It has been argued for some time that immigrant communities face particular challenges within the context of achieving key policy agendas like the renewed Lisbon goals. Immigration was identified as a key issue in one of the 6 priorities set by the Riga Ministerial Declaration on digital inclusion, to "Promote cultural diversity in relation to inclusion". The Riga Declaration suggested that it is important to support greater participation by immigrants and ethnic minorities in the European information society, in order to improve their opportunities for economic and social participation and integration, creativity and entrepreneurship. The Declaration also set targets for increased employability and productivity of minorities, underpinned by tailored ICT training and support actions. Subsequent initiatives, like the European Commission’s European i2010 initiative on eInclusion, which was adopted in November 2007, have re-iterated this position, asserting that immigrant users are as confronted by barriers in accessing services as other disadvantaged groups, due to lack of technical and language skills or due to digital technologies which are difficult to use.

In the framework of the i2010 initiative, actions like the thematic network Bridge IT (which examines the best use of ICT for social integration and diversity) and the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (to promote Accessible and Inclusive ICT) include provisions to support immigrants along with other excluded groups in accessing digital technologies.

Against this background, however, the knowledge base on immigrant and ethnic minority use of ICTs is poorly developed, and also portrays different pictures. Although, as observed above, there is a prevailing view that immigrants and ethnic minorities face particular problems in accessing and using ICTs, this assertion is by no means supported by the evidence. For example, the ‘SOCQUIT’ project (Social Capital, Quality of Life and Information Society Technologies) found that there is no difference in the levels of Internet access between migrants and non-migrants in Europe, and a study carried out in the US by the Pew Hispanic Centre and Pew Internet came up with similar results. Indeed, a media literacy audit just published in the UK by Ofcom (the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries) revealed that ethnic minority groups are at the forefront of digital communications in the UK, with high levels of mobile phone, internet and multichannel television take-up. Take-up, interest in, volume of use and confidence with digital media is higher among ethnic minority households compared with households in the UK generally. However, the audit also concluded that many people from ethnic minority groups lack confidence finding content online and are concerned about content delivered on digital communications. These results support other research which suggests that immigrant and ethnic minority engagement with ICTs, and with the ‘knowledge society’ is highly contextualised. For example, the ‘BREAKOUT’ project (supported under the EU ‘Grundtvig’ Programme) found that although young people from ethnic minority groups in schools were highly skilled at using ICTs and applying them to 'lifestyleing' activities (for example downloading music and YouTube videos), they were less skilled, and less confident at using ICTs to do curriculum-based tasks like information seeking relevant to course work.

In short, the picture is complex. What is clear is that eInclusion policies tend to ‘homogenise’ immigrant and ethnic minorities as one single ‘excluded’ target group. In fact, there are significant differences in profiles, behaviour and needs both between and within immigrant communities and ethnic minorities. For example, newly-arrived migrants coming to the EU from ‘external’ countries have very different eInclusion needs – typically based around things like support on legal, administration and employment issues – than second or third generation members of established ethnic minority communities. In turn, factors like age, economic position and cultural background will further differentiate immigrant and ethnic minority experiences of eInclusion.

This new ePractice.eu workshop will explore these and related issues in relation to three key themes:

Theme 1: Local community development and entrepreneurship. This will focus on how ICTs are being used to support challenges that are faced by some communities with regard to poor economic opportunities; low levels of digital literacy and e-skills and issues around social cohesion. It will explore in particular how ICTs are being used to develop individual and social capital and community capacity, and to support entrepreneurship.

Theme 2: Language and identity in a culturally diverse Europe. Language is a complex and contested issue in e-inclusion. On the one hand, ICTs are being deployed to promote ‘multi-lingualism’ – for example to help new immigrants improve their job opportunities by learning the language of the ‘host country’. On the other, they are being used to promote a different inclusion agenda – that of promoting cultural diversity by preserving the culture and language of ‘minority’ and therefore excluded cultures. This theme will reflect on these issues as well as related issues around ‘identity’ within a European society, and how identity is itself being re-shaped through ICTs.

Theme 3: Introduction initiatives and services, inclusive eGovernment and participation. This theme will focus particularly on the problems faced by newly-arrived immigrants and how ICTs can be used to better support their integration.

Each theme will be illustrated in the workshop with reference to a relevant case study presentation. These presentations will be followed by three interactive discussion groups that will further explore the three themes and their respective issues in the light of the cases presented, and supported by the insights and experiences of workshop participants themselves. Workshop participants are encouraged to consider the themes and questions posed by the workshop, and to be prepared to bring to the table their own views and perspectives.

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