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“The civic participation of immigrants was the theme of a seminar recently held in Lisbon. It’s the second of three international seminars approved by the European Commission with the objective of establishing the best practices in integration policy in the host countries. The objective of the Lisbon meeting was to analyse the civic participation of immigrants in the host society, placing the emphasis on the “cultural and religious” dimension. Some 70 participants of 15 member states, including the 10 countries due to join the EU on 1st May, attended the seminar. It emerged that “religious diversity in Europe is presented in a context of the decline in religious practice and the privatisation of beliefs”. In this light the important role that immigrants can play in revitalizing the religious community in Europe is underlined. The document of the European Commission and the Group for immigrant policy has emphasised in turn “the vital importance of the promotion of dialogue between religious groups and the government. This must be based on the State’s recognition that religion may be an aid in social integration”. Antonio Vitorino, European Commissioner for justice and internal affairs said that “each country has its own migratory profile and the decisions that some take necessarily have repercussions on the others; that’s why there’s a need to find a common policy”. With regard to the entry of migrant communities into the European Union, Vitorino suggested that “clear principles” be established, and he listed the “positive ” effects of regular immigration at the economic, social and cultural levels. At the end of the three seminars the next will be held in the UK a handbook will be compiled on the integration of immigrants into the European Union. In Portugal the number of foreigners doubled between 1986 and 1997: from 87,000 to 175,000.
