Inclusive Societies

Background and the role of Regional and Local Authorities

The reasons behind the creation of this working group lie on the increasing demand from Members States of a common strategy for the integration of third country nationals. Most of EU countries have given home to a large number of refugees and asylum seekers during the last months and years. The countries with high immigration figures, their regions and municipalities are right now at a crucial stage: they have to find ways to quickly integrate immigrants and refugees into society and the world of work in order to allow people a structured and financially independent life and to ensure that societies can cope with the large number of new citizens.

Purpose of the working group

Participants in the working group aim at sharing and creating best practises. Eventually, this deep collaboration led to the constitution of a consortium for European projects.

Past activities

• Study visits in September 2015 and March 2016. Participants – at political and technical level – took part in this exchange of experiences with the aim to discuss integration policies in Baden-Württemberg and in Västra-Götaland. It was the opportunity to get an insights into adult education, language training and vocational education for immigrants, as well as to discuss entry points from immigrants to the labour market. Read the programmes of the study visit
• TALENTS conference in October 2016. EARLALL, together with regional partners, organised a Side Event to the European Week of Regions and Cities. The event introduced the Erasmus+ project TALENTS, presenting new methods for an effective integration of migrants to fullfil their potential. Click here for more details and all the relevant documents about this event.
• European Integration Network’s study visit in Västra Götaland. On 8-9 February 2017, a delegation of the European Commission and several Member States visited Västra Götaland. The delegation visited the Support Group Network, and learned about Region Västra Götaland’s regional development initiatives aimed at asylum seekers and refugees. Please find here all relevant documents of the study visit:
  • The agenda of the two days
  • The background information
  • More information on the European Integration Network
  • The photo album of the study visit!
  • More info on Region Västra Götaland’s regional development initiatives for asylum seekers and new arrivals

Useful Materials

The European Website on Integration

Projects linked to Inclusive Societies

FIER project (EaSI PROGRESS, 2018-2019)

Coordinated by Region Västra Götaland, the FIER project aims at developing instruments and strategies for a fast-track labour market integration of disadvantaged groups among refugees and asylum-seekers. Our main objective is to develop quality competence assessment strategies, training curricula, self-empowerment initiatives, and a workplace language learning concept to reach a fast and successful integration.

Click here to see the project >

TALENTS project (Erasmus+ KA2, 2017-2019)

Coordinated by vhs Baden-Württemberg, the TALENTS project will transfer and further develop a new and very successful language and vocational training and integration concept for immigrants. The Göteborg HOTEL TALENTS concept will be amended so that it can be transferred to other sectors (e.g. health, logistics, and retail trade) and other countries and regions with different legal, financing, integration and training systems.

Click here to see the project >