The pandemic of COVID-19 crisis has severely impacted the already precarious life conditions of migrants and refugees who face difficulties to find proper accommodation, access employment, education and healthcare. In order to deal with these issues, the European Commission is working on developing an Action Plan that could be taken at EU level to promote the integration and social inclusion of migrants and people with a migrant background. More information is available on the European Website on Integration.

The EU-wide public consultation

On the 22 July, the European Commission opened an EU-wide public consultation to invite all stakeholders, especially migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, to contribute to the design of future actions to improve quality of life and make our societies more cohesive and inclusive. The EU has established a large variety of measures to encourage and support national authorities but also local and regional authorities and civil society in their efforts to promote integration and inclusion as announced in the Commission’s work programme. The public consultation will be available in all EU official languages until 21 October 2020.

A call for applications

The Commission is also launching a call for applications to set up an expert group on the views of migrants in the field of Migration, Asylum and Integration. Their mission is to provide advice and expertise on policies, to involve migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the design and implementation of policies. With this initiative, the Commission seeks to gather input from a broad range of stakeholders including national, regional and local authorities, civil society organisations, social and economic partners, businesses, education and training providers, academia, cultural and sport organisations, migrant organisations and private individuals.

Applications are accepted until 21 September 2020.