Integration - What is it and what can we do?
What is integration?
Integration is the process by which individuals from
diverse backgrounds, often immigrants and refugees, become part of the social,
economic, and cultural fabric of their host country.
Successful
integration involves access to education, employment, healthcare, and social
services, as well as the development of a sense of belonging and participation
in the broader community. Integration is not merely about sharing
physical space; it encompasses the social, economic, and cultural amalgamation
of individuals into the fabric of their host society.
When integration
fails
Unsuccessful integration occurs when immigrants and
refugees doesn’t become a part of the new country’s society due to various reasons.
Ongoing segregation has been identified as one of the key culprits of failed
integration. Segregation leads to social isolation, creating cultural enclaves
that limit interaction with the broader society, and then discrimination and
racism. Poorly integrated communities may experience social fragmentation,
leading to a lack of trust and understanding among residents, and vice versa a
negative public sentiment towards immigrants can create barriers to social
acceptance and inclusion.
Integration in Sweden
The amount
of people living in Sweden who were born abroad has doubled over the past two
decades and now makes up about on fifth of the overall population of the
country. During these years Sweden has struggled and continues to struggle with
issues concerning housing segregation, discrimination and integration of
immigrants and refugees into the labor market and in society at large.
Outside
Sweden, the country is seen as having progressive housing policies, good
quality housing, well planned cities, and a not very contested welfare state. Instead
within Sweden there has been an ongoing debate about ethnic segregation that
has become a highly politicized issue. Sweden’s former prime minister,
Magdalena Andersson, has said that the country’s failed integration has created
a nation of parallel societies where everyone is living in different realities.
This has in turn allowed Islamism and rightwing extremism to fester in Sweden,
leading to organized crime and riots.
What can we
do?
To ensure successful integration is a very complicated
task that the Swedish government is continuously working with. It might seem
impossible to do something about the failed integration without having a lot of
resources, but that’s where you’re wrong.
Just by visiting
this website and educating yourself about the problem you are actually doing something
about the issue because knowing about the issue is the first big step.
So hey, good
on you!
And there’s many
more things that you as an individual can do to ensure a better and more successful
integration. A big part of integration is, as written before, that the immigrants
need to feel like they are welcome and that they belong in the new society. By
being social and friendly towards the people around you, you are actively creating
a more welcoming society. A great place to start is of course the bus!
Here’s a list of more things that you can do to create a better society and helping with ensuring successful integration:
Talk to people in your neighborhood
By getting to know each other you create an environment where everyone can feel
safe and included.
Visit a language café
Knowing the language of the country you live in is a big part of feeling
included, by visiting a language café you can train your language skills or help
others with theirs. It’s also a great way to make new friends!
Speak up
Speak up against any kind of discrimination or racism you might witness at
school, in the workplace, online or just in your day-to-day life.
Educate yourself
You are already doing a great job by visiting this website but there is always
more to learn. Read about different cultures and religions, read about anything
and everything that seems foreign to you.
By following these tips you are also working towards achieving two of the 17 global sustainable development goals. The 10th goal – Reduced Inequalities and the 16th goal – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
If you want to find more information about any part of this text you can find a lot of useful links under the tab "links" here on the website.
