How introduction programs help and hinder refugee integration: evidence from Norway

Abstract

This study examines the impact of immigrant integration programmes on low-literate refugees, focusing on the Norwegian Introduction Programme (IP). Like other obligatory integration courses across Europe, the IP aims to promote active participation and economic self-reliance, but its effectiveness for vulnerable groups remains debated. Through semi-structured interviews with IP participants, we investigate how these programmes both help and hinder integration for low-literate refugees. Our findings reveal that while the IP improves language skills and employment opportunities, it simultaneously impedes other aspects of integration, such as educational advancement and feelings of belonging. Three key hindrances emerge: a hierarchical course structure, arbitrary evaluation practices, and programme trade-offs forcing difficult choices between education and employment. These features devalue prior skills, create barriers to early income gains, and reproduce deficit identities and inequalities among vulnerable participants. We conclude with policy recommendations to mitigate the risk of replicating inequalities, suggesting alternative programmes and metrics of integration success more suitable for those lacking initial resources. This research contributes to the ongoing debate on the long-term effects of integration programmes on low-literate refugees, a critically important yet understudied group.