Governance of Migrant Integration in the Czech Republic

Eva Dohnalová

PhDr. Eva Dohnalová is a PhD student at the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Arts, at Charles University and a social worker. Her research focuses on integration policies especially at a local level, social work with immigrants and intercultural work. As a practitioner she has been working in several migrant-assisting NGO’s.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to analyse the development of integration policy in the Czech Republic and answer the following question: How is the official integration policy of the Czech Republic towards foreign nationals and refugees formulated at the national and local level. THEORETICAL BASE: The relevant theoretical concepts are based on migration studies and social policy. METHODS: This is a case study. Its subject of examination is the state integration policy of the Czech Republic. Data has been drawn from relevant strategic and legislative documents, project outputs of municipalities and civil society organizations, specialised articles. OUTCOMES: The integration policy of the Czech Republic follows a EU-wide trend of introducing mandatory integration measures for foreign nationals from non-EU countries in the frame of civic integration model. In the opposite the state integration program for beneficiaries of international protection is entirely voluntary. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Social workers represent a vital profession that helps implement large parts of the integration measures in the field of social integration (housing, employment, education, health, family, social system, etc.).

Keywords

integration, integration policy, immigrants, refugees, international protection

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