Recognising the importance of social inclusion in Europe today, the LISI project aims to develop common legal indicators for measuring the social inclusion of new minorities originating from immigration. 

These indicators would be applicable in an EU-wide context.  The main assumption of the project is that the degree of social inclusion of TCNs is significantly determined by the local and national legal frameworks in which they live. 

LISI aims at complementing other research in the field of social exclusion that does not adequately consider the legal aspects of social integration.  The development of common legal indicators is needed in order to assess and discuss challenges and trends in the field of social exclusion and to create standardised and comparable data between Member States.  LISI indicators are intended to be used by a wide variety of actors from NGO representatives to government actors. 

The project considers a wide range of legal migrants, including migrant workers, asylum-seekers, refugees, seasonal workers and ethnic migrants.  The main focus is on the integration of the first generation.  The integration process of these groups is determined by the legal provisions that govern daily life.  The main areas of concern are employment, housing, social security, education and media, as well as effective participation in public life, justice, citizenship, residency, and right to family life. Economic, social and cultural rights play a vital role in the period following arrival in a new country, while civil and political rights gain importance with continued residence.  By looking at the legal regime governing so many aspects of daily life, the LISI project aims to produce a holistic picture of the social inclusion of TCNs. 

Since the indicators are intended to be easily applied by a variety of users, the report contains a list of closed questions offering "yes" or "no" options.  A yes answer indicates a positive attitude towards inclusion and a no answer indicates a negative attitude.  Explanatory comments can be added to take into account the complexity of the issues and need to reflect the reality on the ground, in addition to the laws on the record.   As the project's goal is to emphasise social inclusion, the indicators are meant to reflect accessibility rather than obstacles to inclusion.  In this sense LISI indicators reflect a normative judgment about what constitutes social inclusion and the indicators can be used as goals by which to measure the progress a country is making on integrating TCNs into their society. 

The project was organised in 3 phases (time framework : 30.12.2001 – 30.08.2003 – 20 Months).

The Lisi Project has received funding from the European Commission.