RACCOMBAT training in Belgium

On Friday 29 March 2019 the Raccombat Guidelines on incorporating tolerance and mutual respect in language tuition and social orientation of refugees and migrants and selected best practices were presented and discussed during a workshop organized at the University of Antwerp. The workshop was attended by participants professionally active in the field of integration and social orientation, either at governmental or NGO-level. The challenges and possibilities for implementing the guidelines were discussed. Among the issues and discussion points were intolerance in and between groups of immigrants themselves, how society can be involved in the process of integration, how to disseminate and valorise information and practices, the importance of the role of the integration instructor/coach. The Welkom in Antwerpen app was presented in detail. It contributes to better accessibility to services by using visual tools and audio support, and is a step to strengthen digital skills.The DISCRI database was also presented – it is a supporting service for the 8 integration centres that actually provide the orientation coaching. Another good practice presented was the Weichestellwerk from Graz – workshops organized in Graz by a consortium of the police and private citizens, as a response to growing concerns about presence of newcomers in a central park.