Integrating newcomers: policies and organizations

Integration policy in Luxembourg

Integration policy in Luxembourg

Every year, Luxembourg sees its population increase significantly, thanks to a growing economic climate that favors positive net migration.
As a result, the integration of these new arrivals is a major challenge for the Grand Duchy.
These large numbers of immigrants from other European countries, or from other continents, need to be able to integrate easily and quickly, so that they can make a real contribution to the country's development.

In Luxembourg, the state, local authorities and civil society work together to ensure the successful integration of new arrivals.

Resources for integrating new arrivals

Education and learning Luxembourgish

Foreign children arriving in Luxembourg and enrolled in the country's basic school system benefit from a special scheme to help them integrate quickly and easily. They are offered personalized linguistic support at their new school. Find out more about the welcome scheme for newcomer pupils.

Employees are entitled to 200 hours' training leave throughout their working life in Luxembourg. This training leave enables them tolearn Luxembourgish.

The National Action Plan for Integration in Luxembourg

A new National Action Plan for Integration (PAN intégration) was adopted in July 2018 in Luxembourg. Implemented by the Ministry of Family and Integration, it provides for the integration of all non-Luxembourg residents.

In addition, it offers specific reception and social support for applicants for international protection. This support is provided by facilitating access to information, the quality of services offered, and coordination and cooperation in Luxembourg and internationally.

Reception and Integration Contract - CAI

The Luxembourg government has developed innovative integration measures for new arrivals (aged 16 and over). Gathered under the "Contrat d'Accueil et d'Intégration" (CAI), these measures aim to help newcomers discover or become more familiar with the history, customs, languages and values of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.  

The benefits included in the CAI are :

  • discounted language courses (Luxembourgish, French and/or German). The learner can reach at least level A.1 in one of Luxembourg's 3 reference languages,
  • civics courses. These enable the signatory of the Contrat d'Accueil et d'Intégration to learn how to live together in multicultural Luxembourg. They learn about Luxembourg traditions and customs, the basics of Luxembourg's rich history and thecountry's political organization, to help them integrate more easily into the Grand Duchy,
  • a free orientation day to familiarize participants with the official organizations in a friendly atmosphere.

Find out more about CAI on guichet.lu.

This knowledge is required to acquire Luxembourg nationality.

Diversity Charter and Diversity Day Lëtzebuerg

Every year since 2015, the Diversity Charter Lëtzebuerg has organized Diversity Day Lëtzebuerg. For this national diversity day, the various economic players mobilize around concrete actions to promote diversity and campaign for inclusion.

Diversity Day Lëtzebuerg is a reminder of the importance of diversity in modern companies and societies. Everyone must have the chance to achieve the career they want, whatever their individual characteristics.Diversity values to defend

In 2016, during Diversity Day in Luxembourg, Just Arrived and the JAA Club were present at the Casino de Mondorf-les-Bains to sign the Diversity Charter, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere! It was an opportunity not only to exchange ideas, but also to meet new people around a common theme: diversity.

Acting for diversity in the workplace means recognizing the differences of others and integrating different human profiles, whatever their origins, cultures, generations, genders, physical appearance, disabilities or sexual orientation.... These differences will give rise to the diversity and richness of a company.

Organizations working to integrate immigrants

The Luxembourg government does everything in its power to welcome new residents and ensure they integrate as quickly as possible.

Nevertheless, it's no less true that arriving in a country that's not your own is not easy for anyone. So, whatever your professional, personal or family situation , there aremany associations and organizations to help expatriates integrate in Luxembourg.

ONA - Office National de l'Accueil

The Office national de l'accueil (ONA) is an administrative body reporting to the Minister for Asylum. It is responsible fororganizing the reception of applicants for international protection . It is also responsible for creating and managing accommodation structures reserved for the temporary housing of applicants for international protection, refugees and persons eligible for subsidiary protection.
The Office national de l'accueil (ONA) was created by the law of December 4, 2019. The provisions of the new Reception Act came into force on January 1, 2020.

ONA replaces the former Office luxembourgeois de l'accueil et de l'intégration (OLAI) established by the amended law of December 16, 2008, concerning the reception and integration of foreigners in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

You can find out more about the ONA 's remit and the reception arrangements in place in Luxembourg on the ONA website.

The offices of the Office national de l'accueil (ONA) are open to the public from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00. They are located at 5, rue Carlo Hemmer L-1734 Luxembourg-Kirchberg.
ONA offers telephone answering services in several languages (German, English, French, Serbo-Croatian, Russian, Albanian, Tigrigna, Arabic and Farsi). Tel: +352 247-85700

The CNE - National Council for Foreigners

The Conseil National pour Étrangers au Luxembourg is an institutional consultative body created in 1993. In a country where almost 50% of the resident population is foreign, the existence of the CNE is strategic.

Under the supervision of Luxembourg's Ministry of Family and Integration, its mission is to study the integration of foreigners in Luxembourg, either on its own initiative or at the request of the government. The aim is to remedy any problems in the reception and integration of foreigners in the Grand Duchy.

The CNE has a 5-year mandate. The last elections were held in July 2017. The CNE is made up of :

  • 22 members from civil society* elected by Luxembourg associations working for the integration of foreigners in Luxembourg, to represent foreigners living in Luxembourg,
  • one refugee representative and two civil society representatives proposed by the government
  • a representative of SYVICOL, Syndicat des villes et communes luxembourgeoises (Luxembourg association of towns and municipalities)
  • four representatives of employers' organizations,
  • four union representatives.

The members of the CNE elect the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Conseil National des Étrangers by majority vote.

*Any person over the age of 18 domiciled in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg may stand for election to the CNE. Candidates must be of non-Luxembourg nationality only, and have full legal capacity and voting rights. A member who subsequently acquires Luxembourg nationality will lose his/her mandate on the CNE.

ASTI - Association for the Support of Immigrant Workers

ASTI has a "guichet info-migrants" providing information and guidance to people with questions about immigration legislation and international protection: work permits, residence permits, visas, etc., and also offers language courses.

ASTI's "Connections" project, developed with financial support from the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte (Mateneen call for projects), aims to prepare refugees for the Luxembourg job market and integrate jobseekers. On the basis of a skills and career assessment, participants have the opportunity to go through three stages:

  • Information sessions on the history and make-up of Luxembourg, the right of asylum and the RMG, family reunification, social assistance, basic information on labor law in Luxembourg, the Welcome and Integration Contract (CAI), etc.
  • Workshops on practical rights and duties at work, how to write a CV, how to present yourself for an internship, etc.
  • Unpaid internships in companies (up to 240 hours over a 6-month period) with a specialized mentor and evaluation of internship skills.

A certificate attesting to the efforts made by the asylum seeker. These documents are not insignificant, as they will be useful toADEM (Agence pour le Développement de l'Emploi ), to facilitate the integration of these people into the job market, once they have obtained international protection status.

Set up in 2022 as part of its Coach4Work project, ASTI offers one-to-one coaching by volunteers to help newcomers find a job in Luxembourg.

Le CLAE - Liaison Committee for Foreigners' Associations

The CLAE reception, information, cultural and linguistic mediation platform was created in 1985 and is approved by the Ministry for the Family and Integration. CLAE Services has been recognized as a non-profit organization since August 24, 2016.
CLAE's mission is to welcome and inform migrant individuals and families in Luxembourg about their rights.

Every year, CLAE organizes the Festival des Migrations, des Cultures et de la Citoyenneté, a key event in Luxembourg's social, political and cultural life.

Rencontres sans Frontières is one of the annual events organized by the City of Luxembourg in collaboration with CLAE. Every year in June, this sporting and cultural event offers a varied program: beach volleyball and soccer tournaments, and a variety of activities designed to bring together multi-national teams to promote integration. The atmosphere is guaranteed!
For more information on this event, visit www.rsf.lu.

Luxembourg Accueil Asbl

Founded in 1977, Luxembourg Accueil welcomes families of all nationalities to Luxembourg. Families are regularly invited to take part in a wide range of activities designed to suit all ages and tastes: artistic or creative activities, cultural visits, sporting activities, social gatherings, etc.

With over 1,000 members and 50 nationalities, theassociation is run by volunteers and with the support of the City of Luxembourg.

Activities are conducted in French. They include

  • language courses in German, French, Luxembourgish, English, Italian
  • sewing, cooking, decorating, flower arranging, photography, theater, drawing, painting, calligraphy workshops
  • conferences,
  • exhibition visits, walks to discover Luxembourg's landscapes,
  • yoga, sophrology and flexibility workshops
  • themed coffee-meetings.

The aim of the association is to provide opportunities to meet other people and create links between members, in order to facilitate the integration of newcomers and residents to Luxembourg.

You can sign up for activities at the association's office, Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm. An annual membership fee of around 20 euros is required.

Overall, your integration will also depend on the relationships you develop with your neighbors . Don 't hesitate to take part in Neighbours' Day , or come and see them at their door.

If you invite them to your home for a drink, don't necessarily expect to be invited back. Home invitations really are a cultural affair. And don't forget that Luxembourg is home to many different cultures. Find out more here.

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