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Challenges faced by refugees attending integration courses , , Demand for and usage of migration counselling services
The BAMF's Brief Analysis 3|2020 addresses the challenges faced by refugees attending integration courses, which go beyond language acquisition. The study investigates both demand for and usage of migration counselling services. The Brief Analysis is based on the Research Report 33, which was published in September 2019 as Interim Report I on the "Evaluation of the integration courses" (EvIk) project.
The authors identified needs for assistance among refugees attending integration courses and analysed the impact of their participation by evaluating 21 qualitative interviews conducted with integration course attendees, representatives of integration course providers and instructors, as well as the data from the IAB-BAMF-SOEP refugee survey 2016 and 2017. At the individual level, the authors investigated whether –and if so – how integration course attendees use the migration counselling services. At the institutional level, the authors discuss the interaction practices between migration counselling and integration courses.
Most important results
Refugees encounter non-language-related challenges refugees
Refugees attending integration courses frequently encounter challenges that go beyond language acquisition. Analysing the qualitative interviews, the authors identified a total of four categories of needs for assistance:
- assistance with establishing contact and completing forms in administrative matters,
- assistance with finding housing,
- assistance with job search and job applications, and
- assistance in orientation among the available counselling services.
Evaluations of the IAB-BAMF-SOEP surveys further show that the greatest demand for assistance is not (yet) met is job search. 64 percent of respondents who needed assistance stated an unmet demand in this area.
Impact on language acquisition
The qualitative data material demonstrates that unresolved problems and unmet needs for assistance among the refugees attending integration courses frequently have a negative impact on language acquisition in integration courses. The negative impact manifests for instance in distractions, lack of focus and motivation of refugees during language lessons, and at worst it may lead to attendees leaving the integration course early.
Potential to increase the level of awareness and usage of Youth Migration Services (JMD) and the Migration Advice Service for Adults (MBE)
Refugees attending integration courses are entitled to receive support and information from JMD and MBE. Evaluations of the IAB-BAMF-SOEP refugee surveys 2016 and 2017 show that there is room to improve the level of awareness, correct designation and usage of these most important nationwide migration counselling services among refugees attending integration courses.
Close cooperation between integration course providers and migration counselling services most efficient
In the analysis, the authors identified a variety of interaction practices between integration course providers and migration counselling services. Close cooperation between the counselling services and integration course providers has proven to be most efficient.
The Brief Analysis was written by: Dr. Anna Tissot and Johannes Croisier