CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
6th meeting of the European Migration Forum
"From pandemic to recovery: challenges and best practices in migration management"
Virtual event via Swapcard, 27–28 October 2021
Background & Main Objectives
The European Migration Forum, organised by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee, is a platform for dialogue[1] between civil society and European institutions on issues related to migration, asylum and migrant integration. The aim of the Forum is to enhance coordination and cooperation between key players involved in the multilevel European governance of migration. It brings together European policy makers and civil society representatives to discuss and consult on key migration issues. The Forum aims to provide more information on the latest policy developments but also to gather information on how European policies are implemented at regional, local and grass-root levels. It should help better understanding the main challenges that civil society organisations and social partners face in the field, and identifying ways to better support them in their efforts to address migrants' needs. This year, the 6th European Migration Forum takes place under the umbrella of the broader initiative Conference on the Future of Europe[2], which enables people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future.
The 6th Forum meeting will take place on 27–28 October 2021 virtually via the web platform Swapcard.
The topic of the 6th European Migration Forum was selected following consultations with civil society representatives. Public consultations, both in the form of a virtual event (held on 19 May 2021) and via a written questionnaire, were open to all organisations interested in the Forum and allowed organisations to give their input on proposed topics.
The contributions received underlined the fundamental role that migrants played during the pandemic but also how the COVID-19 crisis affected their lives and rights as well their integration. In view of the results of the consultations, the Forum will in particular address: digital divide and digital disadvantage of migrants, access to education for migrant children, safe legal pathways for those in need of international protection and how to maximise their integration in hosting societies. The Forum will include a reflection on how to communicate effectively with EU citizens on migration issues. Finally, recent EU developments on migration will be addressed, including the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Some participants will be able to present successful projects to others at a networking marketplace.
This call for expressions of interest aims to select the participants to the Forum. The objective is to identity organisations working in the field of migration, whose expertise and contributions could bring added value to the European debate on the topics mentioned above. A separate selection procedure is held for each meeting of the Forum.
Format of the event
Due to the COVID-19 situation, the event will be organised via the web platform Swapcard. Nevertheless, as in previous years, the 6th meeting will seek to ensure an interactive and participatory approach. The Forum will feature debates held in plenary, but the core of the event will consist of workshops, discussion islands and other opportunities to participate in the debate. This will maximize the opportunity for members of civil society organisations to interact with each other and with policy makers.
Interpretation in several languages will be provided for the plenary sessions. However, the working language in workshop sessions will be English and it is therefore recommended for participants to have a good command of English.
Selection of participants
This call for expressions of interest is open to all civil society organisations that:
· are legally based in one of the EU Member States;
· have experience in the areas listed above, at EU, national or local level;
· are able to raise awareness of the issues mentioned above in their own constituency, national and European networks; and
· commit to actively participate in the meeting and contribute to the dissemination of the results of the Forum.
[1] The European Migration Forum employs a participatory approach, which entails the close involvement of civil society organisations in the preparation and organisation of meetings.