The Integration Foundation launched its new website, which brings together information about studying Estonian and living in Estonia. There is also a consultation page which will be of help to permanent residents of the country from different national backgrounds as well as new arrivals in adapting to life in Estonia.
Irene Käosaar, the director of the Integration Foundation, says that every country has its own unique traits and customs and that not being aware of them can make organising day-to-day life more difficul
“Our new website, with its consultation page, gives people guidelines on what to do in a variety of circumstances and situations and tells them where they can find information and who they should talk to,” she explained. “Our old website was starting to show its age, and we want to reach out to people and offer them personalised support.”
Whereas to date the website has divided information by programme and has mostly been aimed at those lodging applications for projects, the new website has ordinary users as its target group, for whom finding information has been made as easy as possible.
The consultation page includes recommendations on learning and practising Estonian and on applying for residence permits or citizenship. Information is also available in Estonian, Russian and English about work opportunities, starting a company, finding places in schools and kindergartens, finding a GP or somewhere to live and other everyday issues.
“One of our main objectives with the new website is to share information in a convenient, concentrated format with Estonian officials as well so as to facilitate cooperation between agencies and help people reach the right place or person as quickly as possible,” Käosaar said.
Kätlin Kõverik, the senior adviser at the Integration Foundation’s Counselling Centre, says that people searching for information about residence permits will no longer need to click their way through the entire website of the Police and Border Guard Board, but simply use the link on the consultation page, which will take them directly to the information they are looking for. “The consultation page could be likened to a GP, who refers the ‘patient’ to the right place depending on what it is that’s worrying them,” she said.
The development and operation of the consultation page are being financed via the European Social Fund project ‘Activities promoting integration in Estonian society’.
