Emőke Takácssocial worker

Hungary

„Immigration and integration:cooperation between regional and local governments and civil society

organisations”

Migrants by main countries (%)

Countries 1995 2000 2003

EU 15 10,1 9,1 10,0

Romania 36,4 44,1 40,8

Ex-Yugoslavia

10,9 9,6 10,8

Post-Soviet countries

13,2 13,6 10,0

China 8,6 5,3 5,5

Access to

• social services

• employment

• housing

• education

• language teaching

• healthcare

Agencies Main task Skills Directing Authority

Social Department of the Local Government

According to the local and central social regulations they give benefits.

Official help Ministry of the Interior

Family Assistance Service

mental and social help for individuals, families and groups

Counselling, give information, mediate and coordinate provisions in the settlement

Social department of the local government

Child Welfare Service Help the families in bringing up children

Prevention and intervention for the families of children at risk, with social work skills, give developing programmes for the children

Social department of the local government

Labour Centre Help for unemployed Registration of unemployed persons; labour exchange, job consulting, career guidance establishing, suspending and reclaiming unemployment benefits and job assistance subsidies, giving out the work permit for foreigner citizens

Public Employment Service

Social services

• Provided by the Local Government, Family Assistance Service, Child Welfare Service

- recognised refugees, settled person

• Provided by the Refugee Welfare and Integration Division of the OIN.

- recognised refugee, authorised to stay person

Employment

• Without a work permit:– recognised refugee

– settled person

– person with Hungarian spouse

• Work permit with lighten procedure:

- authorised to stay person

• With work permit:

- all other immigrants

Employment

The institution can only deal with those who does not need the work permit

• Labour Centre

• Family Assistance Service

• Social Department of the Local Government

Housing

Reception centres :

• for asylum seekers,

• for recognised refugees up to 6 months it can be renewed for another 6 months

• for authorised to stay person up to 18 months

Housing-Benefits 1

Housing benefit: • provided by the Refugee Welfare and Integration

Division of the OIN after the decision of the Social Department of the Local Government

• for authorised to stay person and recognised refugees

• after signing the contract ( paying 1 month rent + 2 months caution!)

• up to six months and is twice renewable• max. 60% of the rent

Housing-Benefits 2

Home-creation assistance: – provided by the Refugee Welfare and Integration

Division of the OIN– recognised refugees– for buying a flat or family house (max. 80% of the

price)– repayable, interest-free loan– the amount is changing with the number of the family

members– within five years of being recognised as a refugee

Housing-Benefits 3

• “Socialpolicy support”: – provided by the local government (permanent

address)– recognised refugees, settled person– for families with children

• Other:– provided by the local government (permanent

address)– recognised refugees, settled person– various, for example: home-creation assistance (for

married couples, under the year of 35)

Education

• Immigrant children who has a legal status in Hungary has a free access:

– if the time of the residence is less than 1 year than only hen the parent applies for it

– school age up to 18 ( higher education is free only for recognized refugee, settled person)

Education

• Recognition of the foreigner degrees

– according to the conventions

– recognized refugees even without the previous school leaving certificate

Education

• Financial support for the school (2004)– appr. 40.000 Ft / person ( 170 EUR)– 50% sustaining institution, 50% school– only if the school provide intercultural

programme

Research in 2005: only 10-15 school• lack of information

• small amount

Language teaching:

• Ethnic Hungarians do speak the language

• Free language course:– provided by the Refugee Welfare and

Integration Division of the OIN– recognized refugees– 360 hours, within one year– if available at the reception centers or in

Budapest (1 language school!)

Healthcare

• Health insurance card:- employed- dependent (spouse, child) (holder of family reunification visa after the first year)- paying the insurance fee

• Local government can take the paying of the fee upon in some cases:– recognized refugee, settled person– max. 1 year, it can renewed

Healthcare

• Right to urgent and basic services

– Asylum seekers– authorized to stay person,– with humanitarian residence permit have right

to

• Act LV of 1993 On Hungarian Citizenship• Act CXXXIX of 1997 On Asylum• Act XXXIX of 2001 On Entry And Stay of Foreigners• Government Decree No. 25/1998 (II 18) On Support

and Benefits for those who Under the effect of the Act CXXXIX of 1997

• Act LXXIX of 1993 On Public Education• Act III of 1993. On the Social Administration and Social

Provisions• Act XXXI of 1997. on the Protection of Children and

Guardian Administration • Act LXXXIV of 1998 on Supporting Families

www.bm-bah.hu

www.migrans.edu.hu

www.magyarorszag.hu

www.menedek.hu

www.refugee.hu

Thank you for your attention!