More information
Description
The issue of dealing with economic migration and the integration of foreigners in Slovakia is on the brink of social dialogue. The question of the development of the country in relation to the receiving of migrants has become a key issue. While the state has adopted several strategic documents on this subject, the problem of social inclusion is not yet addressed.
The main objective of the project is to create services for the social inclusion of third-country nations and citizens of EU Member States granted temporary or permanent residence in the Slovak Republic in Nitra. It will help overcome barriers between citizens and migrants and reduce xenophobia. Another objective is to create a local strategy for the city based on the cooperation of key players - the city of Nitra, employers, NGOs, representatives of the Foreign Police, Labour Office and representatives of migrants. The strategy will define the comprehensive solutions needed to achieve social inclusion, overcome barriers to coexistence and suppress xenophobia in the community. For migrants, first contact point, language education, various free-time volunteer programs and socio-legal counselling will be created. The relation between the majority population and migrants will be mapped and an information campaign will be implemented. Training of local government representatives will also be provided in the form of workshops with examples of good practice from abroad. The outputs from the services will be directed towards the creation of a local strategy of the city of Nitra for the social inclusion of migrants in order to reduce the manifestations of xenophobia in the community. The target group that benefits from the project are primarily migrants and the citizens of Nitra.
The City of Nitra is a co-founder of the Nitra Community Foundation and a stable donor who regularly supports the Foundation financially and organizationally in the implementation of its grant programs.
Summary of project results
The main challenge of the project was to create services supporting the social inclusion of migrants, to create a local strategy for the city of Nitra and to regularly inform the public in order to reduce xenophobia in the community.
The project implementers carried out the following activities: They provided services to 126 foreigners within the Point of First Contact, where they obtained in one place all the information necessary for their initial orientation and social and legal counseling. The project implementers implemented 3 language courses for 46 foreigners, implemented 4 leisure / volunteer programs in which 10 foreigners participated. The project succeeded in preparing a Situational Analysis of Migration and the Possibilities of Integration of Foreigners in the City of Nitra and a Survey of Employers Employing Foreigners in Nitra. The project implementers created www.comin.sk in 4 languages, which provides information on services for foreigners, containing current articles on the results of the project as well as on the lives of foreigners. The project included 4 workshops for university students aimed at raising awareness of topics related to migration and integration. The outputs and activities of the project were regularly published through the regional media. All activities of the project significantly contributed to the improvement of the position of foreigners in the city of Nitra. The project failed to sufficiently develop cooperation with employers who, despite the initiative, showed only a partial interest in the project and its services. The project started a comprehensive process of social inclusion of foreigners in the city of Nitra (services, strategies, informing the public ...) based on the identification of needs and cross-sectoral cooperation. It has all the prerequisites to develop successfully in the future.