Hearing on immigration and integration The Integration Council in Copenhagen Lotte Holck City of Copenhagen, Denmark

Disposition 1. The Integration Council in Copenhagen – composition and tasks 2. Focal issues last four years 3. Borderlines between central and local government in the field of integration - the role of central and local government 4. Mayor challenges in the field of local integration – Copenhagen City and the Integration Council

The Integration Council in Copenhagen 1) Composition – ethnic minority representatives and professionals 2) History: 1. period 1999 – 2001, 2. period 2002 – 06 – first democratic election 7 th of March ) Objectives:  To attend to the interest of the ethnic minorities and act as their mouthpiece  To guide the politicians, the standing committees and the administration of the city on how to secure an efficient and coherent integration policy  To strengthen Copenhagen as a diverse and multicultural city for all it’s citizens

Partners and position of the Council

Tasks  Only consulting and guiding body (no formal competence)  Neutral body – watchdog function in the municipality  New ideas and input from the ethnic minorities organisations  Heard (written or oral) in all questions concerning the municipal efforts to better integration  Written and oral hearings: 2004: 28/ 2005: 38  Participants in working committees, seminars, conferences i.e.

Focal issues Ethnic equality and experienced discrimination in all spheres of society:  Year of ethnic equality 2003  International day to celebrate diversity (2003, 2004, 2005)  ”White domestic help”-case (fall 2004)  Nightlife for Everybody – Experienced discrimination in the nightlife (campaign spring 2005)  New integration policy in CPH municipality (fall 2005 – )  Proposal on discrimination Ombudsmand at local level

Borderlines between central and local  The Ministry of Integration – founded 2002  Act on Foreigners – distribution of ”newly arrived”  Administration of the Act on integration (1999)  Overall integration policy concerning integration of refugees and immigrant (the Act on integration, Act on Danish training for adults and the act on repatriation)  Policy development in relation to new social, cultural, labour market and housing policy initiatives in the area of integration

The role of the local government Newly arrived refugees and immigrant are the first three years (Introduction period) covered by the Act on Integration – the responsibility of the municipalities:  Courses in Danish language and how to understand Danish society  Employment efforts in relation to refugees and immigrants  Individual contract and plan of action  Diverse efforts to integrate on local level (after the termination of the introduction period) – ordinary employment efforts, housing issues, initiatives focused on vulnerable families and so on

Major challenges in the field of integration The city of Copenhagen  Formulation of a new coherent integration policy – to signal determination to solve problems  To make every institution and employee in CPH aware of their particular responsibility in relation to implement the new integration policy  To draw up goals – internally and externally – to push forward integration at local level  secure greater coordination and general view

Issues with priority – municipality  Mix of minority and majority children in school and kindergartens  Prevention of ”Ghettorisation” and segregation in housing  Better employment rate among ethnic minorities (especially women)  Recruiting of more ethnic minorities at all levels in the municipality  Social clauses in contracts with private suppliers  To better the situation of especially the young male ethnic minorities – avoid drop-out of education, crime i.e.  To better the dialog between minority and majority population  Strengthen active citizenship and democratic participation among ethnic minorities

Major challenges – The integration Council  To balance the role between watchdog/mouthpiece for ethnic minorities and useful/respected partner of the city council  To avoid being a legitimising body that blueprint the policy of the municipality  To make inputs and suggestions that bridge the opinion of the “ordinary” citizen with ethnic minority background with professional knowledge  To put forward visionary and valuable suggestions and ideas – that make a difference  To speak unison and use their democratic mandate wise  Visibility and sharper profile