Values and Orientation Courses
- Austria
- Start Date: January 2016
Since May 2016 the Austrian Integration Fund organises special courses for refugees providing newcomers with knowledge about Fundamental Human Rights, Values perpetuated in our society as well as with information about successful integration and coexistence strategies in Austria.
In order to enable participants to fully understand the content shared during courses, they are assisted by interpreters for Arab and Farsi/Darsi. The easily understandable materials are also provided in Arabic, Farsi/Darsi and English, the languages most frequently spoken by refugees in Austria.
The funder of the Value and Orientation Courses is the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. The courses represent an activity/objective in the framework of the Austrian integration strategy and provide participants with an overview of key measures aimed at the integration of people with migration background entitled to asylum or subsidiary protection.
The Austrian Integration Plan adopted in November 2015 consists in a “plan” with 50 very clear defined objectives aiming the effective, efficient and sustainable integration of refugees, asylum seekers as well as people with migration background in Austria.
The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) is a fund of the Republic of Austria and a partner of the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA) along with many responsible authorities on integration and migration in Austria.
The Values and Orientation Courses are implemented by the Austrian Integration Fund (Österreichischer Integrationsfonds, ÖIF) at all its locations in the nine general States of Austria: Vienna, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Vorarlberg, Tyrol, and Burgenland.
- Sharing and developing fundamental values and rules governing co-existence in Austria
- The values and skills that the 8-hour courses intend to instil in participants are: an understanding of the core principles of democracy, a respect for the equality of men and women, the belief in the freedom of opinion, parents’ cooperation at school and practical information applicable to everyday life.
The Value and Orientation Courses should provide participants (refugees and asylum seekers) with information about how people in Austria live as well as about what is treatable and untreatable, so that a peaceful coexistence of all people in the country becomes possible. This integration approach (including language skills, knowledge of values and social order) also influences participants in their decision to return to their home countries.
Adapted to the national values and covered by proper funding, the courses can be implemented in each country hosting refugees and asylum seekers
An evaluation conducted in November 2016, one year after the implementation of the first VOCs, presents the following statistics:
• 800 courses all over Austria
• 10.000 participants who successfully completed the courses
• The feedback from the participants is very positive
• Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs
• Austrian Integration Fund
Venue costs covered by the Austrian Employment Market Service (AMS) are expected to be around € 95,000. According to the Austrian Integration Fund (which is part of the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs), the costs of the course are close to an "average single-digit million amount".
• BMEIA (November 2015): 50 Punkte – Plan: zur Integration von Asylberechtigten und subsidiär Schutzberechtigten in Österreich https://www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Zentrale/Integration/Publikationen/Integrationsplan_final.pdf
• Integrationsgesetz, Anti-Gesichtsverhüllungsgesetz; Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz, Asylgesetz u.a., Änderung (1586 d.B.) (Integration Act, Anti-facial Coverage Law; Asylum Act, etc., amendment (1586 d.B.)) https://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXV/I/I_01586/index.shtml
• Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) http://www.integrationsfonds.at/en/home/
• BMEIA (November 2015): 50 Punkte – Plan: zur Integration von Asylberechtigten und subsidiär Schutzberechtigten in Österreich https://www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Zentrale/Integration/Publikationen/Integrationsplan_final.pdf Retrieved 2017 08 16
• Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA), Press Department (May 4, 2016): Values Trainers from the Austrian Integration Fund attend workshop at the Integration Ministry. https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/the-ministry/press/announcements/2016/05/values-trainers-from-the-austrian-integration-fund-attend-workshop-at-the-integration-ministry/ Retrieved 2017 08 10
• Integrationsgesetz, Anti-Gesichtsverhüllungsgesetz; Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz, Asylgesetz u.a., Änderung (1586 d.B.) (Integration Act, Anti-facial Coverage Law; Asylum Act, etc., amendment (1586 d.B.)) https://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXV/I/I_01586/index.shtml Retrieved 2017 08 16
• Parliamentary Correspondence No. 432 of April 7, 2017 https://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/PR/JAHR_2017/PK0432/ Retrieved 2017 08 14
• unzensuriert.at (May 16, 2016): Asylanten: AMS finanziert Wertekurse um 95.000 Euro. https://www.unzensuriert.at/content/0020764-Asylanten-AMS-finanziert-Wertekurse-um-95000-Euro Retrieved 2017 08 16
• Vienna.at (February 26, 2016): Immer mehr Wertekurse: Alles zu den verstärkten Integrationsmaßnahmen für Flüchtlinge. http://www.vienna.at/immer-mehr-wertekurse-alles-zu-den-verstaerkten-integrationsmassnahmen-fuer-fluechtlinge/4635743 Retrieved 2017 08 14
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The Federal Integration Act regulates what is meant by the concept of integration in Austria. Integration is to be understood as "a process a relying on the society as a whole, whose success depends on the participation of all people living in Austria and which is based on personal interaction". In addition, integration requires, in particular, that immigrants actively participate in the process, follow the offered integration measures as well as recognize and respect the fundamental values of a European democratic state.
The Value and Orientation Courses represent an integration measure in a line with the above-mentioned idea of "integration". It therefore remains relevant only on the basis of acceptance of this premise.
Refugees, asylum seekers and people with subsidiary protection represent the target groups of the programme. Still it is known from empirical studies that not only refugees but also persons born in Austria often have gaps in the context of the topics covered by the Value and Orientation Courses. Joint courses / workshops could make a significant contribution to a broader approach in the sense of this integration strategy.
Please see points 11, 12 & 15. Bearing in mind the relatively low cost of the initiative, the sustainable nature of the project and the positive feedback received so far – it can be stated that the project remains fairly cost-efficient overall.
See "Evidence and Evaluation".
The project has received positive feedback from participants, and has been widely implemented over the nine states in Austria. It therefore has had somewhat of an impact, but any impact on the prevention or deterrence of terrorism and/or violent extremism has not been adequately measured.
See "Sustainability".
The initiative leaves participants not only with the knowledge and ability to better integrate into Austrian society, but leaves them with language skills that can be used in their day-to-day lives in Austria. These skills further help individuals to feel more included in society which can in theory deter people from adopting ideologies that combat or reject society and societal values.
See "Target Audience" and "Cooperation/Partnerships". The initiative involves a multitude of actors, as well as including immigrant and refugee populations who may otherwise be considered a marginalised sub-group, and therefore is on the whole an inclusive process. However, the initiative is led and coordinated by the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, and therefore the decision-making process about implementation is limited to being on the basis of government strategy and opinion – rather than on the basis of the opinion of front-line practitioners.