Tiltai

The article focuses on problems of the integration of migrants in Lithuania from the perspective of social workers working in NGOs. The research highlights various difficulties that migrants face during their transition from migration to integration, such as mental, physical, socioeconomic, spiritual and other challenges. Also, language, housing, health care, education, socio-economic integration and self-identity were identified as common challenges faced by all groups of migrants during integration, with those from Third World countries facing more complex issues. These difficulties include issues related to financing, resettlement, access to hospitals and state institutions, nutrition, communication, identification, and more. The research emphasises the importance of a third party to ensure that the needs of migrants are met, and that they are treated normally and without discrimination. It also emphasises the need for migrants to be able to participate in decision-making, to prevent situations like mass demonstrations or attempts to create a state within a state. Social workers in NGO settings play a crucial role in helping migrants integrate into Lithuanian society, and policymakers must develop policies and programmes that address the unique challenges faced by Third World migrants.

The changes in migration flows in Europe have challenged not only those countries which have received a large influx of new residents, but also countries which had less experience of this in practice. One of the reasons is related to the fact that welcoming is followed by an integration process into different spheres of social life. Therefore, this research focuses on migrants’ integration into the host countries’ legal environment, particularly with respect to acquiring legal information. The study aims to answer what are the internal and external factors that contribute to new residents’ experience in acquiring knowledge in the host country’s legal environment. The results are based on analyses of the experiences of Ukrainian immigrants living in Lithuania and in Spain, focusing on the research subtopics: a) What are the conceptual challenges faced by new residents while integrating into the linguistic space of legal relations? (b) What are Ukrainians’ experiences in obtaining legal information in Lithuania and Spain? and c) What are the observed patterns for the dissemination of legal information? The analysis reveals that new residents face systemic and personal obstacles in accessing and applying information about the legal framework of the host country. Ukrainian citizens residing in both Lithuania and Spain face difficulties in obtaining information on legalities, although the challenges they face are not identical, due to the different institutional characteristics of the countries. The study shows that it is not the institutions, but rather an inner circle of informal contacts, that help obtain, verify and share knowledge about legal regulations.

The issue of active citizenship is very topical in modern society. Particular attention is paid to the promotion of civic activity by youth and the creation of positive experience. National surveys show increasing engagement among young people in various activities, but they also show that young people are more likely to notice and see the threats posed by active citizenship. Therefore, the article aims to research the attitude of young people towards an assessment of active citizenship in society, the threats and benefits it brings. Qualitative research methods were used to gain a detailed and comprehensive understanding of attitudes: analysis of literature, focus group discussion, and content analysis. In the discussions, informants mentioned most often that citizenship is viewed both positively and negatively (especially in relation to political activity). The study revealed that when discussing the risks of active citizenship, young people mentioned most often the physical threats to the health and life of an active citizen when performing compulsory or voluntary military service. Other possible active citizenship threats indicated were: provoking intolerance and encouraging confrontation between different groups. The discussion also identified the perceived and noticed benefits of active citizenship to young people. Those most frequently mentioned by the informants were: helping groups or professions in difficulty; creating a better environment through basic putting in order and doing one’s duty. Some of the statements by the informants show that examples of active citizenship create a sense of community and tolerance, as well as being ‘contagious’ (setting an example) and encouraging young people to join various organisations.

Until the 2015 elections, youth policy in Poland was treated as a separate domain. There is no uniform legal basis concerned with the matters of young people. Youth rights are dealt with in several articles of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland as well as a number of Acts: on Public Administration Branches, on the Education System, on Higher Education, on Employment Promotion and Labour Market Institutions, on NFZ General Health Insurance, on Combating Domestic Violence, on Social Employment, on Public Benefit Organisations and Voluntary Service, along with the Labour Code and certain government regulations. The first consistent document concerned with youth issues was the National strategy for young people for 2003–2014, adopted in 2003. Thereafter, the matters of youth policy were discussed in the report entitled Youth 2011, the document Poland 2030 – Third Wave of Modernity, the Long-Term National Development Strategy, and the Government Program for Social Activity of Youth for the years 2015–2016. Following the 2015 parliamentary elections, youth issues were given a lower priority. In the election manifesto of PIS (Law and Justice party), much attention was devoted to family policy, with youth policy being regarded as part thereof. Consequently, on 13 February 2018, the Family, Senior and Social Policy Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Poland adopted a Resolution on “Integrated youth policy”, presenting it as one of the areas of family policy.

Young people are a very important group of modern societies, they will replace the currently ruling generation and will shape our common future. Due to that, young people have become the relevant target of national and international policy and science researches. Youth civic participation is a key aspect of the development of a society and should be shaped by effective youth policy at national and international level. This paper is an attempt of determining the capacity of public institutions and non-government organizations to develop youth civic participation in the context of the European Union youth policy. It reveals the importance of various elements of the potential of institutions’ environment in increasing civic participation of young people on the example of the South Baltic Youth Core Groups Network project which is implemented within the South Baltic Program 2014–2020. The project’s partnership is represented by entities from Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden in which the quantitative research was carried out on civic participation of young people aged 14–24. The initial survey results have allowed confirming the hypothesis: the potential of the institutional environment of youth is not fully exploited in the process of increasing civic participation of young people in municipalities involved in the South Baltic Youth Core Groups Network Project. The research has revealed the strengths and weaknesses and barriers and opportunities of public institutions and non-government organizations to enhance youth civic participation in project partner countries.