Migration and Social Exclusion

Abstract

In recent years, the intensification of the migration phenomenon has become a fact, with the result that many people leave their country in search of shelter elsewhere. In this change of life, it is essential, through access to education, to acquire new knowledge, for their integration into the host country. Adult education is called upon to respond to this new reality, not only by providing knowledge and skills to this vulnerable group of learners, but also by developing critical reflection in relation to the acquired attitudes and assumptions. Adult migrants have certain special characteristics that differentiate them from other learners, very often experiencing social exclusion without being able to participate equally in public goods, such as education. In addition, the difficulties they face in terms of their integration into the labor market and the lack of professional identity contribute to their economic exclusion and their inability to live in terms of dignity. The negative experiences they have had in the past, combined with the adverse discrimination they suffer, contribute to their often negative self-image and to their strong suspicion of the majority population. It is worth emphasizing that the significant socio-economic problems they face and the feelings of disadvantage they experience are reinforced by the absence of an organized framework of protection, on the part of the state, regarding these social groups.