This joint EMN-OECD inform presents an overview of policies and state-led practices designed to monitor the integration of third-country nationals and compares relevant national legislation in each EMN Member and Observer Country. Drawing on the contributions from 25 EMN Member and Observer Countries, this inform sheds light on the various dimensions of integration – from education and employment to social inclusion and civic participation.
The EU is working to integrate a growing number of third-country nationals, who made up about 5.3% of the total population in 2022 with approximately 24 million third-country nationals residing in the EU. According to Eurostat, the number of immigrants from non-EU countries moving to the EU keeps increasing. This is why the integration of third-country nationals is a priority for both national governments and the EU as a whole.
The joint EMN-OECD inform emphasises measures which enhance engagement with foreign-born populations for effective integration monitoring. The ‘one-stop shop’ model, which is used in Latvia as well, offers in-person administrative services, proves beneficial for understanding migrants’ needs and integration progress, and is thus helpful to the monitoring process. Some EMN Member and Observer Countries extend monitoring to native-born descendants facing similar challenges. They advocate centralising monitoring results and promoting comparative approaches through public-access databases.