Contemporary integration Policies in Europe: Civic Integration Programmes and the Legal, Social and …

Complete title: Contemporary integration Policies in Europe: Civic Integration Programmes and the Legal, Social and Cultural Position of Non-Citizens

Looking at solutions to modern integration problems, national governments in Europe increasingly resort to civic integration policies. These policies are meant to improve the knowledge of national language and society among the immigrant population. Increasingly, however, and due to their mandatory nature, these policies have a direct impact on the legal, social and cultural position of immigrants. Passing a language exam appears to be an essential prerequisite in order to enter a country, to acquire a more secure residence status, and to be eligible for naturalisation. The social dimension of integration seems to be more carefully dealt with, since the civic integration measures generally aim at increasing participation into society. Then again, the results so far do not give cause to highly optimistic conclusions. The cultural dimension is not left untouched either, since the integration courses increasingly insist on social and cultural incorporation. As will be discussed more in detail for the Netherlands, the establishment of civic integration policies has abruptly ended the period of multiculturalism, and has had serious consequences for the position of immigrants in Dutch society.