What do migrants need to know, so that they can start living in a new country and to successfully integrate to society? Experts from Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden as well as from IOM offices in Geneva, Prague and Bratislava presented their experience and recommendations from practice of providing social and cultural orientation at the international conference Social and cultural orientation for migrants from third countries on 19 September 2012 in Bratislava.

An expert from Sweden presented an e-learning form of education of migrants with use of a virtual class. A representative from Czech Centers for support of integration of migrants presented his experience with courses of social and cultural orientation which they offer in various locations in the Czech Republic, along with social and legal counseling and Czech language courses. An expert from Vienna has introduced the model StartWien, which provides entry counseling for third-country nationals coming to Austria – guidance for the first couple of months of their stay in Vienna and services adjusted to their individual needs. StartWien also offers a study card, vouchers for German language courses and information modules that help migrants better understand various areas of life in Vienna and Austria.

At the end, IOM Bratislava introduced to the participants – representatives of state and educational institutions, non-governmental organizations working with migrants and representatives of migrant communities – a summary of recommendations for the preparation of a unified methodology, curriculum and content of the preparatory programs and courses of social and cultural orientation for migrants in Slovakia.

A summary text-book from the conference, including the recommendations for the Slovak Republic, can be downloaded from here (only in Slovak):

Both the conference and the summary text-book are a part of the project “Providing social and cultural orientation for migrants – Exchange of experience with foreign experts from EU member states”.

The project is co-financed by the European Union from the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows.