Overview of digital support initiatives for/by immigrants and ethnic minorities in the EU27

Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities (henceforth IEM) are an important and growing component of European society, which has been the host in recent years to around 1.5 to 2 million net entries to the EU25 Member States. High levels of immigration into Europe are also expected to continue in the coming decades. In addition to new arrivals, the children of yesterday's and today's immigrants will, in any case, be a growing part of tomorrow's European student, worker and overall population. In the face of this evolution, the 2006 Riga Declaration on eInclusion identified, as one of its six priorities, the promotion of cultural diversity in Europe by "improving the possibilities for economic and social participation and integration, creativity and entrepreneurship of immigrants and minorities by stimulating their participation in the information society". This priority has also been renewed by the 2007 eInclusion Communication. Since very little was actually known about the adoption and use of new digital technologies and services by IEM in Europe, DG Information Society and Media of the European Commission asked the JRC-IPTS to carry out a study that would explore ICT adoption by IEM and how it affects their social and economic integration and participation in Europe. This report presents the results of the study's first step, which aimed to identify and broadly characterize ICT-based initiatives carried out for and/or by IEM in all the EU27 Member States.