Programme Erasmus + Europe on the move : Migration Biographies
Theses
are well intentioned and their work is very effective , but the more effort is put in helping the Croatian immigrants with integration , the more members will leave the organization as they no longer need its services and fail to identify with its strong national connotation . 53
5 . The Impact on Integration
figure 6 : The Croatian Mission in Munich celebrates its 70 th birthday 54
The fact that Yugoslavians do not live in national-homogenous neighborhoods , eases contact to the German community . But since the relational system is lost through immigration and integration cannot be achieved on one ’ s own , migrants rely on social networks in the host country . 55 The effect of those networks on structural , social , cultural and subjective integration which each have been defined in the introduction , will be discussed , using the examples of migrant sport-clubs and the Croatian Mission in Germany .
5.1 . Structural integration
In concrete terms , this dimension of integration is about integration in the labor- and housing market as well as securing a legal residence status . The pastors in the mission are not only occupied with sacral and organizational work , but also take care of the migrant families by helping them with filing in legal applications or residence permits . One could say the pastoral bureau acts like a social services office , as one out of three Croatian migrants seeks advice there . 56 Migrant clubs offer support services for their members , too . Consultation concerning coping with everyday life , administrative procedures and legal questions is offered , profiting of the specific experience of other members . They also mediate labor , housing and contacts . 57
5.2 . Social Integration
Due to a general ethnic homogeneity in the migrant clubs and missions and their use of separate real estate , no active contact to Germans or German organizations is established . Therefore the networks are inhibiting integration in the social dimension . 58
53 ( Goeke , 2007 , S . 249-255 )
55 ( Schmalz-Jacobsen & Hansen , 1997 , S . 86 f .)
56 ( Thränardt & Schultze , 2013 , S . 35 f )
57 ( Stahl , 2011 , S . 134-137 )
58 ( Thränardt & Schultze , 2013 , S . 37 ; Stahl , 2011 , S . 275 )
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