According to a Eurobarometer survey published today, 69% of Europeans believe that integration measures are a necessary investment in the long-run and a similar proportion view integration as a two-way process for both migrants and host societies.
Europeans tend to agree on the main factors that may facilitate or prevent integration as well as on policy measures that support it, such as offering language courses upon arrival, mandatory integration programmes and measures facilitating access to the labour market.
According to the survey, around 60% of respondents interact daily with migrants, while 40% have either friends or family members who are migrants. A majority of respondents in all Member States say that the EU plays an important role when it comes to integration, with a particular added value for sharing best practices, promoting cooperation between all actors involved, and financial support.
At the same time, the survey finds that only a minority of Europeans think they are well informed about migration and integration. Europeans also tend to overestimate the number of non-EU migrants in their countries: In 19 Member States, the actual proportion of non–EU migrants is half or less than half of their estimated share.
You can find the full survey here.
