European Web Site on Integration - January 2021

The Danish government has just launched the Integration Action Plan 2020, describing the most important initiatives of last year and some future plans for this year. The publication is not an evaluation but rather an update. Introduction Emphasis in the introduction to the publication is on an individual's decision to become a part of Danish society, and on making an effort, with the main goal o…

More than 356 000 immigrants with ongoing regularisation processes at the Foreigners and Borders Office (SEF) in Portugal were provisionally legalised in 2020, under two decrees published following the outbreak of COVID-19. The first decree - published on 27 March 2020 - allowed approximately 260 000 immigrants with processes ongoing at SEF to be temporarily granted settled status. The Government…

Every foreign national who - as of 1 January 2021 - is issued a long-term residence permit for the Czech Republic, and also every foreign national who is issued a permanent residence permit after this date without the precondition of previous authorised stay in the territory, is obliged to take the adaptation and integration course within one year of the date of collecting their residence permit. …

Between January and November 2020 the Romanian authorities received 5082 asylum applications. Most of the individuals concerned have been accommodated at the Reception Centers in Bucharest (in the south of the country) and Timisoara (located at the border with Serbia, in the west). According to the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the number of asylum applications received in 2020 surpassed b…

Si une réduction des demandes d'asile a été enregistrée en 2020 en raison de la crise sanitaire, la France était en 2019 la deuxième destination en Europe avec près de 178 000 demandeurs. Dans ce contexte, le ministère de l'intérieur a présenté sa feuille de route 2021-2023 pour l'accueil des demandeurs d'asile et l'int&e…

Portugal's High Commission for Migration is now accepting funding applications for projects that organise intercultural mediation teams and municipal intervention in order to support the integration of migrant and Roma communities. Applications must be submitted in partnership with a municipality, with the local authority assuming the role of partnership coordinator. Eligible projects have to be …

The Municipality of Sofia has opened a new call for proposals, seeking to finance activities for young people (aged 15-29 years old). The main goal of the funding programme - entitled Sofia - City of the Young and Active - is to preserve, develop and invest in youth as the social capital of the municipality. The programme provides the opportunity to build and strengthen the capacity of …

Humans in the Loop is an award-winning social enterprise which employs and trains refugees and conflict-affected people to provide image annotation services for artificial intelligence and computer vision. The enterprise works with AI startups to prepare and curate their datasets, creating simple and accessible remote online job opportunities to vulnerable people. So far it has provided more…

The Migrant Women Association Malta (MWAM) launched an emergency call to gather knowledge about the main needs of migrant women (as well as other migrants) in Malta during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to better inform action taken to assist the migrant community and residents of the Maltese open centers. This call led to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Project, which has run several suppor…

NewBees prepares newcomers and refugees in the Netherlands for a job, in doing so facilitating their integration into society. The organisation matches newcomers to traineeships with local entrepreneurs and organisations, where talent and equality are key. Using a unique methodology and online matching platform, NewBees combines smart technology with social contact in order to offer close guidanc…

„Slalom“, das ist ein kurviger Weg zum Ziel, so wie auch das Ankommen in Deutschland für viele junge Männer mit Fluchthintergrund voller Hindernisse und Herausforderungen ist. Das Gefühl des Fremdseins, Rassimuserfahrungen und Fragen bezüglich der eigenen Identität und Lebensgestaltung können emotional belasten. Die „SlaLoM“-Treffen, die Salam…

Millefeuilles – Soirées littéraires interculturelles, sont des soirées conviviales où les gens se retrouvent autour d’un thème donné pour laisser libre cours à leur imagination et leur créativité. Dans le public ou sur scène, tout le monde est le bienvenu ! Chacun est libre de s’exprimer par la lecture, la…

La France traverse, avec l'épidémie de la Covid-19, une crise tant sanitaire qu'économique et sociale, unique dans son histoire récente. Elle a mis en œuvre un premier confinement sur l'ensemble de son territoire du 17 mars au 11 mai 2020, puis un couvre-feu pour quelques grandes agglomérations à partir du 14 octobre 2020, immédiatement suivi …

New research conducted with migrant meat factory workers in Ireland has revealed a systemic culture of discrimination and dangerous working conditions across the sector, with many employers putting profit before the health and safety of workers. The research was carried out by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI). The researchers developed a methodology to enable workers to overcome the barri…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has carried out global research in order to better understand how refugees and migrants have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they have been dealing with specific associated challenges. The ApartTogether report presents the findings of this worldwide research. It is an advocacy brief, identifying the different impacts of the pandemic as…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has produced technical guidance outlining evidence, knowledge and best practices on the integration of migrant health data. Produced in collaboration with Uppsala University, the new guidance outlines why and how Member States should collect refugee and migrant-specific health data through their national health information systems (HIS). The 98-page p…