Hungary - Supporting migrants at the pre-departure stage of the migration journey will be tackled in depth tomorrow at a conference organized by IOM and partners in Rome as part of a project called “HEADSTART: Fostering Integration Before Departure”.   

The conference is underpinned by the increasing recognition in European Union (EU) policy of the role that countries of origin can play in fostering the successful integration of newly arrived migrants to the EU, which hinges on innovative measures that can be taken before migrants depart. Sound pre-departure initiatives in countries of origin can lead to a more successful overall migration experience, reduce the risks that migrants fall prey to exploitation, and can help them use their newly gained skills back home, upon return.

Many initiatives undertaken in migrants’ countries of origin work to ensure that migrants have accurate and timely information on the immigration rules in a country of destination and that they are informed of their rights and responsibilities. Such services include language tuition or vocational training to help them find jobs and settle in more quickly upon arrival. Migrants can also be better integrated into the receiving societies when support offered in countries of origin helps migrants to use legal means to enter the country and assists them in finding their place in the labour market.

The conference is the centrepiece of the HEADSTART project and will showcase promising practices in the field of pre-departure integration support and offer an opportunity for service providers in countries of origin to meet with their counterparts in countries of destination. Representatives of European governments, public and private employment services, NGOs and social service providers, city officials and academia will discuss integration boosters such as cultural orientation, language assessments, job-matching measures, recognition of skills and qualifications and migrant skills development.  IOM will present the initial findings of a global review it carried out to take stock of existing pre-departure practices. The Workshop will also feature an EXPO where institutions will exhibit their projects and initiatives in the field.

The HEADSTART project is undertaken in partnership with the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES) and authorities in charge of integration issues in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovakia, and co-financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, Ministries of Interior of Italy and Austria and the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers in the Netherlands (COA).

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For more information please contact, Magdalena Majkowska-Tomkin, IOM Budapest, Tel: + 36 30 635 01 70, Email: mmajkowska@iom.int. You can also go to http://www.headstartproject.eu/