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Council of Europe reporton the integration ofimmigrant and ethnicminority communitiesPublished online: 28 May 2010.

To cite this article: (1989) Council of Europe report on the integration ofimmigrant and ethnic minority communities, Patterns of Prejudice, 23:4, 48-48,DOI: 10.1080/0031322X.1989.9970030

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0031322X.1989.9970030

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48 Council of Europe report on the integration of immigrants

Council of Europe report on the integration of immigrantand ethnic minority communitiesThe integration into European societies of immigrant and ethnic minoritycommunities has been the major concern of the Community Relations Pro-gramme run by the Council of Europe, the twenty-two nation groupingbased in Strasbourg. An interim report of a meeting on migrant and ethnicminority religions and cultural practices, between government represen-tatives and independent experts which took place in June 1989, appears inthe November 1989 newsletter of the Centre for the Study of Islam andChristian-Muslim Relations, in Birmingham, UK.

Five independent experts joined government specialists from theNetherlands, Portugal, Turkey, France, Belgium, Sweden and the Vatican(though not from the Federal Republic of Germany nor the UnitedKingdom, both with large black and ethnic minority populations). Themeeting took a positive and practical approach to solving problems arisingfrom cultural differences between immigrant populations and the 'host'population, and decided that problems such as the availability of places toworship, funeral customs, recognition of religious festivals, dress, diet andpublication of material offensive to religious or cultural sensibilities 'canoften be solved without great difficulty if there is a degree of flexibility andgood will on the part of the groups concerned and the host society.' If suchmutual good will were lacking, the meeting noted, 'serious conflicts mayarise.'

In examining problems associated with marriage and family customs,the meeting concentrated on those arising from different practices amongthe minority groups, such as arranged or polygamous marriages, and mar-riages not legally recognized in the host country. Not mentioned weremarriage-related immigration laws, such as those in the UK, which oftenprevent family reunification and exacerbate tensions. The meeting alsonoted that 'in complicated family situations the application of the principlesof private international law is often very uncertain.'

After noting the problems, the report commented on possible solutions.Because communities are ignorant of each other, it called for governmentsto 'develop education and information activities aimed at breaking downsuch barriers, and set a good example by showing openness themselves toreligious and cultural minorities.'

Governments, and others, frequently desire an unrealistic — andundesirable—homogeneity from immigrant groups that they would not ex-pect from non-immigrants. The meeting addressed this point, calling for theencouragement of 'democratically organized representative bodies', whichcould and should be various and not monolithic. Such an aim is to bewelcomed, as is the call for the right of the individual and the community tomaintain and develop their cultural identity without this becoming a barrierto integration. The meeting also called for the rights of freedom of religiouspractice to be applied equally to all groups.

Finally, the meeting decided that further information was necessaryand relevant parts of the report be circulated to various Council of Europecommittees.

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