University of Copenhagen

Denmark

Copenhagen

University of Copenhagen, Nørregade 10, PO Box 2177, 1017

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The Project "Law and private governance for a new understanding of immigrant integration" (LUII) aims at deepening the understanding of the notion of immigrant integration within the legal context, including the role of non-state actors in undertaking integration tasks.

The Carlsberg Foundation has funded the project "Law and Private Governance for a New Understanding of Immigrant Integration", running from 2020-2023.

Immigrant integration remains a challenge for most European countries. Governments struggle with issues ranging from resource allocation to cultural adaptation of migrants, especially refugees. Denmark has an extensive regulatory framework for immigrant integration. Nevertheless, statistics show that even after many years of residence, refugees have a hard time maintaining a stable place on the Danish labour market. Moreover, refugees and immigrants in general have trouble accessing permanent housing, and they have more health problems than other sections of the population. Legislation can help in facilitating immigrant integration in multiple ways, including by boosting the role played by non-state actors in integration processes.

Sub-project 1: Danish, EU, and International legal standards of immigrant integration
The project will compare Danish, EU, and international legal standards of immigrant integration by investigating legal instruments and court decisions on immigrant integration (Postdoc TBA).

Sub-project 2: Barriers to employment, health, and housing for immigrants’ integration
The project will incorporate an interdisciplinary frame around the legal analysis by providing a sociological analysis of the barriers for immigrant integration in terms of access to employment, housing, and health services (PhD TBA).

Sub-project 3: Integration law and private governance
The project will evaluate and engage the contribution of non-state actors to develop topics of integration law that intersect with private law issues, with the goal of defining an integration process based on the rule of law (contact: Silvia Adamo).

The LUUI project will compare Danish, European and international legal standards on integration in order to identify the part of the legislation that may act as a barrier to refugees and migrants' opportunities for access to the labour market, housing, and healthcare services in Denmark.

The research project will look particularly at the importance of the contribution of private actors to integration work. The project aims at helping to strengthen legal rights for migrants and refugees, and at providing private, non-governmental actors with an overview of the Danish integration rules.

During the project, representatives from NGOs, municipalities and companies will be invited to workshops where the research results will be presented.