There is an increasing tendency for Western European states to extend elements of minority rights protection to so-called 'new' minorities through the establishment of detailed integration policies and mechanisms to reduce discrimination, whilst also enabling these groups to maintain their own distinct identity. However, thus far, refugee communities have largely been excluded from these policies, and refugee integration policy has evolved in parallel to minority integration policy, focusing primarily on language and citizenship education. The failure of Western European states to establish effective refugee integration policies has led to barriers to refugee integration, such as intolerance, discrimination and opposition to the maintenance of their distinct identity. Consequently, Western European states are now facing large groups of poorly integrated refugees settling permanently in their territory, which in turn has implications for the cohesiveness and stability of society. This article argues that in order to ensure the integration of refugees, and hence the cohesiveness of society, it is necessary to enable refugee communities to maintain their distinct identity and reduce discrimination. Further, as the majority of Western European states have already established detailed integration policies in respect of other minority groups, it would be effective and viable to include refugees within these pre-existing policy frameworks. First, in order to highlight the importance of taking a new approach to refugee integration, potential barriers to refugee integration and implications for society are identified by considering the interrelationship between integration and identity. Secondly, selected state and EU practice in respect of refugee integration is considered in the light of minority rights obligations, and the shortcomings in state practice are drawn out. Finally, the question of whether refugee communities can be considered to be minorities within international law is addressed, and the benefit of minority rights based policies regarding integration is considered through an examination of state and NGO run integration projects. © The Author (2012). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

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education racial identity Western Europe refugee language international law territory human rights citizenship minority group racism