The Trajectories and Evaluation Mechanisms of Integration of Third-country Nationals
Implemeted by: Institute for Ethnic Studies at the Lithuanian Social Research Centre; ‘Diversity Development Group’
Responsible institution: Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania
Authorised institution: The European Social Fund Agency
Project duration: 2013 01 01–2014 06 30
Project leader: Karolis Žibas
Project team: Ieva Budvytytė, Giedrė Blažytė, Monika Frėjutė-Rakauskienė, Vija Platačiūtė, Karolis Žibas
Project funded by: European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, annual program 2012
Summary of the project ‘The Trajectories and Evaluation Mechanisms of Integration of
Third-country Nationals’
The main aim of the project – after revealing integration needs of non EU immigrant groups and organisations in Lithuania, patterns of migrant representation and integration, create a system of indicators, applicable for evaluation and measurement of migrant integration processes. The main aim includes different levels of analysis: (1) systematisation of the data available in Lithuania on third-country nationals’ (groups and/or organisations) needs, integration processes and their evolution; (2) creation of the system which will enable to monitor, collect, analyse and evaluate data, related to immigration and integration of non EU immigrants (groups and/or organisations) in Lithuania.
Activities foreseen in the project: (1) Through the perspective of prevailing theoretical and empirical migrant integration models, review and describe the systems for collecting, analysing and evaluating information on migrant needs; (2) Carry out an empirical research on immigration and migrant integration in Lithuania; (3) Perform monitoring of the situation of third-country nationals in Lithuania: (a) legal focus, (b) public opinion and (c) media monitoring; (4) Present findings, conclusions and recommendations; (5) Develop the system of migrant integration indicators.
Implementation of the first activity is considered as theoretical and empirical approach towards migrant integration (at macro level), covering different types of analysis (including an overview of existing studies). The aim is to review and describe the systems for collecting, analysing and evaluating information related to migrant needs through the perspective of theoretical (political and sociological) concepts of migrant integration; Reveal theoretical and empirical linkages between immigration, migrant integration and citizenship policies; Cary out the research in order to review and evaluate migrant integration processes in Lithuania; Carry out evaluation of the programs of the Government and the political parties with the relation to issues of immigration and migrant integration.
The second activity is related to the sociological aspect of migrant integration (at micro, macro and mezo levels), which involves three stages of a qualitative study: (1) Carry out the first part of the qualitative study ‘Third-country nationals (and their organisations) in Lithuania: representation mechanisms and their evolution’; (2) Carry out the second part of the qualitative study ‘Third-country nationals (and their organisations) in the EU: adaptation of good practices in Lithuania’; (3) Carry out the third part of the qualitative study ‘Summary of the empirical research: individual and collective experiences of TCNs integration: identification of indicators and results of empirical research’.
The third activity is related to the macro-level of migrant integration, which will be analysed through the legal, sociological and political perspective. The third objective of the study includes the following steps: (1) Carry out the first part of monitoring: ‘Third country nationals in Lithuanian: media monitoring’; (2) Carry out the second part of monitoring ‘Third-country nationals in Lithuanian Society: Monitoring of the Legal Status’; (3) Carry out the third part of monitoring ‘Third-country nationals in Lithuanian Society: Monitoring of public attitudes’.
The fourth and fifth activities encompass the results of all activities performed during the period of project implementation by preparing study report, which will include different types of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Summarising the project activities it can be assumed, that the project has interdisciplinary characteristics (such as legal, sociological and political focus), (2) micro, mezo and macro analysis of immigration and migrant integration, (3) complexity, involving the ongoing development of infrastructure of TCNs integration, operated by the European Fund for the Integration of third country nationals.
