LIBE

New Pact, Old Problem: The successful long-term inclusion of migrants benefits individuals as well as local communities. Bearing in mind that social inclusion remains a side note in the EU’s New Pact on Asylum and Migration, how can the EU support effective integration policies?

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS (LIBE)

New Pact, Old Problem: The successful long-term inclusion of migrants benefits individuals as well as local communities. Bearing in mind that social inclusion remains a side note in the EU’s New Pact on Asylum and Migration, how can the EU support effective integration policies?

Submitted by: Devin Kruze, Boris Pushkin, Celia Peralta Schutte, Amse Stienstra, Livia Draaisma (NL, Chairperson),

The European Youth Parliament aims to improve the integration of refugees across Europe by bridging the gap between local residents and migrants early on. This approach aims to allow both communities to benefit from their connections, enriching societal diversity without fostering segregation,

because

  • The integration window is short, which makes long waiting times for refugee status approval lead to less successful integration, 
  • The outdated integration process, predicated on the assumption that most refugees will be rejected, severely hampers early-stage integration efforts due to
    • employment restrictions, 
    • language barriers and 
    • societal separation, 
  • The universality of policies does not accommodate the diverse needs of distinct hosting communities,
  • Member States are unprepared for the influx of refugees seeking asylum, coinciding with a record high in forced displacement worldwide,
  • Integration is a multilayered concept, cutting across economic, cultural, social and political spheres. 

by

  1. Calls upon the European Commission to boost the funding of national refugee councils, enabling shorter waiting times of refugee status application processes by hiring additional case officers;
  2. Encourages the European Commission to develop an EU-wide web platform following the model of RefugeeHelp, enabling refugees to
    • register for housing options and
    • browse job opportunities;
  3. Urges Member States to adopt initiatives similar to ‘Liechtenstein Languages‘ to aid refugees in learning the languages of their host countries;
  4. Suggests local decision-makers to organise sports and craft activities for refugees, facilitating cultural exchange with their host communities;
  5. Asks Member States to make it possible for refugees to start working in the early phases of their application by
    • re-evaluating restrictions on refugee employment and 
    • offering courses for refugees to acquire or update skills in their professional fields.