Integrating Refugees: The Case for a Minority Rights Based Approach

摘要

There is an increasing tendency for Western European states to extend elements of minority rights protection to so-called ‘new’ minorities through the establishment of detailed integration policies and mechanisms to reduce discrimination, whilst also enabling these groups to maintain their own distinct identity. However, thus far, refugee communities have largely been excluded from these policies, and refugee integration policy has evolved in parallel to minority integration policy, focusing primarily on language and citizenship education. The failure of Western European states to establish effective refugee integration policies has led to barriers to refugee integration, such as intolerance, discrimination and opposition to the maintenance of their distinct identity. Consequently, Western European states are now facing large groups of poorly integrated refugees settling permanently in their territory, which in turn has implications for the cohesiveness and stability of society.