Tensions during the implementation of integration policy in Switzerland: The challenges surrounding “fast and sustainable” integration.

Abstract

This article explores tensions arising from implementing integration policy in Switzerland. Relying mainly on the experiences and perceptions of 23 street-level bureaucrats (SLB) and 29 refugees in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland, it identifies the dynamics at work during the process of integration, in particular how the focus on quick labor market integration of refugees, shapes both refugees’ integration trajectories and SLBs understanding of their role and function. The article closely examines the tensions experienced on both sides; among others, these spring from expecting “fast” integration. It finds that SLBs strive to ensure “fast and sustainable integration” by promoting rapid access to vocational training and employment. This approach often causes friction between SLBs, who recognize the shortcomings of this approach without seriously challenging it, and refugees, who either adapt to the expectations of “fast and sustainable integration” or rely on own resources to gain support for more ambitious projects.