Background information

Population growth in the Grand Duchy (+25.7% between 2011 and 2021) and the high proportion of foreigners (47.3% in 2024) seeking professional opportunities mean that national policy needs to be adapted to welcome and integrate new residents. The law of August 23, 2023 thus changes the context of reception and integration by introducing the concept of “intercultural living together”. This concept will replace that of “integration”, broadening both the target population and the objectives pursued. The project aims to ensure that the tools implemented are accessible to a wider audience. The “vivre-ensemble” concept applies to people living or working in Luxembourg (cross-border workers), applicants for international protection (DPIs), beneficiaries of international protection (BPIs) and nationals.

Content of measure

The law defines “intercultural living together” as “a participatory, dynamic and continuous process that enables everyone living or working in Luxembourg to live, work and decide together. It is founded on mutual respect, tolerance, solidarity, social cohesion and the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination. It establishes diversity as an asset for the development of an intercultural society. To this end, the instruments for promoting intercultural living together are: 1) the national action plan for intercultural living together; 2) the citizen pact for intercultural living together; 3) the intercultural living-together program; 4) the communal pact for intercultural living together.

The text also defines the financial aid that the State may grant in the area of intercultural living together. This may take the form of a subsidy, a financial contribution to operating costs or a financial contribution to capital expenditure. Finally, in all the instruments, bodies and other measures put in place under this text, the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination is a key cross-cutting element

Use of measure

The plan applies to all residents of the Grand Duchy, with a particular focus on the integration of people of foreign origin, almost 320,000 residents (47.3%, STATEC 2024) of population and 228,000 cross-border workers from Belgium, Germany and France (STATEC 2024). They are also 4,084 beneficiaries of residence permits issued for economic purposes (European migration network 2024). Implementation of the PAN Integration involves calls for projects aimed at developing modules as part of the citizen pact (Biergerpakt) and the Living Together programme. For the cultural part, €439,000 was allocated in 2024 by the Ministry for Family Affairs and Integration.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Other social actors (e.g. NGOs) Local / regional government	Local funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners (representing employees vs. employers) are not involved.

Views and reactions

Dei Greng political party expresses its regret at the development of language learning, particularly in view of the lack of level certification and exclusive access via an electronic platform

Sources

• 13 July 2018: National Action Plan Integration (mfsva.gouvernement.lu)
• 23 August 2023: Loi du 23 août 2023 - Vivre ensemble (legilux.public.lu)