300,000 people had refugee status in France in 2020. For these people, knowing their rights, accessing housing, finding a job, training, practicing a sport, and accessing culture are all complex procedures.
"Improving access to digital equipment and a good connection, as well as increasing computer skills, are therefore major challenges for improving the integration process for this audience, which also has specific characteristics that need to be known for better mediation."
The Interministerial Delegation for the Reception and Integration of Refugees (DIAIR) has developed a good practice guideThis guide is intended for all those involved in digital mediation for the benefit of refugees.
For the attention of digital inclusion actors, the guide recalls what asylum is, the basis on which refugee status is granted, the specificities of the integration process for Beneficiaries of International Protection (BPI) and formulates a series of recommendations.
Approximately 80 percent of refugees surveyed by DIAIR report using the Internet every day.
They mainly connect to contact their loved ones via instant messaging applications (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram).
Eighty percent also say that communication is one of the activities that takes up the most time on their laptop or computer, ahead of entertainment.
Social networks and collaborative resources come first for information or entertainment (through Whatsapp, Facebook groups, YouTube or internet forums). Only one third of the respondents use official or specialized sites, such as government sites.
The smartphone, the equipment of choice
About 90% of the refugees surveyed own a smartphone, while less than half own a computer. Moreover, 75% say they prefer to browse on a smartphone rather than on a computer.
Using a French keyboard, mouse or internet browsers is often difficult.
Lack of financial means, average age and level of education seem to be barriers to access to computer equipment.
The refugees interviewed mainly use limited 3G/4G, private wifi or mobile top-ups such as Lyca/Lebara.
Only about a quarter of the refugees surveyed living in temporary accommodation centers (CPH) said they were connected via private wifi, as few accommodation centers have a wifi network, whether in hostels or in general housing.
A change in usage and equipment upon arrival in France
The digital uses of refugees evolve during their integration process. New uses, such as the use of a desktop computer, appear with the granting of protection, in particular to find a job and to carry out administrative procedures, which are most often done electronically. For example, two-thirds of respondents say they use the Internet much more often since arriving in France and 40% use new applications.Recommendations
Start from the needs of the beneficiaries: For an adapted digital support, it seems essential to start, in addition to the language level, from the concrete needs of the beneficiaries and their digital uses in order to find the ideal material to answer them.
It is important to explain the advantages of each piece of equipment (e.g., preferring a computer for creating a CV) and how they complement each other in terms of needs.
Similarly, it seems preferable to adapt the means of connection to the needs. A use for communication purposes will not require the same connection equipment as a professional use.
Raising awareness of security issues: it seems necessary to quickly raise awareness among beneficiaries of international protection about the many security issues related to Internet use: secure passwords, browsing history, private browsing, personal data, fraudulent messages, etc.
It is also important to mention the importance of controlling one's online exposure and "digital profile", for security reasons but also in a job search context.
Finally, we can recommend to the beneficiaries the use of a digital safe, such as the one proposed by Reconnect, to keep all the important documents safe.
The challenges of digital mediation for refugees
The obstacle of not knowing French
The language barrier is one of the main difficulties refugees face in learning how to use digital technology. Eighty-seven percent of the caregivers surveyed said that language was the main obstacle to their efforts. Faced with French-language sites (including most administrative sites), 65% of beneficiaries of international protection use a translation site. Nearly half of them then ask a relative for help. In addition to understanding the language of the French administration, refugees must also learn all the specific vocabulary related to digital use.Recommendations
Favour training courses with workshops mixing common French vocabulary and digital words.
Encourage the use of educational materials translated into different languages and/or easy to read and understand (in addition to the use of pictograms, illustrations, etc).
Do not make digital training conditional on a minimum language level.
Limited computer skills
A quarter of the caregivers report difficulties arising from a lack of understanding by refugees of simple computer navigation mechanisms: creating an account, refreshing a web page or using filters when searching for something, for example. Managing accounts (multiple email addresses) and their passwords is also an obstacle often mentioned by refugees and their caregivers. Refugees are often afraid of making mistakes and many prefer to let social workers take care of their online procedures for them. This situation increases their dependency and a feeling of incompetence that can dissuade them from using the Internet.
A diagnosis of their level is recommended, for example with : Pix.gouv.fr, a tool to measure and train in digital skills.
Low availability during the day
In addition to the obstacles mentioned, the refugee population is often not available during the day (various training courses, integration programs, administrative procedures, etc.). However, these schedule constraints do not affect the desire of the beneficiaries for training: 83% of the refugees declare that they want to learn computer skills, mainly to access professional training and to facilitate administrative procedures.
Hence the importance of a digital training curriculum that is flexible and adaptable to the beneficiaries' constraints.
The increased importance of digital mediation other than by social workers
With confinements, the increased use of telework and the dematerialization of administrative procedures, it becomes crucial to foster the digital empowerment of refugees.
They insist on the need for support other than that of social workers, who are already very busy with their mission, hence the essential role, in addition to digital advisors, of caregivers, etc.
Recommendations
Combine group workshops to create synergies in learning with individual training to adapt to levels/profiles.
Build trust in the group, getting to know each other, prior to learning.
Favour the use of simple, varied and translated teaching aids.
To sensitize learners to French socio-cultural codes, particularly concerning administration.
Encourage a "do with" posture rather than a "do in place of" posture.
Encourage mutual aid and peer support.
Think about inclusion pathways that mix types of activities (oral/written, group/individual, participatory/observation).
A best practice guide for the digital inclusion of refugees
300,000 people had refugee status in France in 2020. For these people, knowing their rights, accessing housing, finding a job, training, practicing a sport, and accessing culture are all complex procedures.
"Improving access to digital equipment and a good connection, as well as increasing computer skills, are therefore major challenges for improving the integration process for this audience, which also has specific characteristics that need to be known for better mediation."
The Interministerial Delegation for the Reception and Integration of Refugees (DIAIR) has developed a good practice guideThis guide is intended for all those involved in digital mediation for the benefit of refugees.
For the attention of digital inclusion actors, the guide recalls what asylum is, the basis on which refugee status is granted, the specificities of the integration process for Beneficiaries of International Protection (BPI) and formulates a series of recommendations.
Approximately 80 percent of refugees surveyed by DIAIR report using the Internet every day.
They mainly connect to contact their loved ones via instant messaging applications (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram).
Eighty percent also say that communication is one of the activities that takes up the most time on their laptop or computer, ahead of entertainment.
Social networks and collaborative resources come first for information or entertainment (through Whatsapp, Facebook groups, YouTube or internet forums). Only one third of the respondents use official or specialized sites, such as government sites.
The smartphone, the equipment of choice
About 90% of the refugees surveyed own a smartphone, while less than half own a computer. Moreover, 75% say they prefer to browse on a smartphone rather than on a computer.
Using a French keyboard, mouse or internet browsers is often difficult.
Lack of financial means, average age and level of education seem to be barriers to access to computer equipment.
The refugees interviewed mainly use limited 3G/4G, private wifi or mobile top-ups such as Lyca/Lebara.
Only about a quarter of the refugees surveyed living in temporary accommodation centers (CPH) said they were connected via private wifi, as few accommodation centers have a wifi network, whether in hostels or in general housing.
A change in usage and equipment upon arrival in France
The digital uses of refugees evolve during their integration process. New uses, such as the use of a desktop computer, appear with the granting of protection, in particular to find a job and to carry out administrative procedures, which are most often done electronically. For example, two-thirds of respondents say they use the Internet much more often since arriving in France and 40% use new applications.Recommendations
Start from the needs of the beneficiaries: For an adapted digital support, it seems essential to start, in addition to the language level, from the concrete needs of the beneficiaries and their digital uses in order to find the ideal material to answer them.
It is important to explain the advantages of each piece of equipment (e.g., preferring a computer for creating a CV) and how they complement each other in terms of needs.
Similarly, it seems preferable to adapt the means of connection to the needs. A use for communication purposes will not require the same connection equipment as a professional use.
Raising awareness of security issues: it seems necessary to quickly raise awareness among beneficiaries of international protection about the many security issues related to Internet use: secure passwords, browsing history, private browsing, personal data, fraudulent messages, etc.
It is also important to mention the importance of controlling one's online exposure and "digital profile", for security reasons but also in a job search context.
Finally, we can recommend to the beneficiaries the use of a digital safe, such as the one proposed by Reconnect, to keep all the important documents safe.
The challenges of digital mediation for refugees
The obstacle of not knowing French
The language barrier is one of the main difficulties refugees face in learning how to use digital technology. Eighty-seven percent of the caregivers surveyed said that language was the main obstacle to their efforts. Faced with French-language sites (including most administrative sites), 65% of beneficiaries of international protection use a translation site. Nearly half of them then ask a relative for help. In addition to understanding the language of the French administration, refugees must also learn all the specific vocabulary related to digital use.Recommendations
Favour training courses with workshops mixing common French vocabulary and digital words.
Encourage the use of educational materials translated into different languages and/or easy to read and understand (in addition to the use of pictograms, illustrations, etc).
Do not make digital training conditional on a minimum language level.
Limited computer skills
A quarter of the caregivers report difficulties arising from a lack of understanding by refugees of simple computer navigation mechanisms: creating an account, refreshing a web page or using filters when searching for something, for example. Managing accounts (multiple email addresses) and their passwords is also an obstacle often mentioned by refugees and their caregivers. Refugees are often afraid of making mistakes and many prefer to let social workers take care of their online procedures for them. This situation increases their dependency and a feeling of incompetence that can dissuade them from using the Internet.
A diagnosis of their level is recommended, for example with : Pix.gouv.fr, a tool to measure and train in digital skills.
Low availability during the day
In addition to the obstacles mentioned, the refugee population is often not available during the day (various training courses, integration programs, administrative procedures, etc.). However, these schedule constraints do not affect the desire of the beneficiaries for training: 83% of the refugees declare that they want to learn computer skills, mainly to access professional training and to facilitate administrative procedures.
Hence the importance of a digital training curriculum that is flexible and adaptable to the beneficiaries' constraints.
The increased importance of digital mediation other than by social workers
With confinements, the increased use of telework and the dematerialization of administrative procedures, it becomes crucial to foster the digital empowerment of refugees.
They insist on the need for support other than that of social workers, who are already very busy with their mission, hence the essential role, in addition to digital advisors, of caregivers, etc.
Recommendations
Combine group workshops to create synergies in learning with individual training to adapt to levels/profiles.
Build trust in the group, getting to know each other, prior to learning.
Favour the use of simple, varied and translated teaching aids.
To sensitize learners to French socio-cultural codes, particularly concerning administration.
Encourage a "do with" posture rather than a "do in place of" posture.
Encourage mutual aid and peer support.
Think about inclusion pathways that mix types of activities (oral/written, group/individual, participatory/observation).
