Bridging worlds: mapping the integration of refugee and migrant children in Europe
The latest statistics from the European Union show that around 6.6 million children under 18 years of age living in the EU did not have citizenship of their country of residence. In 2022, this represented 8.2 % of the total number of children living in the EU and 17.6 % of the total number of non-national residents. This data is only a prelude to a crucial theme: the socio-educational integration of refugee and migrant children in Europe. Nevertheless, progress has been made in the area through research and collaboration. An interactive dashboard mapping the integration of refugee and migrant children is now available – considering, for the first time, their voices and first-hand knowledge. It is the result of 5 years of work by the EU-funded IMMERSE project, developed by 11 partners in six countries. “Migrant children in Europe face a myriad of vulnerabilities as they navigate the challenges associated with displacement and adaptation to new environments. Many arrive with traumatic experiences, having fled conflict, persecution or poverty in their countries of origin,” acknowledges Mercedes Fernández García, IMMERSE project coordinator. “Ensuring the well-being and safeguarding of these vulnerable populations is crucial for their healthy development and successful integration into European societies.”
A means to measure the integration of migrants
The project first developed and validated a methodology consistent with 30 qualitative and quantitative indicators resulting from research inputs with children and families, professionals in the sector, governance representatives, policymakers and academic experts in the participating countries – Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain and Italy. The indicators cover topics from a micro to a macro level, including integration outcomes as well as barriers and facilitators. They involve access to rights, language and culture, well-being, social connectedness and educational achievement.
An interactive and comprehensive dashboard
One of the main outcomes of IMMERSE is an interactive dashboard which includes consultations of children and other stakeholders. “It allows a comparative overview of the degree of integration experienced by children in different countries, monitoring its evolution in time and identifying areas of future intervention in a given context,” explains Fernández. The dashboard has information collected from more than 24 000 children and 406 sites in formal and non-formal educational environments in the six participant countries. It also contains data from documentary sources such as Eurostat, Eurydice, the Migrant Integration Policy Index, the Programme for International Student Assessment, national ministries and statistical offices. “IMMERSE included a particular focus on under-represented groups of children – mainly unaccompanied migrant minors – whose experiences may not have been fully captured in the large-scale quantitative survey,” adds Fernández. The research teams had to overcome access issues and employ innovative ways to locate children in non-formal education activities. The extensive data reveals both good integration results and several shortcomings. For instance, most countries excel in providing access to compulsory education and healthcare for migrant children. However, mental health services are lacking in all countries and there are significant gaps in citizenship policies. Thanks to the results of the project, states , local administrations, educational authorities and social entities can take action to improve the integration of refugee and migrant children. IMMERSE also developed tailored recommendations to policymakers and the educational sector and 60 good practices on refugee and migrant children integration.
Keywords
IMMERSE, migrant children, refugee, socio-educational integration
