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Assembly of European Regions

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You are here: Home / Archives for Project AMiD

“Massively thought-provoking” – AMiD project Final Conference

19 November, 2019 By Luca Magri

Massively thought-provoking…

That was the first reaction of one of the participants to the conference. The final conference of AMiD project. Why provoking? Because the topic is pretty new. And because it matters. Because as panellists and participants, there were representatives from the local authorities, disabilities organisations, service providers and international institutions. Because migration is not a problem, but a reality.

Not just a conference…

Gathering together this variety of participants had a purpose: to help them work together to shape recommendations. Just as in the project, it was a variety of organisations from different backgrounds that AMiD happen.
So first came a round of panellists to open up the debate: diversity, data and evidence, a common European framework of welcomes, all with migration as a cross-cutting theme.

After a wave of presentations and questions, participants split in three groups to discuss and agree on recommendations. They included:

LIVE ‼️ Parallel workshop sessions at the #AMiDproject Final Conference

1. The use of Needs Assessment Tool
2. How to improve skills and knowledge of organisations working for migrants
3. Multi-stakeholders approach to inclusion of migrants with disabilities pic.twitter.com/u65Mb5xDSj

— AER (@europeanregions) November 5, 2019
  • Improving capacity for CSOs – Civil Society Organisations working in the sector.
  • To set and spread the multi-stakeholder approach to inclusion.
  • Engagement to raise the topic of migrants with disabilities in the next Disability Strategy 2020-2030

What we heard from the panellists…

Migration, disability, diversity, migration as transversal cut to health or education, Global compact. All those where key words shared with the audience.
Conny Reuter, Secretary-General of Solidar, gave insights on migration as first something linking the all spectrum of social life: health, education, employment, housing. That was the kick-off to understand the dimension of what migration is.
Nuria Diez Guardia, representing the European Commission’s DG Home , was on the same line. As the DG in charge of the topic of migration and inclusion, DG Home Affairs works in collaboration with the other Directorates-General. That is the only way to set policies and resources for real inclusion.

But what about disability and migration? Ola Herinkson, IOM representative at the European Commission, reminded participants that the Global Compact for Migration have an eye for this group. That being, Objective No. 15, this is the part to look at and to work with.
Angela Unufe, CEO of Migrant & Minority Disability Network Europe, considered AMiD as a starting point to give more visibility to this group. “With AMiD we kicked off, but it is the right direction”.

Yaya Traore’ brought the voice of those who did the journey by boat to Europe. A tragic story, with a happy end. Despite his disability and the trauma he had to overcome, it was possible for him to learn the language of the hosting country and even get a job! “I was lucky,” he said. Yaya could be supported with proper services. Proof that it can be done!

What about the local authorities? Regions at AMiD

Oriol Amoros, Secretary of Equality, Migration and Citizenship of Catalonia (ES), made the point very clear. Local authorities, regions, can create vulnerabilities. How? With their laws, policies and bureaucracy. A little example: no official paper, no access to services or employment for migrants. On the other hand, regions have also the power to change that.
Marlene Niubo gave an overview of a mentoring programme for young migrants. That is one of the actions in place to support vulnerable groups. As Oriol Amoros reminded to all us, numbers say that 14% of European citizens has a disability and that in the 24% of all households there is one member with a migration background.

Multi-stakeholder and multi-level collaboration

Regions and local authorities can do more. But they can do better working in collaboration with the other organisations in society. The conference was a kind of lab in this sense. In the workshops, it was particularly encouraging to see how much NGOs, service providers, local authorities and international institutions have in common.

Kenneth Johannesson, AER politician from Varmland (SE), shared the experience of the AMiD CAB-Community Advisory Board. He and Angela Unufe, and the other CAB members sit together to understand, check and give advice to increase the overall quality of the project products. Specific work was carried out on the NAT (Needs Assessment Tool). Irena Guidikova, bringing the experience of the Intercultural City Programme from the Council of Europe, had only one statement on the multistakeholder approach: it works and it makes actions sustainable over time.

Watch this wrap-up video from the Conference to learn more!
Cross-County Report (EN)
AMiD Training Course (EN)
Needs Assessment Tool
AMiD Project Website
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National insights. AMiD closer look at everyday situation of migrant with disabilities

8 October, 2019 By Luca Magri

AMiD project looks at the topic of migrant with disabilities under different angles.

The very starting point of the journey was getting the picture of the different situation of migrants and refugees with disabilities in some EU member countries. Mostly, the ones on the front line to the welcome.

Greece, Austria and Italy were part of the study. Finland played the role of reallocation countries.

Findings and information gave the fuel to activities and the setting of the NAT-Need Assessment Tool.

Knowing and understanding gaps and challenges in the existing disability sector and the services available to the migrants with disabilities were one of the basic cornerstones of the project.

The report, as it is

The report is the result of contributions collected in different ways and from different sources.

The voice of the migrants with disabilities were heard via focus groups in each of these countries. Positive and negative experiences, suggestions and stories back on how their day to day, month after months lives is.

Experts and professionals were interviewed as well in focus groups.

Desk research brought the current situation on migration and disability. But also spotted the concept of integration and disability, the rights of migrants and the level of discrimination (in social life, laws, healthcare, education etc.).

Final recommendations for each country sum up the sense, the need and the requests for improvements.

What AMiD learned and you will learn

Migrants with disabilities have really clear something that sounds, unfortunately, obvious.

They are facing double discrimination. First because of their disability and second because they are not European citizens.

Frustration can be higher in some cases. Even when services are available, procedures might make them inaccessible. For example, requiring an official translator. Not only easy to get one.

Or the never-ending quest for an accommodation. The whole process might last more than one year.

Not only seeing dark

Very appreciated can be little but warm things. Like when the staff made a course in sign language and decided to use this ability to support colleagues working with refugees.

Or when refugees’ families discover that their children can go to school and the National educational system fully provides assistive devices.

Leisure activities are very important. And can be a nice surprise as well. Like being able to take part in social activities, like local festivities in the different regions, both Catholic or from the Muslim calendar when there is a Muslin community in the area.

And for the future

Briefly, in the different countries there were crosscutting recommendations that came from all the different countries:

  • Refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities must stay together with their family. Splitting family members causes more stress and insecurity to those family members that have disability.
  • Simplify bureaucracy. Sometimes is difficult even for native, what for those coming for the first time in a totally new country?
  • the need for raising awareness on the topic and a help from a higher political European level Especially when right-far right coalitions are in power in national countries to balance the efforts of local authorities and local no-profit organisations

And a final say: all assistance activities must be carried out with full respect for the fundamental rights of migrants.

Take a look of the full reports, the cross country and the national ones for Austria, Finland, Greece and Italy on the AMiD project page.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s AMIF – Asylum Migration and Integration Fund programme under grant agreement No 776055

Photo by Olivier Villard on Unsplash

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Throwback Thursday: reflecting on the achievements of the AMiD project…

5 September, 2019 By Luca Magri

The AER flagship project on migration, AMiD-Access to Services for Migrants with Disabilities, has been running since early 2018.

Soon, the final conference, scheduled in Brussels on 5th November, will present a one-stop-shop of all the project’s products and findings.

AER focused in particular on how to set a common approach toward migrants and refugees with disabilities, improving cooperation among Local Authorities and NGOs.

A series of events with various formats, took place over the last year. That is in line with the interest and commitment that the AER network has brought to migration and migrants, since the “Tampere Declaration on Migration and Integration” in 2008 to the important political statement on “Facing the migration and refugee challenges” adopted at the pic of the  refugees crises in 2015.

Kick-Off in collaboration with the Task Force on Migration

Everything started with the debate on migration at the 2018 Autumn Bureau in Gelderland. The debate was the appetizer to introduce the multi-stakeholder and multilevel collaboration. That is the option suggested to overcome the issue to set a common approach among the different actors involved in the process of welcome and support of migrants and migrants with disabilities. AER members engaged in an exchange about the dynamics of migration, the European and global policies, and the funding instruments and programmes already available. 

International conference: marking International Migrants Day

The International Migrants Day marked a fundamental step in the evolution of the involvement and discussion of AER members and regional and local authorities from larger Europe.

Hosted by Catalonia Region (ES), participants came to exchange and learn, united in recognition of the vital role played by local and regional authorities in managing diversity and building cohesive societies, improving the lives and opportunities of citizens, and contributing to their social, economic and civic inclusion. This aim was echoed by Laura Corrado of the European Commission’s DG Home who shared the Commissions efforts to bring a multi-level, multi-stakeholder approach to migration policy. Kenneth Johannesson, from Varmland and member of the AMiD CAB – Community Advisory Board, appealed to a social vision of Europe that would combat discrimination in order to ensure that all people have access to “a freedom not from society, but through society.” 

Workshop at the Spring Plenaries: examples of the multi-stakeholder approach

The 2019 Spring Plenaries in Orebro (SE) welcomed a workshop under the sign of AMiD. A smaller event, where the perspective of the multi-staholder way have been discussed further. What is the added value to work with organisations that are not public authorities? Agneta Kardos from Timis County, another AMiD CAB member for AER, shared the experience of a non-formalised multi-stakeholder network that involves NGOs working on social care and child protection. Timis County is getting recommendations and knowledge from best-practices from them.

On the other hand, Aleksander Bro from Orebro County presented a consultation process where Public sector and social economy organisations work and talked together on local development. Other examples came up composing a large and various range of experiences. Participants got that the ways to collaborate and involve stakeholders can be different but all efficient and successful.

Project and programmes on migration in AER’s network

The 2019 General Assembly and Spring Bureau in Larnaca (CY) hosted a mixed panel gathering together regional authorities, cities, NGOs and European institutions. Rasoul Nejadmehr, expert on migration from Vastra Gotaland County, talked on the paradox that anti-migrant sentiments strongest in countries with very few migrants. Rasoul Nejadmehr spotted that the problem is the feeling among citizens to be politically disempowered, financially insecure and without social support. That makes citizens most likely to become extremely negative towards migrants and other vulnerable groups.

The good news is there are already examples and resources. ARCi, Italian NGO, brought the great example of JUMA, website were any service helpful to migrants is listed. City of Torino (IT) and the Prisma project proved how fruitful can be the collaboration between a local authority and an NGO, Verba association, specialized in disability. All the positive effects of the collaboration are benefiting migrants with disabilities that has access to this service first.

Irena Guidikova, head of division Inclusion and Anti-discrimination programme of the Council of Europe, made clear this statement: to turn needs in resources. The Council of Europe is supporting cities with the programme “Intercultural Cities Programme” (ICC). Experts from the Council supported Athens in 2017 to face the migration crisis, as well as smaller cities, as the sharing from Agios Athanasios 20.000 inhabitants in Cyprus showed. A the message coming from a video of a migrant with disability echoed this approach: give us an opportunity.

Meeting young politicians: AMiD at the 2020 Summer Academy

The final stop before the final conference (here the save the date), was the workshop at the 2019 Summer Academy. Angela Unafe, CAB member from Migrant & Minority Disability Network Europe, person with disability and migrant herself, led participants on the workshop among points that matters. Angela Unafe brought light on the phenomenon of people forced to leave their homes and how among them have disabilities. Participants hardly could estimate it, but they agreed that the migrants with disabilities are in need of welfare support and integral services to fulfil their right to equal opportunities.

What’s next?

The final conference is planned on 5th November in Brussels. Take a look at the programme. Come and learn more about other organisations experiences and what AMiD can provide to improve your services for migrants and migrants with disabilities.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s AMIF – Asylum Migration and Integration Fund programme under grant agreement No 776055

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AMiD Final Conference

29 August, 2019 By Editor

SAVE THE DATE!

The Assembly of European Regions is pleased to invite you to:

The AMiD Final Conference

Date: 5 November 2019 
Timing: 13:00-18:30
Venue: European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Rue Belliard 99, B-1040, Brussels

 

AMiD – Access to services for Migrants with Disabilities project is an EU funded project that aims to support the efficient management of the reception and inclusion of migrants with disabilities in the EU. The conference is organised in collaboration with the AMiD consortium.

 

Aims of the conference:
– Explore the main project results from the national reports of the participating countries, the Needs Assessment Tool and the training modules
– Improve the knowledge of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and local authorities in order to meet the needs of migrants with disabilities arriving in Europe more successfully
– Discuss the most important trends, needs and challenges on the topic ‘disability & migration’ with key experts in the field

 

Participation is encouraged from experts working in the areas of social affairs, migration, inclusion, and diversity in AER’s member regions in local & regional authorities around Europe.

 

Useful Links

General Programme
Registration Link

For more info about the AMiD project please visit this webpage.

 

Check the video of Magnus Berntsson, President of AER, presenting the AMiD Project:

Migrants with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable groups of society🤝@europeanregions actively support their integration at local level! Find more #Regions4Integration stories on ➡https://t.co/LvA4LcPSkP@MagnusBerntsson pic.twitter.com/hwKXld8QEc

— European Committee of the Regions (@EU_CoR) July 17, 2019

"Massively thought-provoking" - AMiD project Final Conference

“Massively thought-provoking” – AMiD project Final Conference

Massively thought-provoking... That was the first reaction of one of the participants to the conference. The final conference of AMiD ...
Read More
Bridge

National insights. AMiD closer look at everyday situation of migrant with disabilities

AMiD project looks at the topic of migrant with disabilities under different angles. The very starting point of the journey ...
Read More
Throwback Thursday: reflecting on the achievements of the AMiD project...

Throwback Thursday: reflecting on the achievements of the AMiD project…

The AER flagship project on migration, AMiD-Access to Services for Migrants with Disabilities, has been running since early 2018. Soon, ...
Read More
SUMMER ACADEMY 2019: AMiD workshop on Migrants with Disabilities

SUMMER ACADEMY 2019: AMiD workshop on Migrants with Disabilities

"Opportunities for all abilities" The AMiD-Access to services for Migrants with Disabilities project is landing in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS) ...
Read More
AMiD workshop: multilevel cooperation for migration policies

AMiD workshop: multilevel cooperation for migration policies

On the occasion of this year Spring Plenaries in Örebro (SE), AER is organising a workshop on multilevel cooperation for ...
Read More
At International Migrants Day event, regions share intercultural approaches to diversity, inclusion

At International Migrants Day event, regions share intercultural approaches to diversity, inclusion

On 18 December, AER marked International Migrants Day in Barcelona. A source of inputs for the AMiD project (Access to ...
Read More
Good practices on refugees and disability inspired AMiD project

Good practices on refugees and disability inspired AMiD project

Refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities is the main target of AMiD project. Started on January 2018, the project team ...
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AER members share knowledge to improve situation for refugees in their regions

AER members share knowledge to improve situation for refugees in their regions

On 24 and 25 January 2018, AER co-organised several events focusing on local and regional responses to the Syrian refugee ...
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Fairer Assessment for Migrants with Disabilities? Accomplished, with the AMiD Project!

Fairer Assessment for Migrants with Disabilities? Accomplished, with the AMiD Project!

Good news for AER partners! EASPD, the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities, and AER, together with ...
Read More

SUMMER ACADEMY 2019: AMiD workshop on Migrants with Disabilities

17 June, 2019 By Editor

“Opportunities for all abilities”

The AMiD-Access to services for Migrants with Disabilities project is landing in Novi Sad, Vojvodina (RS) for the 2019 Summer Academy with the aim to raise awareness among regional and local authorities and young representatives about one of the most fragile within the disadvantaged groups: migrants with disabilities. The AMiD official video, testimonies of migrants with disabilities, the human rights-based approach of the UN CRPD- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are ingredients of the cocktail to showcase how better services lead to more inclusive societies.

Costs of participation can be reimbursed from the European Union’s AMIF – Asylum Migration and Integration Fund programme by signing up to this AMiD workshop taking place on Wednesday 3rd of July! How? Keep reading below…

Migrants with disabilities in the spotlight

Over the past few years, Europe has been facing an unprecedented influx of migrants and refugees since the end of the Second World War. The risks for refugees and migrants travelling to Europe remain very high today with more people dying at sea or along land routes while travelling to or crossing a border. In this context, the integration of migrants has become one of the most salient topics in the European political agenda.

When it comes to migrants and refugees with disabilities, the European Council and Parliament Directive 2013/32/EU states that “the reception of persons with special needs should be a primary concern for national authorities in order to ensure that such reception is specifically designed to meet their special reception needs.”

Furthermore, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), ratified by the EU and all the EU member states, requires States Parties to put in place structures that enable the full participation of persons with disabilities in society and to ensure their protection in situations of risk, including armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters.

However, there are multiple obstacles migrants and refugees with disabilities have to face, such as fails to assess their disabilities or the lack of access to social services that address their specific needs. One of the reasons is the lack of a common approach among different actors and the lack of cohesion among Local Authorities concerning the migrants and refugees situation.

Inclusion at the forefront

AER is at the front side when it comes to migration. In 2008, the AER General Assembly adopted the “Tampere Declaration on Migration and Integration”. A political statement on “Facing the migration and refugee challenges” was also adopted by the Bureau in 2015. Furthermore, AER is a partner in a project to support efficient management of the reception and integration of asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities in the EU, the AMiD project. Värmland (SE), Timis (RO) and Valencia (ES) are members of the AMiD – Community Advisory Board. Just last week, the AER Task Force on migration adopted a position “Towards an intercultural Europe”.

An AMiD workshop to stand-up for equal opportunities!

The Summer Academy participants attending this workshop will take-away the following message: migrants with disabilities are in need of welfare support and integral services to fulfil their right to equal opportunities. One expert from the AMiD consortium will conduct this session where the participants will be invited to reflect on the challenges that migrants with disabilities face on a daily basis.

Following this, the AMiD official video and some video-testimonials will be screened in order for the participants to get acquainted with the campaign and the ways they can collaborate to spread the word. The participants will also have the chance to share their experiences when accessing welfare services in a foreign country. The last part of the session will be dedicated to introducing the human rights-based approach and the AMiD’s Needs Assesment Tool (NAT).

Get reimbursed for your participation!

By signing up to this workshop, the participants can benefit from the reimbursement of their trip expenses, accommodation for 2 nights and 3 meals per day at the AER 2019 Summer Academy in Novi Sad, Vojvodina.

Please, read very carefully HERE the guidelines to make sure you meet the requirements and your expenses are eligible for reimbursement! Please, note that you will need a mandate signed by the relevant public authority:

  • Reimbursement Form Guidelines.
  • Public authority mandate letter.

Expenses must be claimed after the Summer Academy and sent to the AER Secretariat until the 15th of July!

For any inquiries regarding the AMiD project or reimbursements, please contact Luca Magri ([email protected]) at the AER Secretariat.

How to participate?

This workshop takes place in the context of the AER Summer Academy 2019.

If you are already registered for the AER Summer Academy and would like to participate in this workshop, you have the possibility to have two nights accommodation and your travel costs reimbursed. Please send an expression of interest to [email protected] via email with the Subject Line “AMiD workshop 2019 Summer Academy – Expression of Interest”.

If you are not already registered for the Summer Academy and wish to participate in this workshop and in many other activities, please visit the event page of the Summer Academy and discover the full programme. 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the Novi Sad 2019 European Youth Capital!

Register for the Summer Academy Now!

If you would like to register for the AMiD workshop only – please email [email protected] with the Subject Line “AMiD workshop 2019 Summer Academy – Expression of Interest”

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‘Connecting the dots’ – Multi-level, Multi-actor Migration 

16 May, 2019 By Erica Lee

The Assembly of European Regions is pleased to invite you to two inclusion days, starting with:

A Round Table and World Cafe’ Exchange Session
‘Connecting the dots’
Multi-level, Multi-actor Migration

AMiD Targeted Meeting 3
Larnaca, 5 June 2019

Timing: 10.00 – 16.30
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Larnaca (Atlantidon 2, Larnaca 6058, Cyprus)
Programme: HERE

About the Event:
This event aims to bring regional and local authorities together with civil society organisations and representatives of European Institutions to share experiences and methodologies on how to achieve a common approach among different stakeholders and a better multilevel coordination on welcoming migrants and refugees.

Participation is encouraged from experts working in the areas of social affairs, migration, inclusion, and diversity in AER’s member regions in local & regional authorities around Europe.

Individuals from organisations, such as NGO’s, working in this field may qualify for participation, pending an endorsement mandate (available HERE) from their region. 

Travel and accommodation costs for participation will be covered in the context of the European project “AMiD – Access to Services for Migrants with Disabilities“. Full details about the reimbursement procedures can be found HERE.

On 6 June, the AER Bureau Meeting will take place. Participants attending the AMiD workshop are welcome to attend the Breakfast Seminar and Taskforce on Migration taking place on this day. The full programme for the Bureau can be found HERE.

On the evening of 5 June, a Gala Reception will take place at Larnaca Medieval Castle Gardens. Participants of the AMiD workshop are invited to attend this event. 

Due to a limited number of places eligible for reimbursement, participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible. 

To do so, please click on the link below:

AMiD workshop: multilevel cooperation for migration policies

28 February, 2019 By Editor

On the occasion of this year Spring Plenaries in Örebro (SE), AER is organising a workshop on multilevel cooperation for migration policies.

What is AMiD about

The AMiD-Access to services for Migrants with Disabilities project aims to support an efficient management of the reception and integration of asylum seekers and migrants with disabilities in the EU.
AER is an important partner in the consortium, representing local authorities. Timis (RO), Värmland (SE) and Valencia (ES) have an active role in the Community Advisory Board (CAB), which gathers partnership members, European Regions and external experts from service providers.

A multistakeholder approach

In the migration context, cooperation and coordination between governments, local and regional authorities, civil society and other relevant stakeholders is needed.

At the International Migrants Day: Promoting Diversity in Regions, regions already discussed how to successfully harness the benefits of diversity for better social cohesion outcomes, through multi-level and multi-actor cooperation.

The AMiD project itself uses a multi-actor approach – involving civil society organisations and regional authorities. The workshop will devote particular attention to the local level and to the role of regions in the multi-level governance of migration and integration.

The workshop: get involved!

The AMiD workshop will take place on March 28th from 9:00 to 10:00 in Örebro. The idea is to have an interactive 60-minutes workshop which will allow participants to share their experiences and to learn from the experience of their peers in other regions. The main focus will be on multistakeholder cooperation and how this results in better outcomes in inclusion policies.
Highlights of this workshop also include a presentation of the AMiD Needs Assessment Tool, which should help regions address the needs of migrants with disabilities in an effective and integrated way.
The AMID project is an example of the way AER gets involved in EU-financed projects, with the aim to provide extra benefits and services for members.



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At International Migrants Day event, regions share intercultural approaches to diversity, inclusion

19 December, 2018 By Editor

On 18 December, AER marked International Migrants Day in Barcelona. A source of inputs for the AMiD project (Access to Services for Migrants with Disabilities), the event was partially funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. We and our co-host, AER member region Catalonia, brought together representatives from regions from around Europe to push forward the conversation on integration and diversity management.

Participants came to exchange and learn, united in recognition of the vital role played by local and regional authorities in managing diversity and building cohesive societies, improving the lives and opportunities of citizens, and contributing to their social, economic and civic inclusion. The day-long event was held In the Petralbes Royal Palace, and simultaneous interpretation in English, Catalan and Spanish was offered throughout.

Opening Session and Plenary Session

The opening session was moderated by AER Secretary General Mathieu Mori. President of AER Magnus Berntsson and Oriol Amorós, Secretary of Equality, Migration and Citizenship for the Government of Catalonia set out the conference’s mission of establishing an intercultural approach to integration based on “equality, relationships and recognition” and expressed hopes that it represented a first step toward sustained collaboration on the issue among the regions involved. Laura Corrado of the European Commission’s DG Home spoke about the Commissions efforts to bring a multi-level, multi-stakeholder approach to migration policy, while Leen Verbeek of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe championed a less ideologically-charged, more pragmatic diversity management policy that focused on the positive benefits of migration to European cultures, economies, and societies. Albert Castellanos, Secretary General of Ministry of Vice Presidency and Economy, Government of Catalonia, gave a stirring contribution and argued for a common European approach to migration “based not on fear, but on shared welfare, rights and duties.”

Carles Macian of the Catalan government and Dani de Torres, expert of the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities Programme, then took the stage to discuss intercultural approach to diversity management in cities and regions. De Torres pointed to the potential of regions to collaborate with cities and civil society to bring about intercultural integration, while Manel advocated for a comprehensive approach to integration on the basis of inclusion, diversity and interaction, targeting a variety of sectors with specific strategies.

Roundtables

Following the opening session participants split into two rooms to hold more participative discussions on key topics. There were four sessions, two before a lunch break and two after, in which representatives of local and regional governments, civil society organisations and researchers shared knowledge and experience

Roundtable 1  was all about providing Public policies and services for diversity and inclusion. Participants promoted the personalization of services in producing positive outcomes for migrants. Fatmé Khalil-Hammoud of the Vienna (AT) touted the success of the city’s tailored actions to young women, providing avenues to social inclusion on the basis of activities related to the beneficiaries’ interests.  Meanwhile, Silvija Ladić Fischer of Varaždin County (HR) argued that focusing on industries that where demand for labor was higher and providing individualised services to help migrants validate the skills they had gained before their arrival was key to the high impact of the region’s low-budget project on labor market inclusion. In the discussion session, Iñigo Magdaleno of Murcia (ES) called for investments in the creation of social capital, understood as social networks and associated norms of reciprocity and trust, has been correlated with more effective conflict management and gains in social justice. Contributions from Marzio Barbieri of Emilia Romagna (IT) and Çiçek Bacik of the German Children and Youth Foundation highlighted the inclusion of migrants in mainstream services and empowering young people through sports participation and rights education, respectively, as means of furthering this end.

Roundtable 2 – Recognising Diversity and Combating Racism was moderated by Director of Open Society Initiative for Europe Jordi Vaquer. Brussels-Capital Region (BE), the Government of the Basque Country (ES), the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (RS),  Region Västra Götaland (SE), and Barcelona City Council (ES) all made contributions, with a special focus on hate speech and discrimination.  A particular highlight was the Brussels Action Plan Against Racism and Discrimination 2018-2020, presented by Katrien Lefever and Noémie Emmanuel. The comprehensive and multi-perspective plan incorporates 29 concrete measures adapted to contemporary challenges, such as cyber hate-speech.  Amanda Rohde from Friends of Europe underlined the importance of sharing the perspectives of newcomers to combat xenophobic narratives, calling for “forward-looking, sustainable and inclusive solutions” to the problems we face.

 Roundtable 3 – Comprehensive approaches to inclusion and participation was moderated by Professor Ricard Zapata. In this session, members of the Community Advisory Board for AMiD, Kenneth Johannesson (Värmland, SE) and Dr. Angela Unufe, presented the project’s work on bringing access to services to migrants with disabilities. They were joined by representatives of the regional governments of Valencia (ES), the Basque Country (ES) and Umbria (IT). Inmaculada Carda Isach presented Valencia’s plan for Inclusion and Social cohesion, with its PANGEA offices for education, information and intercultural mediation. Lide Amilibia discussed the Basque Country’s comprehensive and multi-perspective plan for the reception and integration of migrants, including the support to local entities, the areas of training and employment, sports, and health. Meanwhile, Anna Ascani highlighted the Urbagri4Women project, which provides migrant women with an opportunity to develop innovative and self-sufficient urban agricultural initiatives. Bruno António of Portugal’s DYPALL, focused on the youth network’s work on boosting the participation of young migrants in decision-making processes at local level.

Roundtable 4 – Sense of belonging & Second-generation migrants brought a focus on the initiatives and experiences young people with a migration background. Moderator Gemma Aubarell guided discussion, which saw Jana Zah of Sindelfigen (DE) present her work as Integration officer of the city, collaborating with the young population to broaden the boundaries of civic and national identity. Youcef Allaoui advocated for the empowerment of young people, presenting ongoing projects from Union of Catalan Muslim Communities in which young Muslims are the protagonists of research, stating “We cannot leave to others the responsibility of answering questions about us on our behalf.” Komal Naz  of the association PakMir and  Students Aliu Diallo and Lisabeth Murga were particularly active in the discussion, wrestling with socially-defined ideals of immigrant success and the complexities of individual and collective identities. Speakers underlined that their senses of self were informed by a harmonious ensemble of values and traditions that entailed neither renunciation nor conformism, contending that the idiosyncrasy of personal cultural identity defies categorisation.

Closing Session

Participants from the roundtables reconvened at the end of the day for a session that brought the conference to its conclusion. Kenneth Johannesson spoke first, appealing to a social vision of Europe that would combat discrimination in order to ensure that all people have access to “a freedom not from society, but through society.” His contribution was followed by a summary of the conclusions from the conference gathered by two rapporteurs: Marlen Niubò and M’hamed Abdelouahed Allaoui.

At conference’s climax, Xantal Genovart, read aloud to the audience one of the main outputs of the event: The International Migrants Day Manifesto. Genovart, who also moderated the closing session, is Vice-President of the Association of Muslim Women in Catalonia. The manifesto proclaims the need for an outlook that defends respect for fundamental rights due to migrants but goes further. It proclaims that host societies have obligations to foreign-born residents as citizens, members of the community. Local and regional governments are called on to adopt a set of approaches that aim toward an intercultural model of inclusion and diversity, while combatting racism and discrimination. The full text of the manifesto can be found below.

Two performances bookended the statement; the Bollywood-style dance group Associació Dancing Ganesh preceded the manifesto’s declaration, and String orchestra Vozes Barcelona, an organisation which favours integration through music, followed. Secretary Oriol Amorós closed the ceremony, thanking participants and looking forward to future collaboration toward a more just and harmonious future.

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AER Spring Committee Plenaries

17 December, 2018 By Johanna Pacevicius

The spring plenaries of the three AER committees took place in Örebro (Sweden) from 26 till 28 March 2019.

Work programmes

During the statutory plenary meetings of the Committee on Economy & Regional Development, the Committee on Social Policy and Public Health and the Committee on Culture, Education and Youth, AER members developped jointly the Committees’ 2019-2020 work programmes. Only one rules apply for this exercise: everything is possible!

Thematic activities

The seminar and on site thematic activities revolved around food, innovation and health.

The seminar ‘Food for thought Action!’ A regional approach to innovating food systems, was an opportunity for regions to share how they innovate food systems to achieve:
-nutrition for healthy and sustainable diets
-climate and environmental sustainability
-circularity and resource efficiency
-innovation and empowering communities.

A Breakfast Debate on youth entrepreneurship was organised

The following workshops took place:

  • Energy and Climate Change: the SDGs as a policy framework
  • Transports & Mobility: Open Data & Blockchain
  • The AMID workshop on multilevel cooperation for migration policies
  • Available opportunities for AER members in current projects

Presentations

Joint plenary 26 March

-Presentation video of Örebro

–The SDGs at regional level, Ida Texell Member of the Swedish delegation Agenda 2030

–Update on the AER strategy on projects: Luca Magri, AER Coordinator for Finance of EU projects

–Update on AER Bureau & advocacy: Vania Freitas, AER Coordinator for Institutional Relations

–Presentation video of the 2019 Summer Academy in Vojvodina

Seminar ‘Food for thought Action!’ A regional approach to innovating food systems

–Sensory research within the field of Gastronomy – a multisensory perspective in order to promote healthy eating, Åsa Öström, Örebro (SE)

–Nutrition & mental health Robert Jan Brummer, Örebro (SE)

–Olimpia Neagoe, County Councillor of Dolj (RO), Chair of the AER Working Group on Rural Development

–Peter Medved, Eastern Slovenia (SI), Secretary of the Development Council of Cohesion

–Circularity in household waste and biogas production, Erik Lagethon, Oppland (NO), Adviser Regional Development production

–Thomas Norrby, European Network for Rural Development (ENRD), Sustainable and circular food value chains, value in rural regions & inclusive territorial development

Committee plenaries

–Committee 1 plenary meeting

–Committee 2 plenary meeting

–Committee 3 plenary meeting

Workshop of the Working group on Energy and climate

–The SDGs – involvement in all political areas, Helena Lindemark, Founder and Vice President of 2022 Initiative Foundation

–The SDGs – the political vision at regional level, Mats Gunnarsson, Regional Opposition Councillor

–Ambitious Climate Goals & the implementation of the SDGs, Therese Hjelseth, Area manager Energy & Climate, Örebro (SE)

Workshop of the Working group Mobility & transports

–Open data in public transport: Carin Carelind, Head of IT, Östgötatrafiken, Sweden

–Blockchain in logistics: Robert Högberg, Project Manager SmartLog, Region Örebro County, Sweden

–Challenges ahead for regional airports: Roger Estefors, AER expert on regional airports

–2018 Report on regional airports, Roger Estefors, AER expert on regional airports

AMID workshop on multilevel cooperation for migration policies

–The Partnership for Social Innovation in Örebro County

Workshop on available opportunities for AER members in current projects

–Scirocco Exchange project on integrated care systems

Topics & Context

Find all articles regarding the background and content of events as well as progress reports and information on elections here:

-Spring Plenaries Background & content

Other information

Detailed Programme

Working documents

FINAL IMPORTANT INFO EMAIL TO PARTICIPANTS

PRACTICAL INFO 
GDPR Compliance
Please note that photography and video recording may take place during this event. If you do not wish your image to be recorded, please contact the AER secretariat.
Please also note that a list of participants will be published on this website in due course. Only the names and organisations of the individuals will be listed. No contact details will be made public. For any queries, please contact e.lee(at)aer.eu.

 

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International Migrants Day: Promoting Diversity in Regions

3 October, 2018 By Editor

To mark this year’s International Migrant Day, the Assembly of European Regions and the Region of Catalonia are organising this conference on promoting diversity and integration of migrants at a regional level on 18 December in Barcelona.

The Conference will bring together representatives of regional authorities, high-level institutional officials and other stakeholders from across Europe.

Our invited speakers and participants will share their experiences and good practices in diversity management at regional level, including examples of policies, programmes and projects promoting inclusion, participation in civic, economic and political life, positive intercultural interaction and the sense of belonging.

 

Participant’s travel, accommodation and food will be covered by AER – AMiD project (see the reimbursement guidelines for more details).

 

Working languages: English, Catalan, Spanish

 

For further information please contact Vania ([email protected]) in the AER Secretariat.

 

Direct Links

Programme

Background Note

Roundtables Concept Notes

Practical Information

Reimbursement Guidelines

Good practices on refugees and disability inspired AMiD project

2 May, 2018 By Luca Magri

Refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities is the main target of AMiD project. Started on January 2018, the project team is working on the development of the main project output, the Need Assessment Tool – NAT. The lack of tool and procedures to support refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities with the right actions and services is the challenge that AMiD wants to face. The second project meeting was focused on the preparation of the Need Assessment Tool – NAT. The meeting was also the opportunity to present good practices among the project partners, as way to pave a useful, sustainable and successful Need Assessment Tool – NAT.

AER already shared successful programmes to improve the refugees situation. During the meeting two good practices became particularly important. The first one is a web platform by ARCI, Italian association, where services offered to asylum seekers and international and humanitarian protection holders are reported on a country map. The second is a set of questions developed by the Washington Group of Disability Statistics to help to detect disabilities.

The JUMA Refugees Map Services: more that a web tool

The JUMA web tool answered to the gap of putting together all the players involved in the refugees work, from the refugees themselves to the volunteers organisations passing by NGOs and public institutions. The project was developed by ARCI in collaboration with UNHCR. The web tool was launched at the beginning of 2018. As disclaimed on the website, JUMA objective is to gather in a national map of the country all the information to services that already exists.

Services are clustered on seven groups of fundamental needs expressed by refugees and international and humanitarian protection holders: where to sleep, where to find legal assistance, where to find health care, where to find psycho-social assistance, where to find a language school. All those services are showed on a map of the country, with single boxes for each office to provide more information on the single service like contacts or a description of what is offered.

JUMA is not only a web platform. ARCI provides a telephone line dedicated to both: those who are looking for services and those that are offering ones. This is a way to be closer to refugees and a strategy to increase the number of organisations registered on the map. Refugees received the information on JUMA at their arrival on the hot spots, while organisations were informed of the project via a national campaign. The telephone line and the website are proposed in the several languages.

The Washington Group Set of Questions on Disability

The Washington Short Set was originally set to identify and record in statistics figures of people with disabilities. The set of questions  does not identify particular health conditions or diagnostic categories but rather captures the possible impact of these conditions on functional abilities. The human right approach of the set based on the UN CRPD, Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is in line with AMiD values. Even the set was developed for a statistic purpose, the set of questions can fit different uses.

The questions ask whether people have difficulty performing six basic universal activities: walking, seeing, hearing, cognition, self-care and communication. The questions were not designed to measure all aspects of difficulty experienced by people, but rather those domains of functioning that are likely to identify a majority of people at risk of participation restrictions.

There are more set of questions available. There is a short set and other tailored for children (different sets for different ages). Where more information about disability is required, the Extended Set on Functioning is available to address in more detail the case.

A final word

JUMA is not an acronym neither a fancy project name. Juma is a name in urdu, the name of a young Afghan refugee, who travelled and staid in Greek and Italian camps. Once in Italy, he obtained the refugee status and the reunification with his family thanks the collaboration of different organisations. Inspired by this story, the platform linking those involved in the field made a tribute to this successful case choosing his name.

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AER members share knowledge to improve situation for refugees in their regions

5 February, 2018 By Editor

On 24 and 25 January 2018, AER co-organised several events focusing on local and regional responses to the Syrian refugee crisis in Brussels. AER would like to thank its honorary President, Dr. Hande Özsan Bozatli, who was instrumental in making these events happen. Dr Bozatli has always been a strong supporter of the Turkish-Europe dialogue. These series of events proves it once more. The Press release and background can be found HERE.

This article focuses on the experiences and best practices shared by the regions over the two days.

Best Practices – Västra Götaland (SE), Catalonia (ES) and the Netherlands

With control over the healthcare sector and certain dimensions of regional development, the AER President’s region, Västra Götaland (SE), had success integrating refugees into the labour market and socially. Recognising the need to de-institutionalise their labour market, Västra Götaland invested in programmes to accelerate the process of credential recognition for highly skilled Syrian refugees such as those arriving with medical degrees obtained in Syria.

Prior to the labour market reforms, it could take 6-9 years for professionals to undergo the re-training needed for them to enter the regional labour market. It now takes approximately two to three years before migrants acquire the certificates needed to continue working in their field. Additionally, Västra Götaland expedited the process refugees needed to go through before joining the Swedish education system. With going to local schools faster and parents participating in the labour market quicker, migrants were better able to socially integrate into communities.

Throughout the events it became clear that similar practices could be implemented elsewhere in Europe due to labour market demands. As Europe is beginning to experience large scale demographic change due to a rapidly ageing population demands for high skill workers in the public service sector will increase. Mr. Berntsson claimed that integrating refugees and migrants with professional qualifications into the labour market faster will help alleviate pressure on social services. He believes that a more flexible, de-institutionalised labour market like the one introduced in Västra Götaland will assist many EU countries in getting refugees into the labour market.

Mr. Berntsson also stated that Västra Götaland, who saw a 2 percent increase in their population with the arrival of the Syrian refugees, could not have managed to integrate the newcomers without the volunteer efforts of the local citizens. Similarly, according to Dutch MEP Ms. Piri the Netherlands had 60, 000 volunteers enlist to help Syrian refugees, translating into one volunteer for every refugee. Both claimed that having an active citizenry is vital to the resettlement of refugees with local governments unable to cope on their own.

Additionally, as stated by Catalonia (ES) Migration Secretary Mr. Amorós, his region has experienced success with a social mentorship programme to help integrate migrants and refugees into society. In the experience of Mr. Amorós, while refugees may come as temporary guests the reality is that many end up staying, meaning regions must focus on the inclusion of refugees in society. A relatively new project, the programme pairs refugees and locals who spend a minimum of one hour per week together to help refugees learn the language and adapt to local culture.

Best Practices- Gaziantep (TR)

Continuing AER’s involvement with Turkish regions, Dr. Bozatli reached out to Turkish regions Gaziantep and Adana to share their expertise in dealing with refugees, who graciously accepted Dr. Bozatli’s invitation. In each event, Gaziantep shared best practices which have allowed them to successfully host millions of refugees for over 5 years. Upon arrival, ensuring that the refugees’ basic needs were met by providing them with food, water, and shelter helped to prevent the spread of disease. When refugees began to leave camps and move to urban areas, Gaziantep established several priority areas including the provision of housing, healthcare, and education. Adequately meeting the refugees needs in each of these areas was aided by Turkey’s decision to treat refugees as nearly full citizens rather than as temporary guests.

After enrolling young children in schools and integrating current students into school systems, refugees in Gaziantep now have a higher rate of enrolment than they did in Syria. In Syria 80 percent of children would have been enrolled in schools while in Gaziantep 90 percent are now enrolled. Ms. Sahin claims that keeping children enrolled in schools has decreased their vulnerability to radicalization and has helped them feel like members of their local communities.

Gaziantep also invested in numerous infrastructure projects such as new waste management, waterworks, and transportation systems to cope with the rise in demand. Further complicating the matter for Gaziantep was a surge in housing prices because of increases in demand. Aside from building more units, the government ensured that 10 percent of all houses and jobs were available to Gaziantep citizens first, ensuring that their local population were not disadvantaged by the arrival of refugees. This has helped to reduce social tensions created by the arrival of refugees. Moreover, from the beginning the Gaziantep government has preached patience with a message of tolerance and inclusion, encouraging the local population to accept the refugees as regular citizens.

Best Practices- Adana (TR)

The sixth largest city in Turkey with a population of 1.8 million, there are officially 150, 000 refugees constituting nearly 8 percent of the local population. However, unofficially it is estimated that there are 300, 000 Syrian refugees in the Adana province, bringing numerous challenges for Adana to navigate.

In Adana, the arrival of thousands of refugees triggered increases in rent and scarcity of affordable housing. With 85 percent of migrants working in the agricultural sector, certain companies have exploited undocumented refugees for whom they pay low wages with no benefits. When adults have struggled to find employment, some have been forced to send their children to work resulting in sporadic instances of child labour.

The influx of migrants has also placed strain on local infrastructure, exacerbated by a cash strapped government. Keeping children in school has also been a challenge for Adana due to families’ need for a basic income and the remote location in which some refugees live.

Despite the challenges they face, Adana has managed to provide humanitarian support such as clothes, food, healthcare, and water to not only those residing in Adana but also to refugees stranded along the Turkey-Syria border. Furthermore, in cooperation with the University of Adana the municipality has established training centers for refugees to increase the number of trainers able to boost the vocational and skill development of other refugees. This programme has filled existing gaps in the provision of professional language learning opportunities, particularly for young adults. For refugees living on the outskirts of the city, the municipality has signed cooperation agreements with civil society organisations who provide services, including language training.

The presentations from the Turkish delegations can be found here.

Best Practices-Timis (RO)

Following the event, AER received insights into how Timis has dealt with the migration crisis, courtesy of its representative Mr. Mihai Ritivoiu, President of the AER committee on social policy and public health. In 2017, according to the Timis Border Territorial Inspectorate, there were nearly 2600 cases of illegal migration from its border with Serbia. The rapid influx of migrants forced the Timis Border Territorial Inspectorate to take special measures, allocating additional funds to stabilise the situation. Partly because of the measures taken, there was a 72 percent decrease in cases of illegal migration in the last quarter of 2017.

With an increase of 300-400 percent in illegal border crossings, the number of asylum applications has increased from 60 per month to approximately 300 per month. Those who were granted a form of protection from the Romania state received identity and travel documents. Issued for an unlimited period, the identity documents allowed asylum seekers to be smoothly integrated into the health care and labour market systems. Additionally, to integrate migrants, Timis collaborated with NGOs to offer serives desgined to help migrants acquire language skills and cultural understanding. Future plans in Timis involve setting up a specialized center for foreign minors, given that in 2017 many of those who entered the country were families with 3-4 children.

AER’s Work on Refugees and Migrants

Throughout the events, Mr. Berntsson and Dr. Özsan Bozatli had the chance to present the experiences of AER in the area of refugees and migrants. At the peak of the migration crisis, the topic of AER’s Bureau meeting in Brussels in December 2015, was “facing the migration challenge”. The bureau was a resounding success, bringing together regions from Turkey, Greece, and Italy who were receiving the largest numbers of refugees in Europe at the time, to share their experiences.

The following year, at AER’s spring committee meetings in Timis the topic was “communication and action in times of crisis”, giving an opportunity for all three AER committees to discuss how migration affected areas as diverse as innovation, health care, culture, and entrepreneurship.

Alongside its member regions, AER has also had the opportunity to implement the European project Access to Services for Migrants with Disabilities (AMID) where work is still ongoing. The AMID project is designed to create a common approach among European Local Authorities concerning the reception and integration of migrants and refugees with a focus on disabilities. The project will result in the creation of a Specific Needs Assessment (SNA) Tool to be circulated among Local Authorities, NGOs and EU agencies. This SNA tool will enable these actors to take disabilities into account while assessing asylum seekers, creating the basis for a standard approach to this topic at the EU level.

For those interested, more photos of the events are available on Friends of Europe’s Flickr album.

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Fairer Assessment for Migrants with Disabilities? Accomplished, with the AMiD Project!

27 September, 2017 By Editor

Good news for AER partners! EASPD, the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities, and AER, together with 10 other partners, struck a grant agreement on a new project. We believe such initiatives to be particularly interesting for regions and local authorities dealing with migrants to better support those with disabilities. Three AER member regions are represented in the project Advisory Board, providing a link between project outputs and the regional dimension. This makes the project even more appealing for other AER members, disabilities being a long-standing issue on the agenda of the organisation. The project will have a duration of 2 years starting in December 2017.

Want to know more?

The Access to services for Migrants with Disabilities – AMiD project addresses scarse communication between European regions about the treatment of migrants with disabilities. The project will result in the creation of a Specific Needs Assessment Tool to be circulated among all actors dealing with migrants assessment. Such a tool will empower Local Authorities, NGOs and EU agencies to assess and support with adequate responses migrants and refugees with disabilities, hopefully serving as a foundation for launching a common EU approach to this topic.

The project aims to give proper instruments to NGOs and local personnel to evaluate and consider disabilities while assessing migrants in need of first help by EU Member countries or Frontex. Such an initiative appears to be most in line with AER commitment on finding territorial-based solutions for migrants and refugees. The impact of culture on refugees relocation is also taken into account. This will be accomplished through the implementation of four workshops, to take place on a regular bases starting from month eight of the project. Participants will be trained in the use of the new assessment tool and know-how exchange will be encouraged between staff working with migrants and staff working with disabled people. Workshops will also be the perfect place for practitioners to exchange good practices among themselves and report those in their own region.

What’s in it for regions?

In our view, European regions would benefit from this project by adopting a common approach to migrants with disabilities. At present, all actors involved seem to be working with different and informal tools; a standard procedure to assess disabilities in relation to refugees and asylum seekers is needed. Therefore, AER supports the systematisation of the assessment of migrants and refugees with disabilities, and is actively taking part in the project by  managing a key action in the project’s implementation; AER will facilitate communication and cooperation among Local Authorities in order for them to make the most of the new evaluation tool. AER regions involved in the project will have the chance to increase the efficiency of the welcoming of refugees with disabilities thanks to a specific tool adopted by all the actors of the first aid. Equally important will be a better coordination with EU agencies. Finally, Regions will come up with an operative manual to transfer project results to other Local Authorities.

Partner regions are also represented in the Community Advisory Board (CAB), including key regional representatives and other external experts. The Community advisory Board will aim to identify the tools currently in place for NGOs and service providers and tune them to Local Authorities’ needs. The presence of Timis, Valencia and Värmland AER member regions in the Board is crucial to ensure a link between the two phases of the development of the tool. Key aims of the CAB will be:

  • valorising project results through the whole project cycle and beyond,
  • developing a permanent task-force able to coordinate future common actions together with EU Agencies, and
  • inspiring a shared EU approach to this issue, with a view to improve the European Asylum System.

Contacts

If you would like to know more about this project, please do not hesitate to contact Andrés Muñoz at the AER Secretariat, via email or dialling +32 (0)2 400 10 50.

Photo credits: @visualhunt; @visualhunt Follow AER!

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