The New Pact on Migration and Asylum was proposed by the Commission in September 2020. Two years from that date, where do we stand with European migration policy? This article takes stock of the advancements made by the European Institutions in negotiating a reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) through the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Read the full article on our online magazine, the New European.
3 November 2022, 15:00-17:00 CET
This hybrid event, organised by the UN University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) in partnership with the MIDEQ Hub and Geneva Science-Policy Interface (GSPI), is the first in a series of migration policy roundtables and provides an opportunity to reflect on progress related to the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration (GCM). Taking place six months after the first International Migration Review Forum and ahead of the next round of Regional Reviews, it will discuss challenges that lie ahead to turn the Global Compact’s promises into practice.
To register click here.
6 – 18 November 2022
From 6 to 18 November 2022, Egypt will host the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, with a view to building on previous successes and paving the way for future ambition.
8 November 2022, 10.30
Agenda highlights, main results (after the meeting), press material and live streaming are available here.
8 November 2022 9:30-13:00 Agenda available here.
7 November 2022, 09:00 – 17:30 CET
The Eurosystem has launched the investigation phase of a digital euro project. Many other jurisdictions are also exploring options for central bank digital currencies. The Commission has announced a legislative proposal on a digital euro for early 2023. In this context, the conference will be an opportunity to discuss key regulatory and policy aspects of a digital euro.The conference is organised jointly by the European Commission and the European Central Bank. It will be live streamed.
7- 8 November 2022. Agenda available here.
8 November 2022
This public hearing organised by the ECO section brings together experts from organised civil society and academia, as well as decision-makers to discuss the measures taken by Member States in their RRPs, the current methodology to assess their results, potential incentives (through taxation, by promoting investment in work-life balance, as well as in care services, training, improvements in working conditions, etc.) to increase gender equality in the Member States, and other effective measurement tools to assess the impact of such measures.
The event will be webstreamed (original, EN, FR, DE). No registration is needed and participation is free of charge.
10 November 2022 10:00 – 16:45 GMT
This Conference is at the forefront of debates and initiatives on ethnic minority entrepreneurship in the UK. It connects policy-makers, academics and business owners from all backgrounds; and provides a valuable way to build communities dedicated to pursuing CREME’s mission to ‘make diversity and enterprise everyone’s business’.
11 November 2022. Agenda available here.
From 20-21 October 2022, along with 200 other organisations from across Europe, UNITEE joined the 7th edition of the European Migration Forum (EMF) that took place in Brussels at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Coinciding with the European Year of Youth in 2022, this year’s edition of the EMF was organised under the title ‘Youth inclusion: key to successful migrant integration‘.
The two-day event featured discussions and workshops around young migrants’ perspectives. Participants and speakers included representatives of civil society organisations, networks and collectives representing migrant groups and sectors, European institutions and associations, media organisations and local governments. The organisations joining the Forum brought with them their experience and insights into topics ranging from democracy, participation, gender equality, anti-racism, media and inclusion to education, entrepreneurship, social economy, local democracy and climate action.
🎊We’re at the #EUMigrationForum today and tomorrow along with 200 participants from across Europe and colleagues from some of our EU projects – @project_MILE #RIDEproject & #UNITES!
Looking forward to 2 days of debates and workshops on #MigrantIntegration and #YouthInclusion! pic.twitter.com/2nkynyXZFt
— UNITEE (@UNITEE_Europe) October 20, 2022
Debates and workshops focused on migration through the perspective of youth, including how young migrants can be actors of youth inclusion, young migrants’ access to education and training, specific challenges and measures regarding integration of young refugees, legal migration, youth mobility education and employment, the participation and engagement of young migrants, public attitudes towards migrants as well as current policy challenges and actions at the European level support migrants and refugees. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, as well as EESC president Christa Schweng joined the EMF to share their thoughts on the current state of asylum and migration policy in the Europe, the challenges faced by young migrants and how the EU can migrants’ integration and inclusion. A debate on the second day also featured remarks by a representative of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU.
More information about the speakers of this year’s EMF can be found here.
A special discussion format titled ‘The floor is yours’ let all participants put forward and vote for additional discussion topics on the first day. The most popular topics where then used for small, parallel roundtable discussions with groups of 5-10 people and allowed for more informal and intimate talks on topics participants were interested in.
Moreover, the EMF programme this year included a performance by the group MIKSI with songs inspired by traditional Albanian, Kurdish or Syrian pieces rearranged by the group’s coordinator. During the concert, a networking village allowed organisations to share information about their projects and connect with other participants. UNITEE participated in the networking village with a table displaying information material about UNITEE as well as its projects, in particular MILE – focusing on advancing the local participation of migrants and refugees and their collaboration with municipalities – and RIDE – aiming to advance empowerment and labour market inclusion of migrant and refugee women through digital skills training and job markets.
Last but not least, two new members of the EMF Bureau were elected for the term of one year: Anila Noor (New Women Connectors) and Rudi Osman (Union of Exiled Students – France).
Congratulations to the winners of the Forum Bureau elections @nooranila & @OsmanRudi🎇
Please continue using our platform to enable and grow #EUCivilSociety, for inclusive #MigrantIntegration and #YouthInclusion. pic.twitter.com/otLRR4thKG
— EU Migration Forum (@EurMigrForum) October 21, 2022
Hosted by the EESC in cooperation with the European Commission, the EMF is a platform for dialogue between civil society and the European institutions, on issues relating to migration, asylum and the integration of third-country nationals. It brings together, at least once a year, representatives of civil society organisations, local and regional authorities, Member States and EU institutions. In January 2015, the EESC, in cooperation with the European Commission, organised the first edition of the European Migration Forum (EMF). This developed from the European Integration Forum, of which 11 editions took place between 2009 and 2014.
The aim of the EMF is to enhance coordination and cooperation between key players involved in the multilevel European governance of migration. The EMF aims at providing more information on the latest policy developments but also to gather information on how European policies are implemented at regional, local and grass-root levels; it should help improve the understanding of the main challenges that civil society organisations and social partners face in the field and identify ways to better support them in their efforts to address migrants’ needs.
See our collection of relevant events, conferences, and meetings taking place next week. Tune in to them to stay updated on EU developments.
The Prague Process Ministerial Conference on migration will take place in Prague on 24 and 25 October 2022 under the auspices of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU. Ministers of the participating countries responsible for migration are expected to approve a political declaration and an action plan that will shape the framework for cooperation for 2023-2027.
24-28 October 2022At the initiative of the FEMM Committee, the European Parliament held its second European Gender Equality Week during the last week of October 2021. Following the success of the first European Gender Equality Week organised in October 2020, the European Parliament continued this important initiative: all parliamentary committees and delegations were invited to hold events addressing gender inequality issues in their areas of competence. On 24th October the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality will held an extraordinary meeting. Draft program here.
This public online consultation will feed in the European Committee of the Regions’ outlook opinion in view of the forthcoming Proposal for a Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions, following a referral from the European Commission Vice-President Šefčovič. It will gather input from key social economy stakeholders and cities and regions regarding the creation of favorable conditions for the social economy sector to grow in the EU. You can register here by Friday 21 October.
On the agenda the renewed cooperation agreement between the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee, and the European Commission work programme 2023, women Entrepreneurship, energy transition and climate action. The session will be web streamed.
This hearing will focus on topical questions such as the possible avenues to help MSMEs be well informed and prepared to grasp the opportunities of the transition to climate neutrality, coupling it with the possibilities offered by the digitalisation and hedging the current geopolitical risks. It will also take into consideration the challenges faced by the Belgian companies and the opportunities offered to them if they successfully adjust to the climate neutral and digitalised world.
Agenda available here.
On the Agenda “The status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents (recast)”. Full agenda available here.
Image source: European Week of Regions and Cities 2022 (see use guidelines here)
As part of this year’s European Week of Regions and Cities, UNITEE, in collaboration with INTEGRIM Lab and Eurocities, partners of the MILE and UNITES projects, hosted an online workshop titled “Young migrants and cities – new pathways for local participation and inclusion” with around 50 participants. The event focused on shaping narratives around the movement, local inclusion and participation of young newcomers in Europe and featured stories of migration from Razan Ismail (Asociación Kudwa), JuanFra Alvarado Valenzuela (University of Amsterdam of Applied Sciences) and Bohdan Yeromenko (Promote Ukraine).
The session was recorded, you can watch it here. In additon, the session was illustrated by Blanche Ellis, creating a graphic recording. You can see the graphic recording here.
In their accounts, Bohdan, Razan and JuanFra reflected on some of the challenges they faced when settling in Europe as young migrants as well as the opportunities, support and lasting connections they found as they started studies or jobs, started their own initiatives and businesses. Together with Elisabeth Ries, City Councillor for Youth, Family and Social Affairs at the City of Nuremberg in Germany and the workshop participants, they exchanged their visions of inclusive cities. Moreover, they discussed the potential of young migrants and agents of change, innovation, development and social cohesion.
Meanwhile, Elisabeth Ries shared the experience and approach of Nuremberg, a city that has a long history of migration and integration and where local governmental bodies are working to support migrants and meet their needs in local decision-making.
One key takeaway from the session was the need for two-way interactions between newcomers and long-term migrants. Newly arrived migrants and refugees can need a variety of support, ranging from administrative guidance to someone who can lend an ear in difficult times. To this end, cities could involve migrants who have already learned to navigate the city and are further along in their integration process, to support newcomers, share their experiences and help with things like language and cultural barriers. Not only can migrant communities support the integration of newcomers but also help long-term migrants to feel needed and connected in their cities as they are given the space to share their skills and experience with others.
For Razan Ismail, founder and director of Asociación Kudwa in Spain, her experiences as a young migrant led her to do exactly what Elisabeth encourages. Originally from Syria and having worked in the UK before coming to Spain, Razan founded Kudwa in an effort to support in particular Arabic-speaking newcomers, especially women, who are starting their integration journey in Barcelona.
Bohdan Yeromenko migrated several times within Europe: originally from Ukraine, he moved to Austria to work in technology before eventually ending up in Brussels working as an IT consultant. He now spends his free time volunteering for Promote Ukraine as an IT coordinator. Promote Ukraine works on advocating for Ukrainians in political, business and non-governmental circles in the EU. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the organisation has started initiatives supporting the integration of Ukrainians arriving in Belgium.
JuanFra Alvarado Valenzuela shared his story with workshop participants through a recorded video. Originally from Ecuador and now living in the Netherlands, he is a researcher and educator focusing on migration and diversity in entrepreneurship. He suggests universities should take a critical look at how diverse their student body is and re-examine their entry requirements to allow more people with diverse backgrounds and lived migration experience to pursue their studies in Europe.
He also reminds young migrants to not be afraid to ask for help and to not forget to offer their help and share their experience and skills with others.
Cities, institutions, and authorities also have a role to play in creating platforms to allow for this exchange of support. Aside from offering physical spaces for meetings, cities can foster interactions by utilising technological advancements, for instance by setting up Facebook or Whatsapp groups and thus bringing together newcomers and long-term migrants. Decentralising support this way can lower the pressure on municipalities and cities, which may have limited capacities and struggle to offer certain types of support, services, or spaces. A further point raised during the workshop is the lack of diversity in their decision-making bodies of many municipalities.
Newcomers, long-term migrants, and cities all have a role to play in the successful integration of young migrants. If they all do their share of the work, the integration process can be smoother and more successful, leading to a more cohesive and diverse Europe.
The European Week of Regions and Cities has been the yearly hub of EU cohesion policy for the past 19 years. In 2022, the event took place from 10-13 October, and it was organised in a hybrid format: it combined physical networking and Q&A sessions with online presentations. The themes of this year’s event were more relevant than ever, centering around the topics of the green transition, territorial cohesion, digital transition, and youth empowerment.
The session was illustrated by Blanche Ellis, creating a graphic recording. You can see the graphic recording here.
UNITEE, Eurocities and INTEGRIM Lab are part of the MILE project, an initiative funded by the EU which works towards promoting collaboration between migrant communities and local policy-makers. Read more about the MILE project here.
Eurocities and UNITEE are also part of the UNITES project, funded by the EU and aiming to advance the involvement of migrants in integration policies.
Since the beginning of 2022, UNITEE is part of the EU-funded UNITES project – “UrbaN InTEgration Strategies through co-design”. Led by Eurocities in cooperation with UNITEE, MigrationWork, and New Women Connectors, UNITES trains the eight European cities participating in the project to co-design integration policies with other local stakeholders and migrants.
Based on existing best practices of co-design strategies used by other cities worldwide, UNITES is developing training material which will be tested in the participating cities Athens, Bologna, Düsseldorf, Grenoble, Oulu, Prague, Zagreb, and Zaragoza. As UNITES partners, these cities will receive outreach grants, allowing them to implement some of the co-design best practices identified throughout the project. The training materials will be published at the end of the three-year project, allowing further cities to benefit from the outcomes and insights.
Kicking off at the beginning of 2022, UNITES has already identified six cities to inspire the UNITES partners with their approaches to co-design and the participation of migrants and refugees in integration policies: São Paulo, Nuremberg, Nantes, Liverpool, Fuenlabrada, and Mörsil.
The best practices of these six cities in co-design of integration policies were shared with the 8 UNITES cities for a training event in September 2022.
The event included an insightful introduction to co-design through which migrants and their experience are valued as experts in the policy-making process. To this end, co-design can break down the traditional, hierarchical approach to policy-making: instead of the local authorities making policies for migrants, the process is a collaboration between the two, allowing for better, more effective outcomes. Such a participatory approach is still not very common in the area of integration, despite considerable gains that were illustrated and discussed during the training.
Co-designing integration policies can be a complex but rewarding task. Newcomer migrants and refugees are usually not citizens in their country of residence, barring them from political participation such as voting. Undocumented migrants are even harder to account for and include in co-design processes.
Such exclusions need to be compensated for by creating accessible and safe spaces with inclusive communication that can make all people feel welcome and heard.
This presents another challenge: reaching a diverse group and being inclusive to all. Migrants and refugees come from different cultural backgrounds, they all have different stories and daily challenges. Cities and municipalities need good data about their migrant and refugee populations to understand how to be more inclusive and how to accommodate everyone. However, as some migrants are not present in the data the question arises how they can be accounted for in the policy-making process and encouraged to voice their opinions.
When cities recognise that they are limited in their approach to inclusion and participation of newcomers, they need to be prepared to make changes. They might set up consultative bodies or integration councils, but these solutions have their limitations: true representation beyond tokenism and consultation, and transparency being key challenges.
Lastly, transitioning to inclusive decision-making and co-design strategies takes time and resources in the short run.
Despite these challenges, results show that co-designing integration policies is worth the time and effort. Co-design can bring intersectional perspectives to new policies, leading to innovation, creativity, and attention to previously unheard voices and views. Diversity and inclusion in decision-making can lead to the empowerment of marginalized communities, who feel a sense of ownership towards the new policies. All of these practices are essential when striving for good governance.
Some best practices and success stories show the significant benefits of co-design approaches when it comes to integration. São Paulo, Nuremberg, Nantes, Liverpool, Fuenlabrada, and Mörsil presented their strategies and programs at the UNITES training event in September 2022. The city of Nuremberg showcased its Integration Council and the different local government bodies that all collaborate on integration.
The Spanish town of Fuenlabrada, located on the outskirts of Madrid, shared insights into its program called “Table for Coexistence”, which is both a platform for local associations, and a stakeholder in local cultural diversity management, aiming at interculturality in Fuenlabrada.
Mörsil, located in the Swedish municipality of Åre, is home to fewer than 1000 residents. After a wave of local discontent and conflicts surrounding the growing number of migrants and refugees in Morsil, the municipality embarked on a long and detailed consultation with local stakeholders, involving people of all backgrounds and providing any additional support that was needed to encourage otherwise unheard members of society to participate. By making all people feel comfortable with sharing their thoughts and insights, Mörsil was put under the looking glass, and the municipality could gain a deeper understanding of the opposing grievances. After this, the municipality launched a program toward reconciliation and unity in Mörsil, which is still running today.
The UNITES project will move forward in 2023 and 2024 with the 8 UNITES cities developing their integration co-design strategies, and learning from each other through a series of field visits. These experiences will be used in the following step, when a publicly available online training material will be developed – serving cities all across Europe.
Read more about the UNITES project here.
On 21-22 February 2022, UNITEE, together with the other project partners of MILE – Migrant Integration Through Locally-Designed Experiences – gathered for a hybrid event in Barcelona to officially kick off the two-year project. MILE is funded by the European Union’s ‘Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund’ (AMIF) and is working to promote the active engagement of migrants and refugees in local policy-making.
Participants together to discuss the objectives and activities of the project. They were hosted by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), one of the research partners of the project, and the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), a think and do tank specialised in Euro-Mediterranean relations including migration.
A public event rounded off the first meeting day and allowed project partners to meet with various Barcelona-based organisations, researchers, and practitioners working on the topics of migration and integration. Participants were welcomed by the project partners as well as Dr. Rosa María Sebastián, Vice-Rector of Innovation and Strategic Projects at UAB, and Carlota Martí Niubò, Head of Press and Media at the Representation of the European Commission in Barcelona.
About MILE
MILE will run until December 2023 and brings together partners from Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK. By providing municipalities and migrant-led associations in the respective countries with research-based and locally-tailored mechanisms for inclusive exchange, leadership, and policy-making, MILE aims to promote mutual understanding and exchange between migrants and local governments.
In the long run, MILE will set up a European Network of Exchange and Collaboration (ENEC) among municipalities as well as a peer-to-peer exchange platform for migrant-led organisations, constituting the backbone of future collaborations. These two networks will be open to any interested organisations and municipalities.
For more information, please contact Vanessa Cotterell, UNITEE (vcotterell@unitee.eu).
A list of MILE project partners can be found here.
UNITEE is part of the RIDE project, which focuses on advancing the inclusion of migrant women through digital empowerment. The project aims to include migrant and refugee women in the digital labour market by giving them the possibility to re-skill or upskill in the digital sector through specially designed training courses enabling them to start working.
Visit the website of the RIDE project to find out more.
On Wednesday, 24th of January 2018, the European Parliament hosted the Interparliamentary Committee Meeting on “The European Agenda on Migration – What about Legal Avenues and Integration?”
UNITEE took part in the event, represented by Mr. Osman Kimil, UNITEE’s Vice President and Head of Unipack, who was one of the panelists during the meeting’s fourth session.
The European Agenda on Migration is a comprehensive response to the priorities identified in the Political Guidelines of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. The Agenda includes proposals for fighting irregular migration, reinforcing common border management, strengthening the common asylum policy, and launching a new policy on legal migration.
The European Parliament took a very comprehensive stance to “the crisis” in its resolution of 12 April 2016. In it, the EP called upon the EU the duty to create legal avenues to migration, and to facilitate integration in order to manage human mobility in a sustainable way.
The overall discussion concerned background, perspectives and challenges of the EU’s response to the current migration challenge. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss in depth the need to create legal avenues to migration, and to facilitate integration in order to manage human mobility in a sustainable way. During this one-day event, Parliamentarians at both national and European level exchanges their views on this topic with a number of representatives of EU institutions, bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organizations, local governments, academics and think-tanks.
The event was structured in 4 sessions and a closing panel. The first session, titled: The European Agenda for Migration – Legal avenues and integration two years on”, was chaired by MEP Claude MORAES, LIBE Committee Chair and Rapporteur on the Blue Card Directive, and started with a Keynote speech by Mr. Felipe GONZÁLEZ MORALES, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants.
As a representative of the Bulgarian Council Presidency, Mr. Tsvetan TSVETANOV outlined why the European Union should enhance legal avenues to deal with migration. After expressing his views on the European Agenda on Migration and the European Blue Card dossier, Mr. Tsvetan TSVETANOV recalled that migration will be one of the main topic in the next Parliamentary elections in 2019 and that a common EU response to deal with it was necessary. During his speech, Mr. Felipe GONZÁLEZ MORALES explained that the so-called migration crisis was in fact a crisis of political will and therefore it is important to change how migration is perceived. According to Mr. Felipe GONZÁLEZ MORALES, migration policies should both facilitate the mobility of people – by increasing the legal channels for migration and establishing appropriate visa facilitation regimes – and ensure the protection of external borders. On the management of migration, Commissioner Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, pointed out that the EU should move from a crisis management mode to a long-term, structural approach. In this light, Commissioner AVRAMOPOULOS underlined a number of recent EU initiatives such as the two successful EU resettlement schemes; the proposed EU Resettlement Framework; and the reform of the European Blue Card. On integration, Commissioner AVRAMOPOULOS highlighted the need for a “whole-of-society” approach. Finally Ms. Fatma ŞAHIN, Mayor of the Turkish city of Gaziantep, nominated in 2016 for Nobel Peace Prize, took the floor to explain which policies are adopted in Gaziantep to mitigate the large flows of migrants and to ensure good humanitarian solutions. With that in mind, Ms. Fatma ŞAHIN focused on certain initiatives – mainly in the field of education – that are implemented in order to protect and integrate migrants in Gaziantep.
The second session, chaired by MEP Sophie IN’T VELD, Rapporteur on the Reception Conditions Directive, was opened with a speech from Peter O’SULLIVAN, Resettlement Officer in United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Bureau for Europe, on Resettlement.
As defined by UNHCR, resettlement is “the transfer of refugees from an asylum country to another State that has agreed to admit them and ultimately grant them permanent settlement”. During his intervention, Mr. Peter O’SULLIVAN explained that efficient integration policies are necessary and beneficial both for the resettled refugee and the receiving country. Then, Ms. Violeta MORENO-LAX, Lecturer in Law, Queen Mary University of London, discussed the role of visas for legal avenues. During her speech, she underlined the evolution of EU policies and initiatives when it comes to visas and legal pathways to manage migratory flows. Ms. Marietta KARAMANLI, Member of the French National Assembly, then underlined the need to deal with migration both at EU and international level. Moreover, Ms. Marietta KARAMANLI declared that the EU should both be able to deal with migration crisis as well as to develop medium and long term migratory policies. Then, the French Parliamentarian stated that the EU should establish a common framework to deal with economic migration based on strong partnerships with third countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Finally, Mr. Nikolaos PARASKEVOPOULOS, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, stated that it would be wrong to think that strengthening the EU’s external borders would reduce the migratory flows and recalled that some Member States did not fulfil their engagements on relocation. On the renovation of the Dublin Regulation, Mr. Nikolaos PARASKEVOPOULOS explained that it as a unique opportunity to put in place a permanent relocation system. Generally speaking, the Greek MEP explained that it is crucial to find a compromise between national needs and that the EU solidarity would have to prevail at the end.
The third session started in the afternoon and it was chaired by MEP Roberta METSOLA, Co-Rapporteur on “The situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic EU approach to migration”, Chair of the EP Asylum Contact Group.
The discussion followed with a presentation of Ms. Claire COURTEILLE, Director of ILO Brussels, on legal avenues for labour migration to the EU – gaps and prospects. During her speech, Ms. Claire COURTEILLE declared that heads of state and government should enhance routes for legal and regular migration. Moreover, Ms. COURTELLE affirmed that it is important to assess current and future labour market needs and shortages. On ILO, Ms. Claire COURTEILLE recalled that a number of non binding instruments were recently adopted to ensure efficient and inclusive labour market policies based on the principles of equal treatment and opportunity between migrants and national workers. The next panelist was Mr. Thomas HUDDELSTON, Programme Director of Migration Policy Group, who discussed the obstacles to the exercise of the right to family reunification (implementation of Directive 2003/86/EC). He also explained that the right to family reunification is an entry channel enabling those who already reside legally in a Member State to be joined by their family members. Although this right to family reunification had been long facilitated in Europe for the last decade, Mr. Thomas HUDDELSTON regretted that a number of Member States – such as Sweden, Finland, and Austria – had introduced in 2016 temporary restrictive measures delaying the integration process. Subsequently, Mr. Jacek KURZEPA, Member of the Polish Sejm for the Law and Justice Party, underlined that Poland has the fasted growing migrant population in the EU and recalled that the country is using simplified procedures to grant work permits. The role of national authorities in the management of migration was also stressed during the Polish Parliamentarian’s intervention. Finally, Ms. Laura FERRARA, Shadow Rapporteur on the Blue Card Directive, identified a number of areas the EU should focus on, such as helping the countries of origins; addressing the root causes of migration; the issue of human trafficking; competitiveness; and the right to family reunification.
The main topic of the fourth session focused on the opportunities and challenges migrants are facing in the integration process. The Chair of this session was MEP Jean LAMBERT, EMPL Rapporteur on the Blue Card Directive, Shadow Rapporteur on “Refugees: social inclusion and integration into the labour market”.
The topic was introduced by Mr. Thomas LIEBIG, Senior Migration Specialist, OECD, who presented good practices for the integration of migrants and refugees. According to his research, Thomas Liebig explained that it is important to have tailor-made integration solutions and to focus on early integration – especially for children. Moreover, Thomas Liebig stated that civil society should be more engaged and that heads of state and government should perceive integration as an investment. Subsequently, Mr. Miltos PAVLOU, Senior Programme Manager – Social Research of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, explained his recent research findings on concrete integration measures. According to him, integration policies should aim at creating a “fruitful environment” for migrants especially by focusing on certain areas such as employment, housing, education, and the involvement of migrants in the social life.
Mr. Osman KIMIL, Vice President of UNITEE and Head of Unipack, then presented his own experience as an European entrepreneur and employer with a migrant background. He started by pointing out that, based on his experience, the first challenges of an immigrant are the language barrier and the cultural differences. He then explained that migrants have proved to contribute to the European market in terms of diversity, skills’ potential and opening up to new markets. He mentioned UNITEE as an example of EU umbrella organization whose mission is to value the contribution of New Europeans. He also underlined that encouraging entrepreneurship is the best way to ensure migrants’ integration, to overcome fears and prejudice. Mr. Kimil then concluded by sharing his experience as employer of some refugees from Afghanistan, and by underlying how important it is to scale up such examples of integration.
MEP Susana AMADOR, Vice-President of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, then gave an overview of the integration policies and the management of migration in Portugal in recent years. MEP Susana AMADOR insisted on the human rights perspective and judged that there should be bi-monthly indicators in certain areas (education, language trainings, health). Finally, Mr. Dimitrios KALOGEROPOULOS, Rapporteur for the Committee of the Regions for the Mid-term review of the implementation of the European Agenda on Migration, discussed the role of regional and local authorities for integration. Moreover, Mr. Dimitrios KALOGEROPOULOS regretted that certain Member States were taking a very populist line, not respecting Schengen and playing the fear card.
The closing speech was held by Mr. Eugenio AMBROSI, IOM Regional Director for the EU, who presented the future of migration governance in the light of the IOM initiative Global Compact for Migration.
Report by Victoire Radiguet
HOGIAF, UNITEE member Federation based in Netherlands, will be one of the 80 NGOs that will take part in the 3-days event: #EUTrade Policy: What it is and why it matters, to be held in Brussels on 4-5-6 December 2017.
The programme will engage young people from across the EU, spreading the voice about the practical implications of EU trade policy and sharing with the stakeholders how they can provide input into policy decisions which affect them and their communities.
Trade policy sets the direction for trade and investment in and out of the EU and affects businesses and individuals across EU member states and beyond. In all sectors, a successful trade policy positively affects exports and employment across the EU. It keeps down costs for businesses and consumers of the products they need from abroad and it enables more than €5 trillion a year in inward investment.
Trade policy is also a valid tool of promotion of European values through our trade agreements and the almost €7 trillion of EU investment with partners in the rest of the world.
To sum up, trade policy has a big impact on every business and citizen in the EU, and the #EUTrade Policy Programme, hosted by Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, will be a great opportunity to take part in it. The three days of expert presentations and discussions will be shared via a series of local events and online activities in the member states.
To view the full programme, please click HERE.