Many European countries have made knowledge of their national language a requirement for adult migrants to be allowed to enter the country or to be granted permanent residence status or access to nationality. In accordance with the legal rules governing knowledge of the host country’s language, language classes and, sometimes, courses designed to inculcate knowledge of the host society are arranged for these people. Language learning is often combined with language testing, which is compulsory under the law in some cases. This is a phenomenon which has arisen since the year 2000. As a requirement for integration, language has become a key component of immigration and integration policies. The notion of linguistic integration deriving from this is linked to the person’s command of the language of the host country, which is transformed from a foreign language into a second language. The Council of Europe wished to gauge the extent of the phenomenon by organising its own discussion process in order to bring the issue into political focus and provide practical support for the member states.

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