| Abstract: | Refugees, asylum seekers, 'de facto' refugees, and refugees in irregular situations have become a constant phenomenon of the social reality of the member states of the European Community. All agencies must ensure that the situation of these people is as widely publicized as possible. The integration of refugees should be assisted as much as possible by employment schemes, social counseling, and psychological assistance. The European Community should deal with the increasing numbers of refugees who are suffering under long-term unemployment, inadequate housing, and poor language and vocational training facilities. The European Governments and the European Communities should consider giving priority to funding voluntary agencies for carrying out long-term assistance programs. The promotion of specific programs for refugees should be considered an urgent priority. Programs operated by the voluntary agencies should include information on 1) the social, economic, and legal structure of the host country; 2) employment and vocational policies and facilities; and 3) voluntary repatriation and resettlement programs. The voluntary agencies should be able to carry out their tasks by 1) giving individual, unbiased counseling to each refugee in need; 2) employing well-trained staff speaking the language of the group concerned; and 3) undertaking action-oriented research projects. |
