Migrants from Arab countries work in English-speaking companies, and migrants from the Republic of Moldova almost all work in companies where the Russian/Ukrainian language is used (various call centers). Everyone faces barriers to employment and language barriers, even migrants from the Republic of Moldova, according to a study of young migrants in several European countries, including Romania.

“Young Moldovans say that sometimes they don’t understand what is being said, that they don’t always understand the jokes of their Romanian colleagues… I thought they didn’t have problems adapting to the language, but they said that in college sometimes their colleagues laughed at them, because they used one word each, which has fallen out of use among us. Somehow there is a feeling that they are outsiders. They do not feel Romanian, although they have a huge advantage of knowing the language. And then they prefer to remain in their groups, more isolated, somehow avoiding interaction with local residents,” explained Conf. Smaranda Cimpoeru on Tuesday at the final conference of the European project – “EMpowerment through liquid integration of migrant youth in vulnerable conditions (MIMI) “

In Romania, the project was coordinated by Prof. Monika Roman with the support of the team formed by associate professor Smaranda Chimpoeru, associate professor Ioana Manafi, Prof. Univ.Dr. Laura Muresan,lecturer Elena Prada and teacher Vlad Roshka, all from ASE

“Of the young women of Arab origin, very few were active in the labor market. They were also accompanied by a family with children… I don’t know if it was a cultural argument or if they just had to take care of the child. All men were employed, but in English-speaking companies. And those from the Republic of Moldova, almost all of them worked at enterprises where the Russian/Ukrainian language was used – various call centers, etc.,” said Smaranda Cimpoeru.

Young migrants from Arab countries say that the Romanian language is difficult to learn, it is very different from Arabic or even English

I think there is also a reluctance on the part of employers, also believes Ms Chimpoeru. “Because the sample included many students who only had a work permit for 4 hours a day, they told us that they encountered situations where the employer, hearing how much additional paperwork they had to do, preferred not to bother anymore. He refuses to avoid any more trouble. Someone from the Republic of Moldova even said that if you want to access the labor market, start with a multinational company that will do the necessary documents for you, and once you join, you can move later.”

What the research shows:

• Young migrants from Arab countries say that the Romanian language is difficult to learn, it is very different from Arabic or even English

• There are still disappointments related to the bureaucracy in the country, difficulties with processing all the necessary documents, say young migrants in Romania.

• Some respondents do not consider themselves vulnerable people, although they admit that in general, Arabs and Muslims can be considered a vulnerable group.

• Others believe that they were vulnerable only at the first stage of their arrival in Romania.

• Communication with the immigration service is very difficult, from a bureaucratic point of view (many documents are required), this was also noted by the research participants.

Barriers associated with integration into the educational system.

According to the data, young migrants say their student rights are more limited than those of Romanian students. Students from the Republic of Moldova also have smaller scholarships than Romanian students.

For Moldovan students, regardless of the study results obtained during the years of study, the source of study funding (with or without fees) to which they were first accepted cannot be changed later

“We have been considered foreigners from the very beginning [aici în România] we are not necessarily integrated like all the other “others” (young immigrant from the Republic of Moldova)

Barriers in the labor market

• Labor market legislation limits the residence permit to study only, allowing Moldovan students to work a maximum of 4 hours per day (part-time).

• High bureaucratic red tape for employers willing to accept Moldovan students full-time (8 hours per day)

• It is difficult to find a job for a foreigner, some companies are reluctant to hire foreigners. Work for foreigners is limited

• “One of my disadvantages is that I don’t speak Romanian. And this is important. The second disadvantage is that the average salary is too low when compared to the standard of living – Young migrant from Arabic-speaking countries.

Financial and housing aspects

Young migrants living in large families receive financial support from relatives from other countries. Most of the respondents live in rented apartments, alone or together with colleagues/friends.

However, some participants indicated that they faced problems with renting because the owners trusted Romanians more than foreigners and were reluctant to rent to foreigners.

Young immigrants from the Republic of Moldova

Moldovans are a special case of immigrants in Romania. Immigration from the Republic of Moldova began in the early 1990s, after the country declared independence from the Soviet Union. More than 2 million Romanian-speaking citizens of the Republic of Moldova live in eight counties that were once part of the Principality of Moldova. 7% of them called themselves ethnic Romanians or Moldovans.

After 2007, many Moldovans received Romanian citizenship and indirect freedom to travel and work in EU countries.

When asked what integration is, one respondent noted: “Integration is a two-dimensional process: efforts must be made by both the local community and the refugees.”

The steps for a successful integration are listed by one stakeholder: “A perfect integration should be flawless. More specifically, several steps should be followed: after arrival, an intensive Romanian language course should be offered, financial support, rent financing for a year, treatment of injuries, children’s enrollment in school, help to find a job and, finally, opportunities to socialize. »

Romania compared to other European countries

The study collected statistical information for four target groups: refugees, asylum seekers, stateless migrants and unaccompanied minors. Data on marital status, education, earnings, or housing are not systematically collected in all countries surveyed.

In many countries (Romania, Italy, Poland), data are collected by several institutions that do not necessarily coordinate with each other to aggregate the available information.

• Norway appears to be the country best covered by data, also providing information on reasons for migration, but not disaggregated by age

• In some cases (for example, Romania), information is not collected digitally, but only on paper. In other countries, even if information is available in national statistical offices, it is not easily accessible to researchers (Hungary)

• Lack of education and low income are the main reasons why immigrants feel vulnerable, but young people are more likely to struggle with these kinds of vulnerabilities.

• Young migrant women are more vulnerable than men in the labor market, with only 40% of them working compared to 50% of men.

• About a quarter of young migrant women are not in work or education, double the NEET rate for local women.

• Migrant youth leave the education system twice as often as local youth

• Almost 40% of migrant youth are at risk of poverty, twice as many as local youth

• About one in three migrants lives in an overcrowded household compared to one in five local youth

The attitude towards immigrants in Europe is neutral, people see as many advantages as disadvantages in migration

• On average, 17% of Europeans reject the settlement of new immigrants in their countries. The analysis of the research data shows that no statistically significant relationship can be established between the number of young asylum seekers and the youth unemployment rate in any of the evaluated models.

• Furthermore, no statistically significant effect could be found between the proportion of young asylum seekers and the NEET or early school leaver rate

• In all European countries there are indicators that testify to the lack of integration at one or more levels, which is confirmed by both micro and macro analysis.

• The fear of potential economic and social pressures that may arise from refugees (as claimed in public discourse) is not supported by scientific evidence.

• Integration policies need further support, as the influx of refugees can solve the problem of labor shortages