Dimensions of Integration - Migrant Youth in Central European Countries

Young migrants in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria were the focus of this comparative research project. Building on experiences made in previous projects on this subject at European level (see EFFNATIS), the latest statistics and trends on the integration of young migrants were developed. During its twelve-month period the project focused on developing integration indicators and identifying factors of integration of the target group in the four participating European countries. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Vienna coordinated the project.

The project was carried out using a similar methodology in all four participating countries. A mixed approach comprising both quantative and qualitative components was chosen. The integration processes of the young migrants were described using the four-dimensional integration concept (structural, cultural, social and identificational integration). The emphasis of the study was the area of structural integration, in particular educational and labour market integration.

While this project was of a pioneering nature in the Czech Republic and Poland, Germany was able to refer to research material that was already available. The efms, as the project partner for Germany, conducted a descriptive analysis of selected integration indicators of the German SOEP panel dataset.

In addition to research, the transfer of knowledge constituted another key area of this project. Germany and Austria support and advise the Polish and Czech project partners with the available material. The findings of the project went into a publication which was presented at the final conference in Vienna in March 2005.

Funding: IOM
Completion: March 2005
Researchers: Richard Wolf
Publication: Richard Wolf/Mihaela Tudose: Country Report on Germany. In: Dimensions of Integration: Migrant Youth in Central European Countries, IOM Vienna 2005, pp. 109-146