Slovak migrant integration policies lagging behind

According to MIPEX 2020, the largest study on integrating migrants in 52 countries around the world, migrants in Slovakia have gained slightly better support in terms of integrating into society in several areas. At the same time, the country's existing integration policies are slightly unfavourable, and migrants from third world countries still have to overcome many obstacles. According to Zuzana Bargerová of the Centre for Research into Ethnicity and Culture (CVEK), MIPEX views the Slovak approach towards integration as "equality on paper". As in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, migrants in Slovakia have only their basic rights guaranteed along with security, but they do not have equal opportunities. The current settings of Slovak migration policies encourage the public not to view migrants as potential fellow citizens but as foreigners. Such restrictive policies fuel fear of migrants, which is why they are viewed as a threat by many Slovaks.