Empowering migrants and people in the communities are key to positive integration

Empowering migrants and people in the communities are key to positive integration


Empowering migrants and receiving communities is the best way to achieve sustainable and successful integration. It is also the best way to reverse the current negative attitude towards migrants and to prevent xenophobia. European institutions acknowledged yesterday the “Caritas’ approach” on integration at an event held by the European Parliament’s intergroup on extreme poverty.

« I appreciate the work of Caritas on integration because they do not deny that migration and integration is a difficult topic to work on, they do not propose illusions but solutions based on the reality of the people on the ground. They listen to those working with migrants and with the migrants themselves and devise innovative and successful integration projects that are fully based on the empowerment of people, » said MEP Sylvie Goulard (ALDE), Chair of the European Parliament’s intergroup on extreme poverty.

« The work of Caritas and publications like the ‘Welcome’ report helps us to look critically at the actions we are taking on integration. In particular now that the Commission is issuing the Action Plan on Integration, » said Agnese Papadia, integration expert at DG HOME.

« At a time when migration is tainted by a very negative discourse and approach, it’s a confirmation by European institutions acknowledging the rightness of our approach. Working with the people in the communities who are welcoming the newcomers, together with the migrants, empowering them, and finding ways to make their encounters success stories is the way Caritas works and is the direction Europe should follow, » said Jorge Nuño Mayer, Secretary General of Caritas Europa.

Caritas Europa welcomes the recent initiative of the European Commission of taking into account the work of civil society with migrants when drafting European joint answers to migration. Caritas agrees completely with the view explained by Ms. Papadia that “successful integration brings benefits both for the migrants and the community, beyond the economic benefits”

For more information about this subjet or Caritas , please contact:

Shannon Pfohman
Advocacy and Policy Director
Tel: +32 (0)2 235 26 51
Mob: +32 (0)476 98 44 77
spfohman@caritas.eu
Alain Rodríguez
Communication Officer
Tel: +32 (0)2 235 26 54
Mob : +32 (0)478 58 54 37
arodriguez@caritas.eu