Immigrant Integration through Civic and Political Participation, 2023

As the share of immigrants in most EU countries grows, so does the need to manage the process of immigrant integration in the receiving societies. Research in Western democracies shows that civic and political participation of immigrants play an important role in successful long-term integration. However, neither the mechanisms linking civic and political participation of immigrants nor the impact of these two forms of participation on the integration process have yet been sufficiently explored. The aim of the research was to identify the levels and forms of civic and political participation of immigrants in Slovenia compared to the majority population and to analyse how various factors affect immigrant participation. Special emphasis was on studying the linkage between civic and political participation of immigrants and their integration process. It is important to explore both the impact of participation of immigrants in majority civil society organisations and political structures, and their participation in immigrant organisations. In different circumstances, the two forms of immigrant participation can have different, even opposite, effects on immigrant integration into the receiving society. Immigrants and the majority population, aged 18 and over, were included in the survey. The data in the research was collected through a survey, either online (1KA) or via a paper questionnaire received by mail. The survey with the majority population was carried out as part of the Slovenian public opinion survey 2022/2 (https://doi.org/10.17898/ADP_SJM222_V1), starting in October 2022, while the survey covering the immigrant population started in November 2022. The survey was answered by 1,303 people, of which 1,041 within the SJM222 and 262 from the sample of immigrants.