All EU countries who have received a high number of migrants in a brief period struggles with similar issues in terms of integration. Social exclusion of migrants exists in all our countries and there is an exceptional need of strengthening and empowering the migrants participation in our societies to avoid a long-term life in alienation. There is a vast vary within the migrant group concerning socially, linguistically and culturally knowledge. When it concerns their educational capital, they range from the illiterate to the highly qualified. Individuals with limited school background need various, different and adapted efforts to assimilate knowledge and skills. Language skills is the most important key competence to enter a new society and therefor it is enormous significant to succeed to motivate the individuals to pursue further studies and personal development that leads to the desire of lifelong learning. The project Citizen of the world is a partnership between Sweden, Italy, Iceland and the Czech Republic. The target group of the project is professionals who works to empower marginalized migrants and the beneficiaries are the migrants. The main results expected during the project and on its completion are to strengthen and empower professionals in their daily working life with marginalized migrants and to strengthen and empower marginalized migrants in their local context in which they are living as well as their knowledge of the hosting society. The project expects to develop sustainable methods and long-term structures available even after the end of the project. Further the aim is to share and spread already existing and working methodologies and good practices as well as withdraw and share knowledge from the consortium regarding ways to work with functional employment strategies and the fight against poverty. In order to reach adequate results, the project will achieve a field study research addressed to the involved target groups. The research will result in a State of the Art Report and will be the foundation of the continuously work in the project. The results of the field study research as well as our transnational cooperation will form the basis of an INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK FOR PROFESSIONALS WORKING TO EMPOWER MARGINALIZED MIGRANTS (IHP). The IHP will be a useful instrument for professionals all over Europe in their work with marginalized migrants. Through our transnational cooperation we will facilitate the knowledge exchange and learn from our inequalities. We will work closely together in order to build capacity that we can bring back to our organisations and share with others. The organisations in our partnership share equal challenges and each partner bring knowledge and experience into the project.
The purpose of the Citizen of the World project was to strengthen and widen the professionals’ knowledge, so they become fully equipped to empower and enhance the key competences and qualifications of disadvantaged migrants. Furthermore, the project also aimed to strengthen the migrants, provide tools for their empowerment and skill development, foster their social inclusion in local communities, and develop knowledge about further education and confidence in themselves and their abilities. Further objectives included were strengthening professionals in migrants’ integration by providing more tailored educational materials based on the real needs of both, professionals and migrants. Supporting individuals in acquiring and developing basic skills and key competences. Empowering migrants to become key actors of their lives as well as autonomous and active citizens in their local environments. Fostering migrants’ knowledge and active participation in their local community and society and provide new innovative, needs tailored tools and share existing methods and good practices.
During the refugee crisis of 2015-2016, approximately 1,5 million asylum seekers arrived in Europe. The migration challenges for most countries within the EU have grown and the integration into the new society is a difficult journey. The EU is home to 21.6 million third-country nationals, accounting for 4.2% of the total EU population. To find a livelihood, access to housing, healthcare and other social support is crucial for the possibilities to be included in the society and for a successful integration. The most common difficulties in terms of successful integration are amongst others that the migrants lag in education, language barriers, uneven access to employment and housing, discrimination etcetera. To arrive at a new host country is for the majority cataclysmic. It means a new culture, a new environment, new rules, new society and nor least a new language. Lots of challenges to conquer before they can become active citizens. To achieve an active citizen its needed to have a solid foundation and language is the most important key competence to enter a new society. It’s not only significant to learn just at the outset but also to find the motivation for lifelong learning. The project Citizen of the world was born from the current need of strengthen and empowering marginalized migrants who live in an environment of social exclusion and which are in a need of developing certain knowledges and skills. The partnership consisting of members from Sweden, Italy and the Chez Republic therefore applied together to run the project for two years. The purpose with the project Citizen of the world is to strengthen and widen the professional’s knowledge, so they become fully equipped to empower and enhance the key competences and qualifications of low-skilled or low-qualified migrants. Further the project also aims to strengthen the migrants, give them tools to empower their lives, knowledge about further education and higher level of confidence in themselves and their abilities. Furthermore, one of EUs policies is to ensure equal access to education and training. Access to lifelong learning, no matter origin or socio-economic status, is a matter of equal chances to fully participate in society, high-quality jobs and achieve personal development The target group of the project Citizen of the world are professionals working with marginalized migrants. A various amount of the migrants (the beneficiaries of the project) has a very brief school background and lack many of the necessary key competences who are needed to live within a modern and well functioned society.