A recent joint inform by the European Migration Network (EMN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) details policies and state-led practices for monitoring the integration of third-country nationals in the EU. Drawing on the contributions from 25 EMN Member and Observer Countries, the inform focuses on integration areas such as education, employment, social inclusion, and civic participation.
In 2022, third-country nationals made up 5.3% of the EU population, totalling approximately 24 million. With increasing numbers of third-country nationals in the EU, integration is a priority for the EU and national governments. About half of the EMN Member and Observer Countries have national integration monitoring policies. These involve diverse methods and indicators and are often led by ministries overseeing immigration or social affairs, with statistical institutes playing key roles. Monitoring of the integration mainly focuses on education, employment, and housing, using administrative data and surveys.
Countries face monitoring-related challenges such as incomplete registries, late registrations, data protection issues, and survey response barriers. Language barriers and cultural differences also affect survey responses, while online surveys face cost and access hurdles. Despite challenges, some countries demonstrate effective practices. For example, France uses surveys to assess new immigrants' integration, including language proficiency, integration into the labour market, education, and health. The Belgium-Flemish Community provides public access to integration monitoring data, enabling targeted, evidence-based policies.
Integration monitoring outcomes often influence policy changes and the development of integration programmes. For instance, in Sweden, integration monitoring is woven into the national budget process, while in Portugal, they inform policy evaluation and intervention strategies.
The joint EMN-OECD inform highlights the importance of engaging with foreign-born populations for effective integration monitoring. The 'one-stop shop' model, which offers in-person various administrative services, is effective for understanding migrants’ needs and integration progress, and is thus helpful to the monitoring process.
The joint EMN-OECD inform can be downloaded in the Publications Section.