Unlocking Forced Migrants' Potential for Social Integration: The Experience of the Centro Astalli Work Desk

Working for Integration in a Challenging Context

In Italy, the public and political debate concerning migration remains contentious. Despite the considerable contribution that forced migrants bring to the Italian society and economy (which often is recognized by strong public voices, such as the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, as well as by Pope Francis), an increasing amount of publicly expressed hate and related violence against migrants has been recorded in Italy. The first six months of 2018 witnessed an unprecedented number of violent and lethal attacks against black African migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. These attacks were preceded by a year-long political and social media campaign that criminalized these groups and incited hatred in the context of the so-called "migration crisis" and in order to build political consensus. Mainstream media promoted the visibility of populist leaders, social conflict and violent reactions. Messages of diffidence, fear and xenophobia constantly were beamed at the general public. Thus, this narrative overshadowed the numerous actions, initiatives and projects carried out by civil society and individual citizens that work to meet the basic needs of forced migrants and refugees and help them to integrate in their host communities.

Italians' views on migration became increasingly polarized over a two-year period. According to research by AudienceNet, of 1,001 people interviewed in January 2017, 62 percent of the respondents said that their opinion had changed over time and had become "less sympathetic." Nonetheless, it is important to note that one in four had become "more sympathetic" and a further 13 percent did not feel strongly either way. Regarding the refugees' intention and ability to work, approximately one in three was optimistic, saying that "refugees are willing to work hard" to be independent and fit into their new communities. However, a larger proportion (55 percent) believed that "refugees are just looking for handouts."¹

As the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees also remarked, the integration of refugees is one of the main challenges of Italy's national asylum system. Despite the publication, in September 2017, of the first National Plan for Refugee Integration, most people under international protection measures run the risk of failing to complete a satisfactory integration path within reasonable time frames; they remain in a situation of protracted precariousness that pushes them to turn to emergency services even after several years in the territory. In the last two years, the growing presence of forced migrants living in squats and other informal settlements in Rome, who have never entered the institutional reception system or have left it in the absence of real social inclusion, has been recorded. In the meantime, mistrust and hostility towards migrants, which sometimes leads to episodes of violence and open xenophobia, have become increasingly evident.

Integration, a Process with Many Actors

There is no consensus on the definition of integration in the context of developed countries or a formal definition in international refugee law. A broad understanding of integration as being an individual and two-way process underpins many government and academic attempts to define what integration or an integrated society looks like. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) defines integration as the result of a dynamic and articulated bidirectional process that actively involves both the refugees — who must be prepared to integrate without renouncing their own cultural identity — and public institutions and the community in efforts to develop inclusive policies, respectful of the needs of a differentiated population.

Professional integration is probably the cornerstone of the integration process. Failure to engage in a work activity affects self-esteem negatively, with inevitable repercussions on socialization processes. Improving livelihood opportunities is not just about economic self-sufficiency; it is also about restoring dignity, confidence and hope, all the while promoting integration into the local community and strengthening social cohesion. Based on local projects, one of the objectives of the Italian reception system called SPRAR² is to promote full and productive employment and dignified work for forced migrants. SPRAR aims to support them in a holistic and integrated way to overcome the disadvantaged condition in which they find themselves in order to reduce inequalities and foster their integration. Unfortunately, the Italian government has recently decided to stop giving access to this system to asylum seekers, who will henceforth be accommodated in large collective structures without access to any integration measures for the duration of the procedure, which may last more than one year.

The difficulty of finding employment is certainly due to the current conditions of the labor market. But in addition to these general problems, we must consider some specific challenges faced by forced migrants. In many respects, the condition of refugees is not only more problematic than that of native workers but even more so than that of most economic migrants. Refugees do not choose to emigrate voluntarily, and, in any case, they do not choose their country of arrival. They are, therefore, without a migratory plan, cut off from their social networks in the host country and often heavily traumatized as a result of such terrifying experiences as torture and intentional violence suffered in their country of origin or during travel.

The employment of refugees also is often hindered by the difficulty, or even the impossibility, of obtaining formal recognition of their qualifications and professional skills, gained through years of work experience in their country of origin. This difficulty is due to the lack of formal documentation of skills and experiences. To be fully aware of one's own resources and skills, and getting others to recognize them, is essential if one is to feel active in the host society; just as vital is the need to redefine one's personal identity after years of being subjected to violence, flight and exploitation. For this reason, the interview becomes a major tool in accompanying refugees in a transforming process that is at the same time a process of self-awareness and of acquiring knowledge of the new territory.

The Work Desk at Centro Astalli

The job orientation service at Centro Astalli uses the orientation interview as a central tool. The orientation must take into account the specificities of every asylum seeker and refugee: the reasons for their flight, their socio-cultural background and the traumatic experiences suffered, including those related to long and dangerous journeys to Europe.

The cross-border counselling interview with asylum seekers and refugees covers various aspects, from the professional sphere to housing issues and more general social advice. It is important to keep in mind that the person's resources and expectations may vary in time and as a result of different experiences. For this reason, the interview always should include constant follow-up aimed at achieving gradual and progressive objectives. In this type of interview, introducing and making explicit the aims of a personal project that facilitates inclusion in the host society is the cornerstone on which a relationship based on mutual commitment and mutual trust can be built. It is necessary to be clear and realistic about the opportunities available and on the limits and challenges of the process. Orientation cannot be considered only as a consulting activity, but rather as a training process.

The job orientation desk provides several interventions: after a first introductory meeting, we move on to the definition of a curriculum vitae (CV) and of the objective. We then can proceed to a search for pertinent job offers, mainly through specialized sites. If the person has not reached a level of knowledge of the Italian language that allows him or her to understand and communicate at a satisfactory level (minimum A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), the orientation interview will serve to direct them towards an Italian-language course. During meetings, job interviews are simulated, emphasizing appropriate behavior and how to enhance strengths. Other important tools to support access to the job market are vocational-training courses and internships. In fact, asylum seekers and refugees often arrive in Italy without certified work experience, and sometimes their skills are not immediately useful in the Italian context. It is therefore important, through additional resources mainly financed by private donors, to allow them to formalize their previous skills or acquire new ones.

The orientation interview aimed at recognizing previous skills of asylum seekers and refugees often presents specific challenges. Language can be one major barrier for them, but also for the social worker, who needs to explore all aspects of personality to identify points of strength and resources. It is therefore useful to elaborate and test skills-detection materials that may allow linguistic barriers to be overcome. The Competence Card tool is an example. The goal of this tool is to be flexible, easy to understand and adaptable to the specific needs of each user. Cross-cutting or "soft" skills are represented in the Cards through images and each skill is explained with concrete examples and questions to help the person to reflect on their own skills and abilities. The use of this tool and others of this type can help refugees and migrants in taking a first step towards the recognition of their skills, starting from a basic awareness of their existence and importance. However, in order for these tools to be really valid, they need to be included in a structured national system of validation of formal, informal and non-formal skills.

In 2017, the work center desk of Centro Astalli answered the needs of 267 beneficiaries for a total of 1335 interventions including job searches, orientation, CVs, organization of internships and support for the payment of professional training courses. The beneficiaries' main countries of origin were Senegal, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.

Beginning the path towards autonomy and social inclusion from the first level of reception is the key to its success. The development of language skills, knowledge of the territory and its rules, re-elaboration of past and present traumas, the construction of a conscious life project, professional training and training on the job: all these steps are necessary elements in a fully integrated approach to social support that will allow the beneficiary to be fully integrated into the host society. Probably the most essential service that Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) provides is helping refugees rebuild networks, thereby facilitating their access to markets and to economic and social capital.

Centro Astalli-JRS Italy — Vision and Mission

JRS is an international organization whose mission is to accompany, serve and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. JRS undertakes services at the national and regional levels with the support of an international office in Rome. JRS programs are found in 52 countries, providing assistance to refugees in camps and cities, individuals displaced within their own countries, and asylum seekers in cities and those held in detention centers. Its main areas of work are in the fields of education, emergency assistance, health care, livelihood activities and social services. In 2017 more than 640,000 individuals benefited directly from JRS projects.

Centro Astalli³ is the Italian branch of JRS. Since 1981, it has worked to serve and advocate for refugees in six Italian municipalities (Rome, Palermo, Catania, Trento, Vicenza, Naples). With the help of hundreds of volunteers, Centro Astalli has developed a breadth and depth of activities and services that range from meeting basic needs to supporting the successful integration of refugees into Italian society. In 2017 Centro Astalli served 30,000 forced migrants, 14,000 of these in Rome. Additionally, Centro Astalli facilitates awareness-raising and social-integration activities, including an outreach program to local schools. Centro Astalli has always promoted more inclusive societies, where citizens and refugees build spaces of mutual knowledge and understanding, exchanging experiences and planning a common future together. Centro Astalli strongly believes that forced migrants and refugees positively impact Italian society and that more dialogue and public debate is needed to explore the positive experiences of interaction between forced migrants and local citizens.