We are happy to invite you to the SIRIUS Project Policy Roundtable organized by Solidar: "Ensuring migrants, refugees and asylum seekers’ labour market integration during Covid-19"
31 March 2021 - 14.00 - 16.00
As Covid-19 has been spreading steadily across Europe for over a year now, its employment and social consequences for migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers (MRAs) have been dramatic. Disproportionately represented in frontline employment sectors, MRAs have made an invaluable contribution to the Covid-19 efforts, which has too seldom been matched by adequate support from the public authorities. Slowed down migration procedures and digital illiteracy have been just two of the other challenges that they experienced in this period, frustrating their social inclusion and labour market integration.
At this roundtable, the SIRIUS partners and SOLIDAR will present the latest project research and bring together civil society, trade unions and policy-makers to explore solutions to ensure MRAs' sound labour market integration in these trying times. Our panel will also discuss the latest EU milestones related to migration and integration, notably the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 and the approved new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
During and after the Covid-19 pandemic, how can we ensure that the integration of MRAs is mainstreamed into active labour market policies? How to reconcile an integration and inclusion perspective with the Pact’s announced focus on irregular migration and a heightened MFF budget for borders management?
Concept Note / Agenda
14:00 - 14:10 | Welcoming remarks - keynote speech
Birgit Sippel, MEP Germany, S&D Group and Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
14:10 - 14:25 | Presentation of the SIRIUS research on the impact of Covid-19
Dr. Simone Baglioni, University of Parma, Italy and SIRIUS Coordinator and Principal Investigator
14:25 - 14:30 | SOLIDAR's perspective on the EU's last migration and integration announcements
Martina Corti, SOLIDAR
14:30 - 14:40 | Trade Unions supporting MRAs during Covid-19
Mercedes Miletti, Policy Advisor on Migration - European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
14:40 - 14:50 | CSOs showing solidarity in the integration of MRAs during Covid-19
Greta Barbolini, ARCI - Italy
14:50 - 15:00 | Local authorities managing the integration of MRAs during Covid-19
Antje Grotheer, CIVEX Commission, Rapporteur on the CoR’s opinion on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum - Committee of the Regions
15:00 - 15:10 | Migration and programming in light of the pandemic: the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and the Asylum and Migration Fund
European Commission, DG HOME, E.1 Funds programming and Procedures Unit – Speaker TBC
15:10 - 15:55 | Structured debate and Q&A
Moderator: Mikael Leyi, Secretary General, SOLIDAR
15:55 - 16:00 | Concluding remarks
Mikael Leyi, Secretary General, SOLIDAR
Register HERE