Migrantų iš Ukrainos ir Baltarusijos socialinė integracija Lietuvoje

The phenomena of migration in today’s society is not surprising, but how often do we think about immigrants and their interactions with the local population, within themes of language, culture, social life, employment and general integration. International organizations say that although basic rights and protection of immigrants is ensured in Lithuania, immigrants in our country still do not have the opportunity to participate in public life as well as they should. The aim of this article is to refresh our knowledge of migrants' own experiences with regards to social integration and their own subjective welfare, by specifically examining the two largest groups of immigrants, Ukrainians and Belarusians. For the purpose of the study, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted, of which 10 were with Ukrainians and 10 with Belarusians. The study revealed that language is an important factor in the formation of a new identity and social integration. It was also noted that immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus have varying degrees of success entering the local labor market and they usually have to work in lower-skilled jobs. It is also worth mentioning that immigrants support their immigration efforts by way of similar culture and adaptation in their national communities, churches or social networks. Lastly, immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus are satisfied with life in Lithuania and notice positive differences compared to their country of origin, such as transparency and order in the country, a well-functioning banking and public transport system. They also note that the mentality of local Lithuanians and their own is similar, which is a development that has happened due to a shared Soviet experience and proficiency in the Russian language.Migracija mūsų visuomenėje nieko nestebina, bet ar susimąstome apie imigrantus ir jų sąveiką su vietiniais piliečiais, kalbos, kultūros, socialinio gyvenimo ir užimtumo aspektais. Tarptautinės organizacijos kalba, jog Lietuvoje yra užtikrinamos pagrindinės imigrantų teisės ir apsaugos, tačiau atvykėliai vis dar neturi lygių galimybių dalyvauti visuomeniniame gyvenime. Šiuo straipsniu siekiama papildyti mūsų žinias apie imigrantų patirtis integracijos ir gerovės klausimais, tiriant ukrainiečių ir baltarusių imigrantus. Buvo atskleista, jog kalba yra svarbus identiteto formavimo bei socialinės integracijos veiksnys. Pastebėta, jog imigrantai iš Ukrainos ir Baltarusijos paprastai turi dirbti žemesnės kvalifikacijos darbus. Bendrai imigrantai yra patenkinti gyvenimu Lietuvoje ir pastebi pozityvius skirtumus lygindami su savo kilmės šalimi

Social integration of migrants from Ukraine and Belarus in Lithuania

Migracija mūsų visuomenėje nieko nestebina, bet ar susimąstome apie imigrantus ir jų sąveiką su vietiniais piliečiais kalbos, kultūros, socialinio gyvenimo ir užimtumo aspektais. Šiuo tyrimu siekiama papildyti žinias apie imigrantų integraciją ir subjektyvią gerovę, analizuojant ukrainiečių ir baltarusių imigrantų patirtį Lietuvoje. Tyrime dalyvavo 20 imigrantų iš Ukrainos ir Baltarusijos. Interviu duomenyse buvo atskleista kalbos svarba socialinei integracijai, taip pat galėjimo susikalbėti rusų kalba Lietuvoje kaip privalumo adaptuojantis ir trukdžio integruotis reikšmė. Tyrimas atskleidė imigrantų įsidarbinimo būdus, jų karjeros ir kompetencijų pripažinimo aspektus, santykius su bendradarbiais ar kolegomis. Taip pat pozityvią subjektyvią jauseną gyvenant Lietuvoje. Raktiniai žodžiai: imigracija, socialinė integracija, subjektyvi gerovė, darbo rinka.The phenomenon of migration in today’s society is not surprising, but how often do we think about immigrants and their interactions with the local population within themes of language, culture, social life, employment, or social integration? International migration organization says that although basic rights and protection of immigrants are ensured in Lithuania, immigrants in our country still do not have the opportunity to participate in public life as well as they should. This article aims to refresh our knowledge of migrants’ experiences with social integration and their subjective welfare by examining the largest groups of immigrants, Ukrainians and Belarusians. For the study, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted, of which ten were with Ukrainians and 10 with Belarusians. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and axial coding using MAXQDA software. The following categories have been revealed in the data analysis: "language as the factor of integration", "Placement and employment situation", "Relations at work and in another environment", "Life satisfaction in Lithuania". The study revealed that language is essential in forming a new identity and social integration. It was also noted that immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus have varying degrees of success entering the local labor