Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza

Descrizione del progetto

The integration of migrants, particularly their education which constitutes one of the most crucial basis for integration is increasingly becoming a key area for policy focus in Europe. This is mainly due to the fact that in most EU countries there are significant and often persistent gaps in the educational attainment of Children on the Move (Eurodiaconia report,2016). The participating universities and organisations of this proposed project are from four European countries (France, Cyprus, Portugal and Italy) located in the Mediterranean region which have received intensive waves of immigrants. Nearly one third of the total number of first time applicants in the Member States of the European Union in 2016 was aged less than 18 years, of which 63 300 asylum seekers were considered to be unaccompanied minors (Eurostat, 2017). Considering this, the proposed project has been developed because it is imperative that the Children on the Move (defined in this project as children and young people with migrant backgrounds) in these countries participate and are included in the reform processes that seek to find solutions in the educational sector - reforms that directly affect their level of integration to the host countries.

Given the critical role played by education in the integration of those who are new in a society – and especially for women and children – scholastic underachievement, school absenteeism, early school leaving and of all forms of migrant youth delinquency should be avoided and made priority areas for policy intervention. This is because, training and education are among the most powerful tools to provide Children on the Move with the right skills to achieve personal fulfilment, impart the values, culture and language of the host societies and promote intercultural dialogue which are the gateway to employment and social inclusion. Consequently, education not only has positive effects for the individual, but also for the society as a whole. Therefore, it is essential that special attention is given to the educational achievement of those who face difficulties within the school system. Importantly, the four European countries in this project are scoring low in providing a decent educational opportunity to Children on the Move (Eurodiaconia,2016). The young people in these countries therefore, know first hand the challenges that Children on the Move face and can therefore provide precise recommendations.

In accordance with the EU’s considerable efforts and priorities set among others in the Education and Training 2020 and in the Integration Action Plan of Third-Country Nationals, the focus of the project is on integration of Children on the Move through education. Acknowledging the key role of young people in building an open and inclusive society and the importance of involving them in policy-shaping processes, the main goal of the project is to provide a platform for Children on the Move to engage in a dialogue with stakeholders about the issues of integration and education and

promote recommendations for policy reforms. The needs of the Children on the Move are fluctuant, therefore, it is important for the project to be participatory as the new educational system is wired to receive and address the educational needs of the Children on the Move. Therefore, the project would fittingly serve the objectives and make a significant contribution to the sixth cycle of the Structured Dialogue that aims to increase young people’s involvement in preparing the next European Youth Strategy.

The objectives of the project are closely linked to the objectives of Structured Dialogue in the field of youth as they:

• Provide young people, aged 16-30, opportunity to discuss the challenges of integration of Children on the Move in the education system with the stakeholders (policy makers, representatives of the education sector etc.); exchange knowledge and experience, and provide suggestions.
• Reveal the existing gaps and problems in the systems on both national and transnational level; find long term solutions to prevent early age drop-outs from school and loosing of motivation to learn and pursue further studies/higher education.
• Make recommendations for policy reforms at national and European level, make proposals for the Joint Recommendation and the next European Youth Strategy.
• Promote the active participation of youth in democratic life and build online democracy.
• Build an international and multidisciplinary professional network of young people who will participate in policy reforms on a long term period.

The consortium proposes this project through the Chair Programme because the universities involved have well-established networks with policy-makers in their respective countries (please see the background information of organisations section). Therefore, in this way, the involvement of the decision-makers to the project is secured through the initiatives and actions of the professors.