Facilitating the integration of resettled persons in Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

ended

Recognizing resettlement as a safe migration pathway, the European Union (EU) established the Joint EU Resettlement Programme (2013). Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Spain are relatively new resettlement countries, with diverse approaches to reception and integration. The action recognizes that successful integration of resettled refugees depends on both enabling structural conditions and social dynamics. These rely on multi-level, multi-stakeholder partnerships between central and local authorities, civil society organizations, international organizations and citizens committed to facilitating the integration of resettled refugees. Based on these assumptions, COMMIT seeks to contribute to ensuring the full, efficient and sustainable integration of resettled refugees in their new communities in Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Spain, with a specific focus on the integration of vulnerable groups such as women and youth. The action’s overall objective will be achieved by: 1) Enhancing pre-departure orientation (PDO), including by mainstreaming vulnerability in PDO curricula, strengthening PDO trainer’s knowledge on reception contexts, and enabling contacts with reception community members since the pre-departure phase; 2) Systematizing community support, including through building the capacities of key stakeholders in receiving communities and piloting community mentorship schemes with specific attention to supporting vulnerable groups; 3) Fostering transnational exchange between newer and more experienced resettlement countries to identify and disseminate lessons learnt and best practices beyond the project’s geographical scope. The action will directly benefit resettled individuals and households, particularly women and youth, as well as host communities, contributing in the medium- and long-term to further evidence and tools to support future EU policy and practice in other resettlement contexts.