Factual background related to the challenges encountered by secondary school teachers in managing multicultural classes.
Factual Background
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Chapter 1: Understanding migration flows and their impact in education
1.1. Analysis of Major Trends in Migration Flows in Europe
In 2014, during the International Migrants Day, Eurostat (EU Office for statistics) indicated that fewer than 7% (about 35 million people) of people living in EU member states were foreign nationals; 60% of them were non-EU citizens.
According to Eurostat data, migration is influenced by a combination of economic, political and social factors in the migrant’s country of origin (causes of departure) or in the country of destination (attraction effects).
Historically, the relative economic prosperity and political stability of the European Union seem to have had a major effect of attraction on immigrants.
Indeed, since the years 50, Europe has been through several great migration flows: migrations for employment and the reconstruction of Europe just after the war, the economic crisis in the mid 70’s (following the hydrocarbon price increase in 1973), the increasing flows of refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities from the late 80’s (following regional conflicts such as the civil war in former Yugoslavia, the breaking up of the Soviet Union and the opening of borders) and finally the return of migrations for employment with a “preference” for skilled workers and temporary migrations from the 90’s.
The current refugee crisis, started in 2010, is the latest great migration flow. It intensified in 2015-2016 with a massive arrival of populations. In the last two years, over two million refugees and migrants arrived in the EU, most of them fleeing an endemic conflict (Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan).
This migration pressure is unprecedented. It is the largest population exodus since the second World War. Just in 2016, EU member states grated protection to over 700,000 asylum seekers (according to Eurostat).
A prospective analysis conducted by ACF International (Action Against Hunger) and IRIS (Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques) in June 2016, established four scenarios for the evolution of the migration crisis within the following two years: European disagreement (no integral and coordinated response, making the EU unpredictable and relatively inefficient), Fortress Europe (coordinated approach, but only through a protectionist agenda), Opening the floodgates (countries bordering crises and transit countries can no longer contain migration flows), A new agreement (solidary approach, durable solutions, collaboration in first asylum countries and better migrant management).
The same report specifies that, while the majority of migrants arriving in Europe flee a permanent conflict, the underlying causes of their movements are identical to those of other migrants to Europe: insecurity caused by an armed intervention of foreign agents, governments’ inability to provide minimal economic development, natural disasters intensified by lack of resilience, and political repression and authoritarianism.
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