Suchergebnisse

Reception conditions in Cyprus have been evolving on a legal and policy level since 2000, with the enactment of the Refugee Law 2000(6)(I). While many positive steps have been taken since, a number of gaps and challenges remain, especially concerning the establishment of a long-term, gender-sensitive policy framework for the integration of asylum seekers and refugees. Due to the lack of plan and vision, a number of asylum seekers have continued to be pushed into homelessness, while the state relies heavily on the support of local authorities and NGOs in order to cover the gaps. At the same time, local authorities lack the legal framework to design social policies, which limits their scope; instead, NGOs and local authorities, in their turn, rely heavily on European and national funding to implement integration projects that are ultimately short term and often unsustainable. The lack of holistic policies shows on one hand the lack of political will, which in turn feeds Cypriots' negative perceptions towards asylum seekers, and on the other hand, it points to the urgent need to improve public services to migrant populations who live and work in Cyprus. Experience throughout the years has shown that the phenomenon of European countries experiencing an influx of asylum seekers and migrants is not temporary. Due in part to armed conflict, environmental conditions and other motivations, populations will keep being on the move. Cyprus urgently needs to reform its legislation and policies around migration and asylum and provide solutions in order to settle in new communities. Urban regeneration is about using diversity and different skills to secure a vibrant community and make the economy of the state stronger.

The integration of migrants and refugees is a major challenge in Cyprus. It's an area which remains under-researched with respect to the difficulties faced by migrants in general and migrant women in particular. Literature on the subject is relatively limited, focusing far more often on economic migrants, rather than refugees. Considering the relatively high number of 'low-skilled' migrants in Cyprus and despite the efforts undertaken by Cyprus to harmonise its legislation with the European Union acquis, a number of issues remain unaddressed with regards to the effects and impact of immigration on the island's political, social and economic spheres. The current migration model which has been developed without consultation with groups representing migrants refugees or women, is considered outdated and not effective in addressing the needs of Cypriot society on one side and the migrants themselves om the other. The predominant focus of the government since 1990 has been to preserve the Cypriot national identity from the 'other', a term which includes often marginalised groups such as migrants, refugees and women who do not conform to patriarchal notions of womanhood. The government's approach has led to the segregation and ostracism of certain groups from society, and it is crucial now more than ever, that a comprehensive integration policy is developed which also takes into consideration the gender aspect in the course of its design and implementation. This would require the government to undertake a thorough assessment of all social, economic and budgetary policies from a gender perspective so as to ensure that future policy reflects all social groups and respects the full gamut of human rights. This country report aims to present the development of national integration policies in the areas of urban regeneration, education and the labour market, focusing especially on whether gender has been impacted and mainstreamed. For the purposes of this report it should be noted that in the definition of migrants we ...

Migration and integration, especially the reception of refugees and displaced peoples, are widely shared social and political challenges across Europe. The purpose of GLIMER is to understand how the governance and local integration of migrants and Europe's refugees is developing, and in ways that can be utilised through best practice sharing and reporting. Inspired by the success of 'welcoming cities' in southern Italy, we will work with civil society groups, local authorities, citizens and refugee groups in order to support sustainable the meaningful integration of diverse communities. We will focus on cities in both Southern and Northern Europe and a key aspect of the project will be dedicated to investigating how the local governance of new arrivals can secure successful integration across a range of indicators. This research will be carried out in close collaboration with practitioners with the aim of co-producing knowledge that can be beneficial for a range of stakeholders including civil society groups and NGOs as well as municipalities.

Sexual harassment against female migrant domestic workers is a public health problem, which remains hidden and largely underreported. The current paper presents the results of a qualitative research study on sexually victimized migrant domestic workers in four European countries (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, and Sweden). The study aimed at exploring the profile and experiences of victimised individuals. Data were gathered via 66 semi-structured interviews with victimised female migrant domestic workers. Key findings of the current study indicate that the victims: (a) were usually undocumented and had low local language skills; (b) identified domestic work as the only way into the labour market; (c) suffered primarily psychological, economic, and social consequences; (d) had poor social support networks; (e) were poorly connected to governmental support services. This is the first study to explore this hidden problem via direct contact with victims. Addressing barriers of migrants' social integration seems important. Better regulation and monitoring of this low-skilled occupation could minimise risks for vulnerable employees.