Kick-off event in Cologne, Germany on Migration

Objective: Strengthen the EU's role in protecting human rights while tackling all forms of irregular migration and ensuring safe crossing of EU borders. 

Measures: 

1. Launch a communication campaign at a cross European level for EURES (European Employment Services), the EU Immigration Portal and the EU Skills Profile Tool to be better known by European and non-European citizens, to be more frequently accessed and used by EU companies when recruiting.
2. Widen the power of existing entities dealing with employment issues such as EURES for migrants to gain access to the EU market, for example the Talent Partnership project. The EU should encourage Member States to simplify the process of reception and integration of migrants and their access to the EU labour market through providing specific instructions and positive examples.
3. Improve the functioning and implementation of the "blue card" directive to attract relevant qualifications that the EU economy needs, taking into consideration the risk of brain drain. Encourage employers to have more diverse workplace through increased awareness about diversity advantages.
4. Integration should be focused more on education of both migrants and the local community, and governments should focus on cooperation with public schools and local NGOs.

Objective: Implement uniform migration standards across the EU 

Measures: 

1. Uniformly implement EU-wide frameworks concerning migration and adapt them based on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Guarantee safety, health, and psychological assistance of all migrants, in particular vulnerable people such as, but not limited to, pregnant women, children, unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities, and the elderly.
2. Increase EU financial, logistical, and operational support, also for local authorities, regional governments, and civil society organisations, for the management of the first and faster reception of migrants, integration and inclusion of refugees and migrants in the EU. Implement and uniformly adapt existing European-wide standards for the repatriation of migrants.
3. An independent EU monitoring mechanism for the protection of human rights in implementation when the return policy measures are implemented by the national member states, for the monitoring of borders and detention facilities.
4. Strengthen the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in monitoring the use of EU funds by receiving entities.

Objective: Strengthen the EU’s role and reform the European asylum system based on the principles of solidarity and fair share of responsibility: 

Measures: 

1. As the reception of asylum seekers involves different sectors at a national level, a unique local administrative desk should be set up.
2. Revise the Dublin system taking into to account the individual rights, needs, and wellbeing of migrants as well as the resources of Member States.
3. The EU should provide a criterion of what “minimum standards” for the reception of asylum seekers mean, with the view that minimum should also be sufficient. Reception facilities and accommodation need to include one room for one family at the least. Food and nutrition need to be sufficient.
4. Special attention should be given in particular to pregnant women, children, unaccompanied minors, and the medically vulnerable such as the disabled or the elderly. Provide medical professionals in the camps to see to the needs of refugees including the above mentioned vulnerable groups. Childcare services should also be provided.
5. Strengthen and increase financial and human resources as well as management capacities of the EU Agency for Asylum to coordinate and manage the relocation of asylum seekers within the EU Member States to achieve a fair distribution. This needs to be in line with individual needs as well as available resources.
6. Border countries need special to support with media literacy on migration to decrease tensions between migrants and local populations.

Objective: Improve integration policies across all Member States:

Measures: 

1. The EU ensures, also with the involvement of local, regional authorities and the contribution of civil society organisations, that every asylum seeker and refugee, during the process of the residence assessment, has access to language and integration courses with minimum EU standards informed by EU values. The EU should provide holistic healthcare including mental health. Local authorities should be trained in anti-racism, inclusivity, and diversity to be able to organise activities that bring together migrants and local people to deepen relations that promote social cohesion and the agency of migrants.
2. There should be a simplified and quicker process to recognise and accredit foreign qualifications and work experience for refugees. Provide ongoing training for migrants to be able to gain new qualifications and access the labour market. Allow for greater work mobility for migrants within the European Union (Blue Card) so they can work where their skills are in demand. Special attention should be given to younger migrants in terms of vocational training. The EU should provide Member States with financial incentives or subsidies for companies or organisations that recruit refugees.
3. Specific attention should be given to the integration of children in the education system providing them with extra linguistic and academic support. This assistance should not isolate children from local students, but should strive to align the learning objectives to their need and time.