MIraGE

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MIraGE

Objective

The MIraGE project aims to facilitate the seamless access and integration of third-country nationals seeking employment into the labour market of host EU countries.

Problem

Despite the great potential that asylum seekers and refugees can bring to European economies, there are some obstacles that need to be overcome. In all EU Member States, there are employers who see the potential of this group but refrain from hiring them due to a lack of information about the skills and qualifications of migrants, as well as the legal procedures for hiring them. At the same time, migrants are also not aware of the available opportunities on the labour market and how they could benefit from them. In other countries, the legal framework, the policies in place and the low language skills of migrants are significant barriers to their integration into the labour market.

Activities

The MIraGE consortium of organisations undertook various activities such as:

  • Mapping the needs and attitudes towards migrant labour market integration through an online survey
  • Conducting interviews to identify best practices
  • In-depth research on best practices and compiling them into a handbook for employers, available in 9 EU languages
  • Integrating best practices among employers and citizens through a project website, promotional video and social media campaign
  • Training of employers and third-country representatives to help both groups understand each other’s needs, overcome barriers between them and learn to speak the same language
  • Evaluating the impact and applicability of the results
  • Who is behind the Initiative

Co-financed by the European Union’s Migration and Security Fund, this project is implemented by a group of stakeholder partners composed of 9 NGOs, 1 trade union, 1 vocational training centre and 1 training course provider from 8 EU countries (Bulgaria, Sweden, Italy, France, Austria, Cyprus, Romania, Hungary). Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF) is the lead organization of the project.

Results

The project contributes to increasing the interest of 467 European employers from 8 EU countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Cyprus, Romania, Hungary, France, Sweden) in hiring migrants with different statuses. The total number of trained migrants in the countries participating in the project is 844.

Learn more on the Initiative website: www.mirageproject.eu