immigration in Portugal and Southern Europe: the Emergence of one or several communities?. January 2010. Colecção Comunidades nº3. ACIDI/Presidência do Conselho de Ministros. Available at: http://www.oi.acidi.gov.pt/docs/Coleccao_Comunidades/Estudo_Comun_3.pdf 1. Demographic characteristics Figure 1. Date of Birth of the inquired population sample (2002)

156

This data indicates that most migrants were, at the time, mostly between 25 and 40 years old. Figure 2. Gender distribution of the Inquired immigrants

157

155

All the data hereby presented is retrieved from this very same source, thus the references in footnotes as to the location of the presented chart will only be referenced with page number. 156

p.33 157

P.34

74

The high percentage of male migrants (70.7%) reflects the empirically proven reality of this migratory wave. Particularly in regards to the Ukrainian population, the same authors mention: “[in] Italy (...) receptiveness was above all towards Ukrainian women, as opposed to Portugal, where there were mostly Ukrainian men arriving at the start of this migratory flux. In the year of 2002, about 84% of Ukrainian migrants in Italy were of the female gender.”158 Figure 3. Nationality distribution of the Inquired Eastern European immigrants

159

As mentioned before, the surveys included different nationalities in which the largest group are the Ukrainians, which represent 89.4% of the inquired (others are 6.5% of Russian, 1.2% Moldavian and 2.9% of other nationalities.160) For this reason, the data hereby presented (unless specified) should take into account 10.6% as a margin of error, as it potentially might refer to other nationals. Figure 4. Urban and Rural origins in the country of birth of Eastern European migrants (2002)

161

158

p.24 159

p.32 160

p.26 161

p.41

75

This pie chart shows that most of the migrants come from urban areas, although in Portugal they might have moved to the rural areas in order to find work, as a consequence of disqualification. Figure 5. Region of origin of the Eastern European migrants (2002)

162

It is shown that most of the migrants originate from the West of the Ukraine (49.2%). Central Ukraine occupies the second place (24.5%), whilst the rest of the share is roughly evenly shared by East Ukraine (10.5%), Southern Ukraine (5.6%), the European territory of Russia (4.5%) and other regions (5.6%). Figure 6. Semester of entry of Eastern European immigrants in the EU and Portugal (2002)

163

The study shows that most Eastern European migrants (of which 89.6% are Ukrainian in the scope of this study), entered both the EU and Portugal in the first and second semester of 2001 (respectively, 29.7%, 29.8% and 27.6%, 28.0%). This might have been a consequence of the Portuguese temporary immigrant legalisation flexibility policy at the time and the aforementioned “authorisation of permanence” introduced therewith. The figure also shows that 162

p.41 163

p.54

76

the migrants did not intend to enter Schengen space and attempt to establish simply in any country of the free movement space, as they arrived in Portugal mostly in the same period as they entered the EU. Figure 7. Motives for emigrating (2002)

164

Emigration on economic grounds is clearly the main reason why Eastern European migrants decided to emigrate to Portugal (80.3%). The remaining share of the survey is distributed between professional reasons (6.2%), political reasons (5.9%) and other (7.6%). Figure 9. Socio-Economic status (2002)

165

The landscape in this respect is clear, where it is verified that it is the working class and the lower middle class that dominate the Eastern European immigrant community numbers in Portugal (respectively 48% and 27.8%). The upper middle class has some weight (14.7%), but the same cannot be said for the remaining higher and lower classes.

164

p.48 165

p.44

77

Figure 8. Geographical distribution of establishment in the Portuguese continental territory (2002)

166

The black coloured areas are the districts of Lisbon and Porto, which are the largest urban centres in Portugal. They are also the areas where employment is most likely to be found, hence their favouring as a primary destination for migrants with the country. The map shows that it is such especially regarding Ukrainian migrants (far-left map), whilst there is a slightly more widespread concentration of Moldavian and Russian migrants.

166

p.98

78

2. Employment status Table 1/2. Field of Employment in the country of origin and current field of employment in Portugal (2002)

167

Professional Group %

Armed Forces 1.2

Higher administrative and leading positions

1.1

Intellectual and scientific professionals

32.4

Intermediate professionals 7.2

Administrative and similar staff

1.2

Services and sales workers

6.5

Workers, artisans and similar workers

28.6

Machinery installation operators

10.1

Non-qualified workers 2.3

N/a 9.4

TOTAL 100

What can be inferred by this re-distribution of field of employment is that a disqualification eventually occurred in respect to the initial qualifications of Eastern European migrants and the work field they were able to find in Portugal. According to the research: “It is worthwhile to highlight that the current occupational structure of these immigrants is not widely related with their academic qualifications or their professional experience in their countries of origin (...) the participation of Eastern European migrants in the Portuguese labour market is therefore only accomplished through a disqualification of their original qualifications.”168 Figure 9. Employment status at the time of the study (2002)

169

167

Translation. p.45 and p.67 168

p. 69 169

p.68

Professional Group %

Intellectual and scientific professionals

0.3

Intermediate professionals 0.2

Administrative and similar staff

0.5

Services and sales workers

2.5

Agricultural workers, qualified agricultural and fisheries workers

1.7

Workers, artisans and similar workers

16.3

Machinery installation operators

2.0

Non-qualified workers 62.1

Sub-Total 85.7

N/a 14.3

TOTAL 100

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The percentage of employed migrants by the time the referred study was conducted was 80.1%. This could indicate that the Portuguese labour market was indeed prepared to absorb, in whichever manner, the coming workers. 17% declared to be unemployed and 2.9% gave no response. Table 3. The way in which one obtained his first job in Portugal (2002)

170

Ways of job obtainment First Job Current Job

By own initiative 14.1 29.1

Help from a “travel agency” in his or her country of origin

4.4 1.1

Aid of a Portuguese citizen 6.7 7.5

Colleagues/Colleagues from work 4.4 4.9

Acquaintances from the same country arriving to Portugal beforehand

23.9 16.1

Relatives who arrived to Portugal beforehand

8.3 4.6

Countrymen who arrived to Portugal beforehand

9.9 7.8

Aid of an agent/mediator 21.6 8.2

Other contacs 2.0 2.3

N/a 4.6 18.5

Total 100.0 100.0

The researchers note that “immigrant social networks assume a larger influence when the immigrant is in an illegal situation. About 46% of those which were in an illegal situation at the moment of the survey claimed to have found their current job through the help of friends, relatives and countrymen, while those which had a regularised situation, this percentage did not reach 30%. The latter have found their current job, above all, by own initiative (44.6% against 23.8% for those which were illegally in Portugal.”171 Figure 9. Average monthly wage, in Euros (2002)

172

170

Translation. p.67 171

Ibid. 172

p.68

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3. Qualifications Table 4. Academic Qualifications of the Eastern European Migrants in Portugal (2002)

173

Academic Qualifications %

Able to read and write without formal education

0.1

Higher school education 12.4

Professional school 26.3

Polytechnic education 30.1

Bachelor of Arts 9.9

Masters 19.9

Post-graduate studies 0.4

Doctorate 0.3

Other qualifications 0.3

Sub-Total 99.6

N/a 0.4

Total 100.0

Table 5. Portuguese Language skills of Eastern European immigrants (2004)

174

As can be seen above, “self-learning (...) assumes a strong relevance, and significant differences between the groups are not noticeable. In the case of the immigrants who attended Portuguese language courses, some interesting differences are noted in regards to the organising institution to which each of the three studied groups as resorted to more frequently (...) Moldovan immigrants have resorted with greater bearing to courses organised by the Church (36.4%), Russian immigrants have attended in greater numbers the

173 Marques, Góis, Quando os Extermos se Tocam: Imigrantes Ucranianos em Portugal. op. cit.

p.42 (translation) 174 p.113 (translated)

Language Skills Nationality Total

Ukrainians Russian Moldovan

Fluency in Portuguese

n=526 n=204 n=161 n=891

Very Good 2.5 6.4 13.0 5.3

Sufficiently Good 36.7 38.2 55.3 40.4

Average 59.1 49.0 29.8 51.5

Cannot speak 1.7 6.4 1.9 2.8

Level of reading in Portuguese

n=528 n=206 n=162 n=896

Very fast 3.0 3.9 12.3 4.9

Sufficiently fast 27.8 37.4 56.2 35.2

Slow 60.0 50.5 30.2 52.5

Cannot read 9.1 8.3 1.2 7.5

Level of writing in Portuguese

n=526 n=204 n=161 n=891

Very Good 1.1 3.4 4.3 2.2

Sufficiently Good 10.8 16.2 28.6 15.3

Average 66.5 55.9 51.6 61.4

Cannot write 21.5 24.5 15.5 21.1

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courses offered by immigrant associations (26.9%); and Ukrainian migrants have resorted, above all, to the Catholic Church (24.7%) and the “Portugal Acolhe” programme (23.5%).”175 It can be inferred from this consideration that the Ukrainian migrants shown inclination to participate in language courses, with a bearing to a public programme, which was later developed in the policies described in chapter I. In 2002, however, the percentage of attendees of language courses was, as shown below, not very significative (31.3%): Figure 10. Question: Did you or are you currently attending a Portuguese language course? (2002)

176

175

pp. 113-114 176

p.68

82

3. Legal status Table 6. Visa issuing country with which the immigrants arrived to Portugal (2002)

177

This table shows that, indeed, the immigrants were aware that entering in the Schengen space could allow them to move within the free movement zone freely. Only a very residual number of immigrants requested a visa from Portugal (1.4%), having most entered with visas issued by Germany (56.7%). This also corresponds to a conclusion by the researchers of the presently discusses study, which concluded that most immigrants entered the Schengen space through the German border, having travelled, mostly by bus, to Portugal: “In regards to the location of entrance in the space of the European Union (...) obvious priority is given to the German-Polish border as a entry gate into the European Union (...) These logics of a migratory route heading towards the pre-established migratory destination made by land within the Schengen space, and is characteristic of migrant groups which enter the European Union to adopt an overstaying strategy. (...) This confirmation, linked to the issuing of entry visas, raises, nonetheless, new question at the level of policy definition in regards to the national states of the European Union.”178 Figure 11. Type of Visa with which the immigrant arrived in Portugal (2002)

179

177

p.68 178

p.54 179

p.58

83

Most immigrants arrived in Portugal with a tourist visa (66.4%), followed by Schengen visas (29.8%). Worker visas are the least found among the subjects of the survey (0.3%), while others declared having no documents (0.7%) and other types of visas (2.2%). Figure 12. Question: Are you legalised at the moment? (2002)

180

It is nonetheless curious that, probably due to the aforementioned policy and legal frameworks, many immigrants had managed to legalise their situation in the country. This chart shows that 63.8 declared to have their situation regularised, while 26.4% declared not to. 9.8% did not respond. Figure 13. Question: Did you problems in regards your legalisation? (2002)

181

The results of the above question may indicate that, in comparison to the present situation, that the Portuguese services were not prepared or as flexible to deal with the amount of immigrants requesting legalisation. As such, 38.43% declared to have had problems in this process, while 52.7% declared to have had no problems. 9.0% did not respond.

180

p.60 181

p.60

84

Figure 14. Written contracts in the main profession (2002)182

In regards to the legality and durability of labour relations of these immigrants, it is shown that 73.3% already benefited in 2002 from a written contract with their employer, while 22.8% were either temporary workers or illegal.

182

p.70