Conceptions and Strategies for User Integration across Refugee Services in Italy

Abstract

This article focuses on quantitative research on refugee services undertaken throughout Italy via the national «System of Protection for Asylum Seekers and Refugees». Research data show that refugee service coordinators consider user integration to be strictly related to the acquisition of knowledge and skills by both refugees and the native population. In order to promote user integration, refugee services use various types of networks in conjunction with local stakeholders. These change according to geographical location: for instance, in northeast Italy, services set up more collaborations with continuing education, private education and temporary work agencies. Although more than half of all service coordinators, particularly those with either very little or a great deal of work experience, judge the instruments at their disposal to be inadequate for promoting user integration, services with broad local networks, with coordinators utilising continuing education opportunities provided by the «Central Service» office and in which discussion with colleagues of other refugee services is carried out, have found them to be adequate. Research findings highlight the need to promote further awareness of the refugee service mission and aims among local stakeholders, and to consider the possible involvement of experienced service operators in planning and organising continuing education activities for service operators.