Social and economic effects of migration in Europe and integration policies

Proposals should take stock of the long-term effects of migration at EU aggregate and cross-national level on economic growth and productivity, employment levels and wages, entrepreneurship, and fiscal and welfare impacts. They should analyse policies related to the integration of migrants, including refugees. Particular attention should be paid to gender and vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied children and stateless persons. Attention should be also paid to economic, human capital and cultural factors in relation to the integration outcomes of different groups of migrants and the social impact of segregation. Furthermore, proposals should analyse the local and interactional dimension of integration processes and their effects on the provision of local services, workplace conditions, productivity and innovation. They should comparatively examine integration policies (labour market, education, health, civil rights, social welfare, housing, family policies, etc.), and the role of transnational institutions and networks in shaping integration at a local scale. In addition, they should estimate the efficiency, effectiveness and social impact of such policies and highlight best practices and relevant benchmarks, building on the extensive knowledge that already exists in the EU[[In particular, best practices and policy-related information available from sources such as the European Website on Integration, the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), the reports on migrant integration from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, the EU-OECD Settling In report and the OECD booklets on integration, the relevant EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) modules.]]. Finally, an understanding of past and historical experiences of integrating migrant communities, and what these can tell us about current challenges, should also be assessed. Interdisciplinary research with combined insights from disciplines such as sociology, economics, history, anthropology, cultural studies and psychology among others is needed.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the order of EUR 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

A greater understanding of the social and economic effects and impacts of migration in Europe is needed in order to obtain an objective overview of developments and to address misperceptions. In light of recent and current migratory flows, an assessment of integration policies and efforts is equally important for ensuring their effectiveness in promoting the integration and inclusion of migrants in host societies.

The action will improve the knowledge base on the socio-economic effects of migration. It will provide solutions and recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of policies targeting the integration of migrants. It will also contribute to building comprehensive strategies for integration across EU Member states, conducive to socially inclusive economic growth.