European Migrant advisory board

INTRODUCTION

In the presence of several integration policies failing to hit the mark, there is an undeniable need to better manage the involvement of immigrants and refugees in policy-making processes. For this purpose, the Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees has established the European Migrant Advisory Board (EMAB) as one of its actions.

The Board is a self-led group of advisors with refugee and immigrant backgrounds, working together to increase the participation of refugees and immigrants in different policy-making processes affecting their access to rights. The Board has four objectives:  

• To present the interest of refugees and immigrants through participation in policy debates and processes at local, national, and European levels;

• To ensure and promote refugees’ and immigrants’ access to rights;

• To contribute to building a positive narrative on immigration and asylum;

• To advise on refugee and immigrant-related policies.

The nine Board members from: Amsterdam, Athens, Bamberg, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, Italy and Lisbon provide advice on immigration and asylum-related policies to the Partnership. 

The EMAB wants to contribute to ending all forms of discrimination and stands for universal human rights, equality and equity for all groups, and meaningful political and social participation.

2018 marked the start of the EMAB’s work. Three Board meetings and trainings (5-9 March, Brussels, 14-18 May, Amsterdam & 18-24 June, Brussels) contributed to shaping the Board’s common vision. The Board’s meeting and activities are often organised back-to-back with the Partnership’s meetings. In June 2019 the Board finished its work.

KEY TIMELINE

March 2018
European Migrant Advisory board Start

June 2018
Training and planning

Sep - Dec 2018
Implementing “Ask The People” Consultation around Europe.

March 2019
Launch of the Consultation Report in Brussels
European advocacy in Brussels with EU institutions and NGOs.

June 2019
Evaluation and closing.

OUTCOME #1 - ASK THE PEOPLE SURVEY

Ask the People is a consultation organized by the European Migrant Advisory Board (EMAB). It involved over 500 migrants and refugees in seven EU countries and was conducted between September and December 2018.

FOCUS AREAS
The consultation focused on eight areas: integration, access to the labour market, housing, higher education, participation, the situation of unaccompanied minors, microcredit, and the EU Action Plan on Return. Board members chose these topics as key issues based on the members’ first-hand experience. 

GEOGRAPHICAL FOCUS
The geographical focus of the consultation reflects the city and country members of the Partnership as well as the places were the EMAB members work and live: Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

THE RESULTS
The results demonstrate that migrants and refugees have the experience and expertise to inform public debates and to ensure better policy making. Currently, experts who have experience as migrants and refugees are under represented in decision-making processes. The practice of tokenism, i.e. making only symbolic efforts to be inclusive to migrants and refugees, is widespread. The EMAB has gained insights into what meaningful participation can look like and provides recommendations about how organisations and policymakers can be more inclusive. The consultation has highlighted the clear need for European institutions and organisations to make greater efforts to consult and involve newcomers through “structured participation” so that their inclusion is truly effective

A summary of some of the findings on all of the  key topics from the consultation are detailed below: 

Housing
The consultation found that employment opportunities and integration are severely undermined when migrants are allocated housing outside city centres with limited access to essential services and public transport. Participants reported widespread discriminatory attitudes by landlords. The EMAB recommends that housing should meet minimum standards for dignified living, be close to services and have good transportation links. To avoid stigmatisation, migrants should be housed in mixed neighbourhoods.

Integration
Most respondents experienced discrimination, and were very dissatisfied with the integration services provided in their host country. The EMAB recommends that governments prioritise language learning to facilitate social and economic integration, and that governments provide multi-lingual information to increase access to public services.

71%

Are very dissatisfied with the integration services provided.

73%

Say the quality of skills assessment services for refugees and migrants is inadequate

81%

Believe that host countries need to improve access to, and quality of, vocational and on-the-job training

63%

Want improvements in the quality of language courses that are practical and focus on migrants’ needs

Employment
Of online survey participants, 34 percent of respondents were out of work, 65 percent said they were not satisfied with vocational training courses offered to them, while 50 percent found it difficult to find suitable work close to their area of residence. A large number of migrants and refugees identified two main challenges in accessing employment: support for learning the local language and having their qualifications recognised. Other common themes were low wages and unrealistic skills requirements by employers. The EMAB recommends that employers lower language requirements for labour market entry and make skills recognition processes more accessible, effective and equitable. Employers and government should also give more attention to improving women’s access to employment.

Unaccompanied Minors
Many respondents said that those who arrived as unaccompanied minors did not feel sufficiently protected and had experienced discrimination or racism when undergoing age assessment. The EMAB recommends that tutors or guardians should accompany minors during the age assessment in order to avoid abusive situations, and that authorities should avoid potentially subjective age assessments conducted by only one official.

Microcredit
The survey revealed that very few newcomers are aware of the possibility of getting a loan to start a new business. Migrants and refugees also noted that when this information was available, it was often difficult to understand. The EMAB recommends that authorities and agencies provide better information on microcredit opportunities and simplify the processes and requirements for obtaining loans.

Participation
Participation of refugees and migrants in political decision-making and policy formulation is generally quite low. The consultation found that the tone of political discussion about migration and integration in host countries was quite negative. The EMAB recommends that governments and local authorities carry out regular consultations with migrants and refugees and community organisations, especially prior to amending policies affecting their legal status or well-being, and that they develop strategies and platforms to engage host communities and refugee groups to promote social cohesion and diversity. To avoid tokenism, “structured participation” models should be adopted by EU, national and regional institutions, which provide the necessary means, space, opportunity, and support. NGOs that represent refugees and migrants should also lead by example in their own recruitment and promotion.

Higher Education
The online survey revealed that host countries only fully recognized a minority of participants’ university degrees. The EMAB recommends that information about studies is provided in multiple languages and that migrants’ academic qualifications are recognized. In addition, more programmes for short trainings should be developed to support people who just need a “refresher course” in a desired field.

EU Action Plan on return
The consultation found that forced return is a pressing anxiety for many respondents, and a challenge to their ability to integrate. More than half the participants said they were not considering returning to their country of origin and would not consider moving voluntarily to a third country. Many participants said they would prefer more investment in integration efforts than forced return policies. As seeking asylum is not a crime but a human right, the EMAB recommends that detention centres be closed. Financial resources should instead be dedicated to support the social inclusion of migrants and refugees.

Anila Noor (Amsterdam)

Anila Noor is a human rights activist and researcher. She has been based in the Netherlands since 2013 working as an independent researcher. She holds two Masters Degrees; an M.A. in Conflict and Peace Studies from Erasmus University in the Netherlands and an MSc from Allama Iqbal Open University in Pakistan specialising in Gender and Women Studies. Anila worked for more than 12 years in research institutions and NGOs in Pakistan with two focus areas: women’s rights and forced migration and integration policies. She has presented working papers at Oxford University and Bristol University in the UK and was part of a Summer School on “Forced Migration and Displacement” at the University of Tübingen, Germany. She is an Emancipation Ambassador of EP- Nuffic (Netherlands) and alumni of “World Class – The Hague”. Anila is also a member of Kaldor Centre of Emerging Scholars Network Australia. Currently, she works on the subject of Receiving Refugees in Urban Settings: Narratives from the Netherlands. She became involved in the subject of forced migration and identity crises after going through the same experience.

Asef Farjam (Athens)

Asef Farjam is a sociologist and intercultural mediator with a refugee background from Afghanistan, who has been living in Greece since 2007. He currently works with Doctors of the World in Athens as an intercultural mediator. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 2015 from Panteion University of Athens and currently is an MA student in Sustainable Development at the Xarokopio University of Athens. Earlier in 2005 he accomplished an MCSE (Microsoft Networking Administration) course at Debagarane Tehran Technical Institute Shraz, Iran. In September of 2013, he was nominated by the US ambassador of Athens Daniel Smith as an IVLP (international visitor leadership program) on the "Role of NGOs in Promoting Minority Integration in the United States". Asef Farjam’s mother tongue is Dari, but he is also fluent in English, Greek, Pashto, Farsi and Urdu. Since 2009, Farjam has been supporting refugees, migrants and other minority groups through work and volunteering with several NGOs such as UNHCR, the Hellenic Red Cross, MDM and the Orange House project across the country. His life has been shaped by his work and personal experience and his strong belief in human dignity, universal values and sense of responsibility, moving him to be passionate about finding effective solutions in a challenging time. He is dedicated to the empowerment refugees and migrants to integrate and build a new life in their new host societies because he strongly believes that integration benefits both refugees and the host communities.

Ana Lucía Olivos Pairazamán (Barcelona)

Ana Lucía Olivos Pairazamán was born in Lima (Perú) and she has been living in Barcelona for 27 years. She graduated in Political Sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and has two Master degrees in International Cooperation from University of Valencia (UV) and in Immigration Management from Pompeu Fabra University. She has experience in international migration projects as a result of her participation as Peer Advisor in a project led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Besides this, Ana Lucía knows many organisations and NGOs with a focus on Migration in Barcelona. She has worked as a job counsellor for migrants and refugees to support their labour market integration. In her free time, she participates in different activities and projects to raise awareness and to promote interculturality in the city of Barcelona.

Shaza Rihawi (Bamberg)

Shaza is a Syrian Refugee resident in Bamberg, Germany who is deeply involved in human rights issues and has first-hand experience in dealing with refugees and women’s crisis. A founding member of the Network for refugee voices (NRV), a founding member of international wawe. Currently working on a five-year research project at the LifBi Institute as a research assistant for culture aspects, conducting Longitudinal Research on Refugees in the German Educational System. Previously worked as a senior community service assistant for 8 years, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in Damascus. Prior to that, worked with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the Centre for Strategic Studies in Syria. Shaza hold a Bachelor’s degree and a post-graduate degree in sociology and a Master in psychosocial work. In addition to political science from Maxwell School-Syracuse University.

Namarig Abkr (Berlin)

Namarig Abkr is an Open City Fellow with Migrationsrat Berlin-Brandenburg in Berlin. She is a political and human rights activist born in South Darfur, Sudan. She studied water and environmental engineering in Sudan University for Science and Technology. Namarig worked with displaced women and youth in Darfur and she was a part of a youth movement against the Sudanese government. In Berlin she is a football coach for a self-led group of refugee women. She also continues her own education on theoretical topics such as social change, gender equality and feminist tools for social change.

Sinthujan Varatharajah (Berlin)

Sinthujan Varatharajah is a Berlin-based essayist and researcher. They hold a MSc in Human Rights (Honours) from the University of Roehampton, and a MSc in Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies from the London School of Economics. They are currently a PhD Candidate in Political Geography at University College London. Sinthujan has worked for the legal defense of asylum seekers as well as towards providing alternative housing solutions for refugees in London and Berlin.

Abdirizak Hagi (Helsinki)

Abdirizak Hagi is a Finnish-Somali career consultant at the City of Helsinki. Abdirizak Hagi has several years of experience in career counseling and social mobilization. In 2011, he ran for the executive board membership of the Finnish Somali League and was elected. His primary task was to mobilise the Finnish-Somali youth to become active members of the greater Finnish society. His passion to work for the greater good of the community led him to study law at the Tallinn University School of Law. In 2016, he graduated with a Bachelor degree in law, specializing in Transitional Justice, searching the challenges of transitional justice in his native country’s efforts to restore peace, security, stability and good governance. That same year, Abdirizak started working as a career consultant at the Helsinki Skills Center. The Skills Center was established to assist immigrants over 17 years old who have been granted a residence permit in Helsinki to find a work place or education of their interest. Abdirizak Hagi helps his clients to explore their purpose and uncover their “dream job". He is excellent in assisting clients to find long lasting and cost-effective solutions. In his spare time Abdirizak voluntarily helps clients of immigrant background with legal issues, specifically issues related to the Finnish Aliens Act.

Lamin Fadera (Italy)

Lamin is a Gambian refugee and a migration advocate who is currently based in northern Italy. He has an Advanced Diploma in Financial Accounting and Entrepreneurship and Micro-Finance at The Gambia Technical Training Institute. He spent seven years working in government, including the Immigration Department, where among others things he oversaw registration of refugees from neighbouring countries. He later fell out with the former authoritarian regime, leading to his exile in November 2013. He crossed the Mediterranean along with many other refugees to Italy to seek protection and later on acquired a legal status. In Italy he completed a Junior School Certificate in 2015 and a professional course in Inter-cultural Mediation. He is a social worker with one of the biggest coporatives in his area, working as a mediator, counselor and an interpreter. In March 2016 he worked with a group of migrants to form Migr Action, with the objective of providing migrants with accurate infomation about asylum processes and their rights to protection, amongst other things.

Nour Machlah (Lisbon)

Nour Machlah is an architecture master’s student, public speaker and policy advisor based in Lisbon. After the Syrian war, he moved to Lebanon, Turkey, and since 2014 he is studying in Portugal completing his architecture master's degree. He has taken part in conferences all over Portugal and Europe on integration, human rights, peace and war, as well as the dialogue between cultures and religions. In 2016, he was a speaker at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and in 2017, he represented the European Youth Forum in one of the debates at the European Parliament in Brussels being an ideas-giver regarding to the new common European asylum system. In November 2017, he presented his first TEDx talk in TEDx Porto on the topic of Stereotyping. Since 2016, he has been involved in the integration process for migrant and refugees in Portugal with being an advisor for social inclusion topics.

Adam Elsod (EMAB facilitator)

Adam Elsod from Civic& Co provided capacity building, facilitation and strategic advice to EMAB. Civic & Co is a consulting firm that designs innovative learning solutions for sustainable change.