Under the leadership of Gent University, Best Practices in terms of integration policies were mapped at the EU and National level. The synthesis report produced, set a solid basis for the design of capacity-building activities that will be implemented in the following weeks and months.
Best/Good Practices were defined asinnovativeattempts aiming at making a difference, having sustainable effects, and creating potentials for replication. Additionally, through the synthesis report, the integration policy and good practices at the EU-level and at the level of EU-member states – with a specific focus on Greece- were documented.
Social integration of Third Country Nationals was examined through the following domains:
- employment,
- education,
- health care,
- social care,
- intercultural coexistence
Best practices were mapped using the following tools: extensive desk research, focus groups and interviews with TCNs (asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection) as well as local stakeholders in Thessaloniki (representatives from national and local authorities, public services providers and NGOs).
A Focus Group was completed in the department of Sociology of the National School of Public Health on 16/04/2018. The aim of the meeting was to discuss policies of integration of third-country nationals on health and social care issues. Specifically, representatives from the Ministry of Health, HCDCP, MSF, IRC, EKPE – Social Psychiatry and Mental Health, SRC – Spanish Red Cross, BABEL – Day Center for Mental Health of Immigrants (SYN-EIRMOS), EPAPSY – Association for Regional Development and Mental Health, PRAKSIS – NGO, played an active role in the discussion, resulting in the direct processing of the collected material.
Another focus group was held in Gent University at the EU level with representatives from the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, PICUM, RED CROSS, Medecins du Monde, Medecins sans Frontieres, International Committee of the Red Cross, Fundamental Rights Agency, INTERNATIONAL AMNESTY, IOM, SAVE INTERNATIONAL, UNHCR, THE EU (commissioner for immigration) and European Asylum Support Office, who made extremely valuable contributions to the best practices report.
The report provides recommendations for each domain mentioned above on important aspects of good practices related to integration and includes a brief summary of the situation in Greece per domain.