Youth Integration Is Essential for Migration, EU Forum Says

According to a press release issued by the European Commission, this year’s forum intends to facilitate discussions on migrant youth inclusion and mobility, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

Ylva Johansson, the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Christa Schweng, will also be present on the second day of the event.

Commissioner Johansson will emphasise the joint response by the EU and the Member States to offer adequate accommodation for Ukrainian refugees, representing a good practice for youth integration.

Young speakers with migrant backgrounds, as well as media representatives and youth-led organisations, are also expected to contribute with their perspectives in workshops and debates.

Representatives of the Commission, the Council Presidency and the Committee of the Regions will take part in discussions with civil society organisations from Europe and beyond.

Since 2015, the European Migration Forum has been providing a platform for dialogue between organisations and EU institutions to exchange views.

There will be many speakers in the forum, including Micheal Shotter, the Director General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, Rachel Streefland, the Deputy Mayor of Utrecht, as well as Amara Makhoul, Editor in chief of Info Migrants. Both the EU Commissioner and the President of the Committee will be speakers on the second day of the forum.

The EU is dealing with the increasing number of migrants, especially following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Just recently, the Norwegian authorities reported that the number of applications for temporary protection filed by Ukrainian nationals had surpassed the 30,000 mark in a week alone.

“So far this year, the municipalities have settled over 22,000 refugees, of which over 19,000 with temporary collective protection,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noted.

All of the country’s municipalities have come together to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, as well as volunteers, employers, schools and local communities. The authorities in Norway anticipate that asylum and protection applications will reach 36,000 in 2022 and another 14,000 in 2023.

Moreover, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) expects that 25,000 to 30,000 Ukrainians will come to Norway – this being the low-case scenario, while a more realistic scenario predicts that 40,000 to 60,000 Ukrainians will make it to the country.

These forecasts only highlight the importance of forums, workshops and training that aim at educating the population, media, volunteers and NGO representatives to engage in such activities and deal with refugees fleeing their home countries, the majority of the time, due to safety concerns.