COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Mid-term review of the Commission Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS State of play on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum
Date: 2025-06-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU migration policy, activity report, external border of the EU, foreign national, integration of migrants, international protection, migration control, return migration, right of asylum

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 11.6.2025  SWD(2025) 162 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Mid-term review of the Commission Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS State of play on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum  {COM(2025) 319 final}  
 
Contents 
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2 
1.  EU integration policy: underlying key principles and general trends ................................. 4 
2.  Education and Training ....................................................................................................... 8 
2.1. 
State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan ............................................. 8 
2.2.  Remaining challenges ............................................................................................... 11 
2.3.  Way forward ............................................................................................................. 12 
3.  Employment and skills ...................................................................................................... 13 
State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan ........................................... 13 
3.1. 
3.2.  Remaining challenges ............................................................................................... 16 
3.3.  Way forward ............................................................................................................. 18 
4.  Health ................................................................................................................................ 19 
4.1. 
State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan ........................................... 19 
4.2.  Remaining challenges ............................................................................................... 21 
4.3.  Way forward ............................................................................................................. 22 
5.  Housing ............................................................................................................................. 23 
5.1. 
State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan ........................................... 23 
5.2.  Remaining challenges ............................................................................................... 25 
5.3.  Way forward ............................................................................................................. 26 
6.  Horizontal actions ............................................................................................................. 27 
6.1. 
State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan ........................................... 27 
6.2.  Remaining challenges ............................................................................................... 28 
6.3.  Way forward ............................................................................................................. 29 
7.  Enhancing synergies on the use of EU funds on integration ............................................ 29 
7.1 State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan ................................................. 29 
7.3 Way forward ................................................................................................................... 32 
8.  Conclusion and lessons learnt ........................................................................................... 32 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
The Action  Plan  on  Integration  and  Inclusion  2021-2027 1  (‘the  Action  Plan’),  adopted  in 
November 2020, is one of the first initiatives taken by the Commission  to implement the 2020 
Communication on the Pact on Migration and Asylum2 (‘the Pact’). The Pact emphasises that a 
successful integration and inclusion policy is an essential part of a  well-managed and effective 
migration and asylum policy, contributing to reducing the risks of unauthorised movements and to 
the EU’s social cohesion. By helping legally residing migrants participate in the labour market at 
a time of increasing labour and skills shortages, it is also relevant for the EU’s competitiveness: as 
highlighted by the 2024 Draghi report3, an orderly and well-managed labour migration is key for 
our competitiveness, and to tackle skills and labour gaps. With more than 27 million non-EU 
nationals regularly living and working in the EU in 2023, and around an additional 3,5 million 
new residence permits delivered to migrants every year on average since 20214, Member States 
face  significant  pressure  on  their  respective  national  systems,  notably  in  the  education  and  the 
housing sectors. Against this background, swift and successful integration is essential, to ensure 
the functioning of national systems, to uphold social cohesion and to meet the needs of dynamic 
and specialised economies. In this  context, the Action Plan  envisions concrete actions  across a 
number of key areas of integration to support Member States and other relevant stakeholders in 
overcoming integration-related challenges. The Action  Plan builds on the experiences gathered 
with the implementation of the 2016 Commission Action Plan on the Integration of third-country 
nationals5 and takes a broadened focus to also cover EU citizens with migrant background6. 

The  objective  of  this  mid-term  review  (‘the  review’)  is  to  provide  an  overview  of  the 
implementation status of the Action Plan, identify remaining challenges and the way forward 
in implementing the measures of the Action Plan until 2027.7 This review, which delivers on 
the commitment taken by the Commission in the Action Plan, also aims to inform on the status of 
the  use  of  EU  funds  on  integration,  especially  the  Asylum,  Migration  and  Integration  Fund 
(‘AMIF’), in order to identify current shortcomings, showcase effective practices, and encourage 
Member States to further explore synergies among various EU funds to improve the integration of 
third-country nationals and EU citizens with a migrant background (see section 7).  

1 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions, Action plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 COM(2020) 758 final:  
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/AUTO/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0758.  
2 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions on a New Pact on Migration and Asylum, COM(2020) 609 final: EUR-Lex - 52020DC0609 - 
EN - EUR-Lex. 
3 The  future  of  European  competitiveness:  https://commission.europa.eu/topics/strengthening-european-competitiveness/eu-
competitiveness-looking-ahead_en#paragraph_47059. 
4 Statistics  on  migration  to  Europe:  https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-
european-way-life/statistics-migration-europe_en. 
5 Communication from the Commission and the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions Action Plan on the integration of third country nationals, COM/2016/0377 final, available at 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52016DC0377. 
6 The expression ‘EU citizens with migrant background’ covers nationals of EU Member States who had a third-country nationality 
and became EU citizens through naturalisation in one of the EU Member States as well as EU citizens who have a third country 
migrant background through their foreign-born parents. EU citizens with migrant background benefit from the status and rights of 
EU citizens, as enshrined in Articles 20 and 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 
7 For  a  more  detailed  and  comprehensive  understanding  of  each  action  and  initiative,  see  the  Action  Plan  progress  tracker: 
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/migrant-integration/migrant-integration-hub/progress-tracker-
action-plan-integration-and-inclusion-2021-2027_en. 

2 

 
 
 
To conduct this review, the Commission consulted the Member States and relevant stakeholders8. 
Their views fed in the assessment of the status of the implementation of the Action Plan, as well 
as  the  emerging  challenges  and  needs.  The  Commission  also  considered  developments  in  the 
internal and geopolitical context since 2021, along with new global challenges, and their impact 
on  integration  policies  (e.g.  the  growing  housing  crisis).  Russia’s  war  of  aggression  against 
Ukraine also had significant implications for integration policies. The arrival of over 4 million 
beneficiaries of temporary protection led the Commission and the Member States to implement 
several  specific  actions9 and  innovative  practices10 to  facilitate  their  integration  and  guarantee 
access  to  education,  employment,  health,  and  housing  in  line  with  the  Temporary  Protection 
Directive11. According to some of the stakeholders consulted, the EU and Member States should 
further replicate the good practices related to the inclusion of displaced people from Ukraine to 
other migrants. 

The  legislative  acts  adopted  as  part  of  the  Pact  on  Migration  and  Asylum  in  2024  contain 
provisions relating to the integration of applicants for and beneficiaries of international protection. 
These cover issues  such as access  to  and integration in the labour market,  access  to  education, 
access  to  wider  integration  measures  and  healthcare,  as  well  as  accommodation  and  housing. 
Notably,  the  revised  Reception  Conditions  Directive 12  reinforces  provisions  on  minimum 
standards of assistance and reception for asylum applicants by Member States and promotes early 
integration. Under the Qualification Regulation13, the rights and obligations of beneficiaries of 
international protection in terms of employment, social benefits, healthcare, education, integration, 
etc. are clarified and strengthened. More broadly, effective and sustainable integration and related 
economic inclusion helps to reduce congestions of national reception systems and would further 
contribute  to  reduce  drivers  of  secondary  movement.  Some  of  the  associated  implementation 
measures are set out in the Common implementation plan14 which sets out key milestones for 
Member States to prepare for the full application of the Pact. In this context, this review aims to 
provide  insights  and  tools  to  assist  Member  States  in  preparing  and  refining  their  National 
Strategies, ensuring alignment with the objectives of the Pact and identifying successful practices. 

8 The Commission consulted Member States through the European Integration Network (EIN), the members the Urban Agenda 
Inclusion Partnership, the European Partnership for Integration with social and economic partners, the  Migrant Integration Hub 
country correspondents, and other stakeholders involved in the consultations for the adoption of the Action Plan in 2020 including 
civil society organisations. A survey was also published on the migrant integration hub (former European Web Site on Integration) 
and open for contributions from the general public. The survey gathered 30 replies from civil societies, international organisations 
and local and regional authorities.  
9 See  an  overview of  actions  to welcome  displaced  persons  from  Ukraine:  https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-
and-asylum/migration-management/migration-management-welcoming-refugees-ukraine_en. 
10 See for instance the Safe Homes initiative: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/safe-and-suitable-homes-people-fleeing-war-
ukraine-2022-07-06_en, the Talent Pool pilot: https://eures.europa.eu/eu-talent-pool-pilot_en. 
11 Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass 
influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and 
bearing the consequences thereof, OJ L 212, 7.8.2001, p. 12, available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2001/55/oj. 
12 Directive (EU) 2024/1346 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 laying down standards for the reception 
of 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
L, 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL_202401346. 
13 Regulation (EU) 2024/1347 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on standards for the qualification of 
third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, OJ L, 2024/1346, 22.5.2024, https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401347. 
14 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions Common Implementation Plan for the Pact on Migration and Asylum, 
COM/2024/251 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2024%3A251%3AFIN 

protection,  OJ 

international 

2024/1346, 

22.5.2024, 

applicants 

for 

3 

 
 
  
 
1.  EU integration policy: underlying key principles and general trends  

Integration policies are crucial for fostering social cohesion, as they help bridge cultural gaps and 
ensure that all individuals can contribute to and benefit from the host society. The EU integration 
policy is guided by key principles and values that have been set by the Action Plan. These key 
principles and values are grounded in the European Pillar of Social Rights and fundamental rights 
enshrined in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. They aim at directing 
all the Commission  and the  Member States’ efforts in  designing, implementing, and reviewing 
their integration policies.  

These principles and values set in the Action Plan are:  

-  All policies should be inclusive and work for everyone, including for migrants legally 
residing in the EU and EU citizens with migrant background. For example, the European 
Social Fund Plus (ESF+) has funded several projects to enhance digital skills targeting both 
EU citizens and third-country nationals. Third-country nationals are a priority group as part 
of efforts to support the activation of underrepresented people in the EU labour market. 
-  To be successful, integration should function as a two-way process, where migrants make 
an active effort to integrate and host communities create the conditions for migrants’ full 
participation in society. 

-  Where  necessary,  targeted  support  should  be  provided,  as  it  is  done  in  the  case  of 

healthcare needs for migrant women or adapted mental healthcare. 

-  Early  action  and  long-term  investment  should  be  put  in  place  to  ensure  effective 
integration,  for  example  as  done  by  the  Commission  with  its  toolkit 15  with  practical 
guidance on inclusion within early childhood education and care or with the promotion of 
early labour market integration for applicants for international protection. 

-  Multi-stakeholder partnerships should be put in place, involving national governments, 
local authorities, civil society, and EU institutions, as done for example within the Urban 
Agenda for the EU Partnership on the inclusion of migrants and refugees16.  

On top of these principles and values, the Action Plan supports an intersectional perspective on 
integration challenges, takes a mainstreaming approach to gender and anti-discrimination 
priorities and complements EU equality strategies, such as the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-
202517 and the EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-202518, the EU Roma Strategic Framework for 

and 

best 

joint 

practices 

exchange 

the  Committee  of 

15 Available at: https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/discover/toolkit-school-success. 
16 The Urban Agenda for the EU is supported by the Commission and in 2021-2027 provided under the European Urban Initiative. 
The Thematic Partnership on the Inclusion of migrants and refugees is co-led by the European Commission (DG HOME) and the 
City of Amsterdam bringing together, since 2016, cities, national authorities, regions, civil society organisations and EU institutions 
to 
https://www.urbanagenda.urban-
develop 
initiative.eu/partnerships/inclusion-migrants-refugees. 
17 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
final, 
the  Regions  a  Union  of  Esuality:  Gender  equality  strategy,  COM/2020/152 
and 
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality/gender-equality-
strategy_en., a new post-2025 Gender Equality strategy is planned according to the communication from the Commission to the 
European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a Roadmap 
for Women’s Rights, COM/2025/97 final  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0097  
18 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  A  union  of  equality:  EU  Anti-racism  Action  Plan  2020-2025,  COM(2020)  565  final 
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/racism-and-
xenophobia/eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en. A new Anti-racism strategy will be adopted by the end of 2025. 

integration: 

actions 

on 

4 

 
 
 
equality, inclusion and participation19, the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy20 and the Strategy for the 
rights of persons with disabilities 2021-203021. Furthermore, the Action Plan works in synergy 
with other frameworks and strategies, such as the EU Youth Strategy 2019-202722 which promotes 
inclusion and provides opportunities for young people at risk of exclusion. 

Data shows an overall improvement in legally staying migrants’ integration outcomes. However, 
considerable disparities in their integration persist alongside enduring challenges. 

In addition to the challenges migrants face in areas such as education, employment, poverty, social 
exclusion, and housing (see Figure 1.), they continue to encounter disadvantages in several other 
areas. Migrants and people with migrant background continue to be at a higher risk of poverty and 
face disproportional difficulties to access employment, education, and essential services, which 
hinders their social inclusion and overall well-being and reduces their capacity to contribute to 
their host society 23. However, considering comparison of integration outcomes in the long term, 
significant progress has been made in recent years. This is particularly the case in the labour market 
integration of migrants, with an overall growth of 4 percentage points in the employment rate of 
migrants in the EU in the last decade24. 

the  Committee  of 

the  Regions  a  Union  of  Equality:  LGBTIQ  Equality  Strategy,  COM/2020/698 

19 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions a Union of Equality: EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation, 
COM(2020)  620 
final  https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-
discrimination/roma-eu/roma-equality-inclusion-and-participation-eu_en. 
20 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
final 
and 
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/new-push-european-democracy/equality-and-
inclusion/actions-lgbtiq-equality_en.A new LGBTIQ strategy will be adopted by the end of 2025. 
21 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  a  Union  of  Equality:  Strategy  for  the  rights  of  persons  with  disabilities  2021-2030, 
https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/social-protection-social-
COM/2021/101 
inclusion/persons-disabilities/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030_en. 
22 Resolution of the Council of the European Union and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting 
within the Council on a framework for European cooperation in the youth field: The European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027, 
OJ 2018/C 456/01, p. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2018:456:FULL. 
23  OECD/European  Commission  (2023), Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  2023:  Settling  In,  OECD  Publishing, 
Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en.  
24  OECD/European  Commission  (2023), Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  2023:  Settling  In,  OECD  Publishing, 
Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en. 

final 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key facts and figures on integration and inclusion (EU-27, 2023)25 

25 Eurostat data, 2023, published in 2024 and Eurostat (EU Labour Force Survey). Migrant population in this graph corresponds 
to  population  born  outside  the  EU  whose  parents  were  also  born  outside  the  EU  (first  generation  migrants),  whereas  native 
population corresponds to population born in the country whose parents were born also in the country. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
7 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.  Education and Training 

2.1. State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan 

Creating an inclusive and equitable education system is key to the development and cohesion of 
European societies, especially in a context of decline in basic skills of young people in the EU and 
an urgent need to attract teachers26. If access to quality education is important for all young people, 
it  is  particularly  the  case  for  disadvantaged  ones,  such  as  migrants,  and  education  plays  an 
important role in social mobility and participation in civic life. The European Education Area 
(EEA)27 seeks to remove barriers to learning and enhance education quality across Member States 
for  all  and  particularly  for  disadvantaged  learners,  through  actions  that  address  disparities  and 
promote inclusion. To achieve this key objective, the Commission published different tools, such 
as the Toolkit for school  success28. This  toolkit includes  specific  relevant  sections  on  migrant 
learners and was complemented with an updated self-assessment tool29 on inclusion and wellbeing 
in  May  2025.  The  Commission  also  drafted  a  proposal  that  led  to  the  adoption  in  2022  of  the 
Council Recommendation on Pathways to School Success30, with a focus on groups at risk, which 
includes  migrant  children.  The  Commission  has  been  supporting  the  implementation  of  this 
Council Recommendation by promoting mutual learning and exchange of practices through the 
dedicated Pathways to School Success sub-group of the EEA strategic framework Working Group 
on Schools. The EEA strategic framework Working Group on Equality and Values in Education 
and  Training31 has  organised  a  range  of  mutual  learning  activities  on  inclusive  education  and 
published  papers  addressing  topics  related  to  citizenship  education  and  discrimination. 
Additionally, the Commission and the Belgian Presidency organised in May 2024 a meeting of the 
European Integration Network (EIN)32 focused on inclusive education where a number of Member 
States’ representatives and other stakeholders showcased good practices. The Commission also 
launched  Erasmus+  Teacher  Academies33 in  February  2022.  These  academies  create  European 
partnerships to offer support for teachers, including on encouraging multilingualism, language 
awareness and cultural diversity. By 2025, 27 Teacher Academies had been set up, and 17 new 
academies were launched in 2025. Also, as part of the cooperation between the Commission and 

26 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic 
And Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, The Union of Skills, COM(2025) 90 final, https://employment-social-
affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/915b147d-c5af-44bb-9820-c252d872fd31_en; an EU comparative analysis of the PISA 2022 results, 
https://education.ec.europa.eu/nl/news/report-of-pisa-2022-study-outlines-worsening-educational-performance-and-deeper-
inequality 
27 Communication from the Commission to the European parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  achieving  the  European  Education  Area  by  2025,  COM/2020/625  final,  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0625. Council Resolution on the governance structure of the strategic 
framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030), OJ 
C 497, 10.12.2021, p.1 
28 Available at:  
 https://school-education.ec.europa.eu/en/discover/toolkit-school-
success?overridden_route_name=entity.taxonomy_term.canonical&amp%3Bbase_route_name=entity.taxonomy_term.canonical
&amp%3Bpage_manager_page=taxonomy_term_pages&amp%3Bpage_manager_page_variant=taxonomy_term_pages-
layout_builder-2&amp%3Bpage_manager_page_variant_weight=-8. 
29

-  Self-assessment 
education.ec.europa.eu/en/learn/self-assessment-tools  
30 European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, Pathways to school success, Publications 
Office of the European Union, 2022, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/193975. 
31  Working  Group  on  Equality  and  Values  in  Education  and  Training  https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-
register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&groupID=3778. 
32

|  European  School  Education  Platform  https://school-

 Professional  development 

tools 

the  Register 

of  Commission  Expert  Groups 

Similar  Entities 

available 

on 

and  Other 

 Minutes 

https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&groupID=602.  
33 More information available at https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/school-education/erasmus-teacher-academies.  

8 

 
 
 
the European Centre for modern languages of the Council of Europe, many trainings for teachers 
have  been  organised  in  Member  States  on  how  best  to  develop  learners’  competences  in  the 
language/s  of  schooling,  whilst  valuing  all  children’s  home  languages  and  drawing  on  these 
languages  as  a  rich  resource  for  learning34.  As  part  of  the  Union  of  Skills35,  the  Commission 
adopted  an  Action  Plan  on  Basic  Skills36 in  March  2025,  to  ensure  that  all  learners,  including 
migrants  leave  school  with  sufficient  basic  skills37 and  that  adults  reach  an  adequate  level  of 
proficiency38.  

In the context of forced displacement from Ukraine, the Commission mobilised  all available 
instruments ranging from peer learning to policy guidance, data collection, online platforms, and 
funding  to  ensuring  access  to  high-quality  education  for  displaced  children  from  Ukraine  and 
support  Member  States’  efforts  in  this  area.  The  EEA  strategic  framework  Working  Groups 
provided  a  forum  for  peer  learning  in  support  of  the  inclusion  of  these  children.  With  a  major 
contribution  of  the  Working  Group  on  Schools,  the  Commission  adopted  on  30  June  2022  a 
practical  manual  outlining  considerations,  key  principles  and  practices  on  the  inclusion  of 
displaced  children  from  Ukraine 39.  A  dedicated  resource  site 40 for  education  and  support  for 
Ukrainian was created on the European School Education Platform. Following interest expressed 
by Ukraine, exceptional Erasmus+ opportunities have been introduced since March 2022 and EUR 
100 million was frontloaded to support the integration of learners displaced by the war in their new 
learning  environments.  Furthermore,  the  Commission  published  in  June  2024  a  report  on  the 
inclusion of displaced children from Ukraine in EU education systems 2023-202441. This data was 
incorporated  into  an  inter-agency  dashboard 42 on  education  for  Ukrainian  refugee  learners  in 
European host countries, launched in May 2025 by UNESCO and built in cooperation with the 
Commission, UNHCR, UNICEF, OECD and the Council of Europe. 

Several Member States reported providing schools with teaching material, handbooks and guides 
related  to  multicultural,  intercultural  and  linguistic  diversity  issues.  Some  Member  States  also 
declared providing teachers with adequate training for teaching multilingual classrooms, while 

34A  report  prepared  for  the  Commission  in  2022  showed  emerging  practices  supporting  newly  arrived  migrant  and  displaced 
children  in  their  language  learning  needs.  Siarova,  H.  (2022).  ‘Education  interventions  supporting  newly  arrived  migrant  and 
displaced children in their language learning needs,  NESET Ad hoc report no. 2/2022. 
35  The  Union  of  Skills  (COM(2025)  90  final)  https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/915b147d-c5af-44bb-
9820-c252d872fd31_en  
36 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  the  Action  Plan  on  Basic  Skills,  COM/2025/88  final  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0088  
37 The basic skills set is widened and includes literacy, mathematical, science, digital and citizenship skills, to address the challenges 
of our rapidly evolving societies and economies. 
38 The Commission also adopted a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Education Strategic Plan to reverse 
the trend of declining performance in STEM skills at school and to attract more  students in STEM tracks and careers. Lack of 
access to high-quality STEM education particularly impacts students from disadvantaged socio-economic or migration background. 
https://education.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-03/STEM_Education_Strategic_Plan_COM_2025_89_1_EN_0.pdf  
39

of 

displaced 

children 

from  Ukraine 

in 

education: 

https://school-

 Supporting 

inclusion 

the 

of 

 The 

inclusion 

displaced 

education.ec.europa.eu/en/discover/publications/supporting-inclusion-displaced-children-ukraine-education-considerations-key  
40
from  Ukraine 

in 
education.ec.europa.eu/en/discover/news/education-support-ukrainian-refugees  
41  The  inclusion  of  displaced  children  from  Ukraine  in  EU  education  systems  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/224f94b0-32a8-11ef-a61b-01aa75ed71a1/language-en    The  inclusion  of  displaced  children  from  Ukraine  in  EU 
education 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/224f94b0-32a8-11ef-a61b-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en  
42 https://www.unesco.org/en/ukraine-war/education  

https://school-

education 

systems: 

children 

systems 

2023 

2024 

EU 

- 

9 

 
 
 
some  Member  States  have  opened  specific  classes  for  children  not  yet  speaking  the  national 
language of the hosting Member State.  

To improve the quality of early childhood education and care, the Commission published a 
toolkit 43  with  practical  guidance  on  inclusion  within  early  childhood  education  and  care  in 
February 2021. The Commission coordinates the working group on early childhood education and 
care which supports Member States in implementing the European Quality Framework for early 
childhood  education  and  care44.  Several  Member  States  reported  having  support  programmes 
assisting culturally diverse children at  early childhood education and care  level  which provide 
staff  with  adapted  materials  and  training.  Other  Member  States  mentioned  initiating  new 
projects  to  improve  access  of  culturally  and  linguistically  diverse  children  in  early  childhood 
education and care by targeting parents.  
As part of the EU Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2745, the EC has worked on related Council 
Recommendation  proposals46 to  make  the  most  of  EU  support  for  internet  access,  purchase  of 
digital equipment and e-learning applications and platforms for schools, in particular for students 
from disadvantaged groups such as migrants. 
A Mutual Assistance Project (MAP47) organised between Belgium and Sweden in the framework 
of the EIN, has supported exchanges between Member States on successful approaches to civic 
orientation courses in 2021 (in addition to other topics). Several Member States  have adopted 
measures to support language learning of migrant children beyond initial proficiency level, 
while others reported also supporting proficiency language acquisition for adults. To fund these 
initiatives, many Member States reported using European funds for language courses that target 
both children and adults, with a majority of Member States using AMIF.  The Commission also 
funded 5 new transnational projects in 2024, under AMIF Thematic Facility48, aiming to improve 
the  effectiveness  of  language  learning  for  migrant  children.  Regarding  the  need  for  specific 
integration support towards unaccompanied minors, the European Migration Network (EMN) 
produced a relevant mapping of the challenges and good practices on transition to adulthood for 
unaccompanied minors49. Aspects related to vocational education and training are covered in the 
next section on employment and skills. 

inclusive  early  childhood  education  and  care,  available  at  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-

43  Toolkit  for 
/publication/4c526047-6f3c-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1. 
44 Council Recommendation of 22 May 2019 on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems, OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, 
p. 4, available at  
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019H0605%2801%29. 
45 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions, Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 Resetting education and training for the digital age, 
COM/2020/624 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52020DC0624   
46 Such as the Council Recommendation on blended learning approaches for  high-quality and inclusive primary and secondary 
education, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021H1214%2801%29  and  Council  Recommendation  of  23 November  2023  on  the  key 
enabling  factors  for  successful  digital  education  and  training,  OJ  C/2021/1115,  24.1.2024  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C_202401115  
47 Mutual Assistance Projects are aimed to facilitate reciprocal learning and support the design of national integration strategies 
and programmes. The system promotes the collaboration between Member States, by matching those willing to improve integration 
aspects in specific sectors with others keen to share their experiences. 
48  Call  for  proposals  Transnational  actions  on  asylum,  migration  and 
tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/amif/wp-call/2023/call-fiche_amif-2023-tf2-ag_en.pdf. 
49  EMN 
11/EMN_INFORM_Transition-minors-adulthood_final.pdf, November 2022. 

to  adulthood  https:home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-

inform  Transition  of  unaccompanied  minors 

integration:  https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-

14.12.2021, 

504, 

21, 

OJ 

p. 

C 

10 

 
 
 
2.2. Remaining challenges 

Overall, socio-economic backgrounds continue to strongly affect pupils’ educational outcomes, as 
evidenced by basic skills deficiencies, early leaving from education and training for children at 
school. The Education and Training Monitor's comparative report also highlights how a different 
home  language  widens  inequalities  further  in  some  Member  States50.  In  2023,  young  migrants 
were three times more likely to be early leavers51 from education and training (25.3% compared 
to 8.2% for native-born children), and twice more exposed to being neither in employment nor in 
education or training, compared to native-born children52. Similarly, a gap exists for basic reading 
skills  in  the  EU  regarding  migrant  children  or  children  with  migrant  background  compared  to 
native  pupils53,  putting  Member  State’  education  systems  under  pressure  as  they  have  to  teach 
heterogenous groups of pupils with divergent language and skill levels. Native-born pupils with 
foreign-born parents also report both a weaker sense of belonging and a lower well-being at school 
than their peers with native-born parents in most European countries, showing that national school 
systems  face  significant  challenges  in  contributing  to  societal  cohesion.  Nearly  one  in  four 
native‑born  young  people  with  foreign-born  parents  reports  feeling  part  of  a  group  that  is 
discriminated against on the grounds of ethnicity, nationality and race54. The gap between migrants 
and nationals living in their country is also reflected in terms of tertiary educational attainment. 
Young adults born outside the EU from foreign born parents are the least likely to have obtained 
a tertiary degree (37.1% in 2023) compared to 42.9% young adults born in the reporting country 
from  foreign  born  parents  and  to  44.6%  for  young  adults  born  in  the  reporting  country  whose 
parents were also born there55. In 2023, 35.5% of non-EU citizens aged 25-34 years living in the 
EU had a tertiary educational attainment compared with 44.2% of nationals living in their own 
country56. 
According to stakeholders57, access to higher education and transition from school to work is still 
not  supported  enough  for  migrants.  The  situation  varies  between  Member  States  with  several 
administrative, legal, or capacity barriers together with issues to access information still present in 
many  cases.  Stakeholders  also  report  that  additional  challenges  remain  for  migrants  and  EU 
nationals with migrant background who do not manage to learn the local language. This is partly 
due to the significant number of migrants to which some Member States have to offer language 

50 Education and Training Monitor 2024: https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eac/education-and-training-monitor-2022/en/comparative-
report/chapter-1.html#complementary-evidence section 3.2. 
51 The share of early leavers from education and training is calculated for persons aged 18–24 years. A person in this age group is 
considered to be an early leaver if their highest level of educational attainment is at most lower secondary education and they have 
not received any formal nor non-formal education or training in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Migrant integration statistics - 
education - Statistics Explained: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Migrant_integration_statistics_-
_education#Early_leavers_from_education_and_training. 
52 The  gap  between  nationals  and  third-country  nationals  in  terms  of  share  of  early  leavers  from  education  and  training  only 
decreased slightly since 2014 (from 18,5% points to 17.1%). 
53 In the EU, 38% of migrant pupils (and 29% of pupils native‑born from foreign-born parents) lack basic reading skills (compared 
to  18%  for  pupils  with  native‑born  parents).  OECD/European  Commission  (2023), Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  2023: 
Settling In, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en. 
54 OECD/European Commission (2023), Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2023: Settling In, Section, 7.8, OECD Publishing, 
Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en. 
55 Education and Training Monitor 2024 To be noted as well that, in 2023, 35.5% of non-EU citizens aged 25-34 years living in 
the  EU  had  a  tertiary  educational  attainment  compared  with  44.2%  of  nationals  living  in  their  own  country,  cf.  2023  Migrant 
integration 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
Statistics 
explained/index.php?title=Migrant_integration_statistics_-_education. 
56

-  Statistics  Explained:  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

 2023  Migrant 

-  education 

Explained: 

integration 

education 

statistics 

statistics 

- 

- 

explained/index.php?title=Migrant_integration_statistics_-_education. 
57 For details about the stakeholders consulted see footnote 8.  

11 

 
 
 
trainings. In view of these high numbers, Member States face hurdles to offer sufficient and well-
designed language courses, especially in rural areas, which strongly hinders migrants’ integration. 
Pressure  on  the  national  resources  leads  to  language  classes  often  being  available  only  for 
beginners, which delays migrant’s full participation in education or in the labour market, thereby 
also impacting Member States’ economies and social cohesion. Several stakeholders highlighted 
how civic orientation and language learning courses often remain insufficient or not fully adapted 
to  the  needs  of  migrants.  They  suggested  to  look  at  community  sponsorship  as  a  source  of 
inspiration for more effective language learning. 

Regarding unaccompanied minors, in a quarter of EU Member States, support and services for 
education end on their 18th birthday, and the majority of Member States do not have a specific 
strategy in place to support the transition of unaccompanied minors to adulthood, in part due to 
their high  number. However, it is noteworthy  that  half of the Member States  reported offering 
some type of continued assistance after they have turned 18. 

2.3. Way forward in implementing the Action Plan 

The Commission, together with Member States and other stakeholders, has funded and developed 
relevant tools and guidance aiming at improving access to education and making education more 
inclusive.  Member  States  are  encouraged  to  use  the  comprehensive  guidance  provided  by  the 
Commission  to  implement,  including  with  EU  funding  support,  the  relevant  measures  to  make 
their  education  systems  more  inclusive.  Those  efforts  should  target  all  migrants  and  take  into 
account the specific needs of migrants in need of protection, especially in light of the work to be 
done  on  the  implementation  of  the  Pact  on  Migration  and  Asylum,  for  example  on  access  to 
adapted  education  for  children  who  are  applicants  and  beneficiaries  of  international  protection 
(Article 16 of the Reception Conditions Directive and Article 29 of the Qualification Regulation). 
Member States should make full use of EU funding available such as AMIF, ESF+ or Erasmus+. 

Given that the early years set the foundations for children’s development and learning trajectories 
in life, Member States should work towards removing administrative, legal and capacity obstacles 
to access to early childhood education and care for migrant children. Additional adapted and 
flexible support should be given to refugee and asylum-seeking children, especially in terms of 
language learning. Implementing the good practices related to teacher support that already exist 
is  also  necessary  to  remove  barriers  such  as  staff  shortages  and  inadequate  training.  The 
Commission and the Member States should continue building on successful approaches to civic 
orientation  courses  and  language  learning  adapted  to  the  needs  of  migrants,  including  by 
promoting their dissemination through digital tools. A dedicated session on this topic took place 
at  the  latest  EIN  meeting  in  May  2025.  Additionally,  emphasis  should  be  put  on  supporting 
unaccompanied minors in their transition to adulthood, in addition to the necessary investment 
to be made on guardianship and adapted reception conditions as required by the revised Reception 
Conditions Directive. Finally, additional support on higher education and transition to work should 
be provided by linking education and employment policies and setting support for young adults. 
The Union of Skills as well as the European Education Area provides a relevant framework for 
actions regarding inclusive education. This also includes tapping into the potential of non-formal 
education  and  training  which  can  effectively  support  the  transition  from  education  to  work, 
particularly for disadvantaged young people lacking necessary skills and risking facing prolonged 
periods of unemployment or precarious employment. 

12 

 
 
3.  Employment and skills 

3.1. State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan  

Europe is undergoing a profound demographic transformation. The EU’s working-age population 
is projected to decline by 57.4 million until 2100 (or 21.7%) and the old-age dependency ratio to 
increase from 33% in 2023 to 60% by 210058. Skills shortages are increasingly acute across key 
sectors – from health59 to construction to digital and green technologies. Nearly 4 in 5 of SMEs in 
the EU, which represent 99% of all enterprises, have difficulties in finding workers with the right 
skills 60 .  As  set  out  in  the  Union  of  Skills,  the  Commission  is  working  to  promote  greater 
participation in the labour market by as many working-age individuals as possible, including by 
removing existing barriers and reaching out to groups with fewer opportunities61. In this context, 
it  is  important  to  recognise  the  contribution  of  migrants  to  the  EU  economy  as  well  as  their 
significant untapped potential. Integrating migrants into the labour market sustainably – at an early 
stage and in line with their skills and qualifications – is essential both for the persons concerned 
and for fostering economic growth and social cohesion in the host societies.  

The Action Plan emphasises that effective cooperation between labour market actors, such as 
public authorities, economic and social partners, employers, training providers, social economy 
actors and civil society organisations, at local, regional, national, and European level is essential 
to  achieve  a  sustainable  labour  market  integration.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  Action  Plan,  the 
Commission promoted multi-stakeholder partnerships through funding, advocacy and facilitating 
the sharing of experience. In  many Member States,  public employment services  (PES) play a 
primordial role in assisting migrants to find employment at a level corresponding to their skills 
and  qualifications.  The  Commission  supports  the  European  Network  of  Public  Employment 
Services (PES)62 thus enabling mutual learning and exchange of best practices in this area. To help 
beneficiaries of temporary protection making use of their right of immediate labour market access, 
the PES Network monitored their labour market integration and issued guidance that helped to 
scale up good practices by PES across the EU. 

Through the European Partnership for Integration63, the Commission and European social and 
economic partners continued efforts to include refugees and other migrants more sustainably in 
EU  labour  markets.  They  strengthened  the  linkages  between,  on  the  one  hand,  employer 
organisations, trade unions and chambers of commerce at the local and national levels and, on the 
other hand, policy developments at EU-level, such as specific measures for displaced people from 
Ukraine and initiatives under the European Year of Skills64. 

58

the 

EU: 

 Eurostat, 

projection 

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

in 
Population 
explained/index.php?title=Population_projections_in_the_EU 
59 The Commission/OECD 2024 Health at a Glance Report estimates a shortage of 2,1 million health workers in EU Member States. 
Health at a Glance: Europe - European Commission, https://health.ec.europa.eu/state-health-eu/health-glance-europe_en 
60 Eurobarometer, SMEs and skills shortages: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2961   
61 The Union of Skills: : https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/915b147d-c5af-44bb-9820-c252d872fd31_en . 
62 PES Network: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=105&langId=en 
63  Under  the  European  Partnership  for  Integration,  the  Commission  and  European  Social  and  Economic  Partners  (ETUC, 
BusinessEurope, SGI Europe, SMEUnited, Eurochambres) have worked together since 2017 to create opportunities for integrating 
refugees and other migrants into the EU labour market: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/migrant-
integration/eu-integration-policy/cooperation-integration-actors_en#social-and-economic-partners-the-european-partnership-for-
integration.  
64 European Year of Skills: https://year-of-skills.europa.eu/index_en. 

13 

 
 
 
Following  the  2023  call  for  proposals  on  ‘Multi-stakeholder  initiatives  for  migrant 
integration  into  the  labour  market’  under  the  AMIF  thematic  facility,  eight  transnational 
projects  kicked  off  in  spring  2024  and  are  under  implementation.  The  projects,  which  involve 
social partners, civil society and migrant organisations, training providers, PES and other actors 
from across the EU, aim to strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships, test innovative approaches 
and  promote  good  practices  on  job  matching,  sustainable  employment  conditions,  inclusive 
workplaces and entrepreneurship in various sectors including agriculture and renewable energy. 

The Commission also promoted multi-stakeholder cooperation structures at national, regional 
and local levels by creating opportunities for exchange between various EU-level networks, as was 
done, for example, at the EIN meeting in November 2023 in Madrid, which focused on labour 
market  integration65. Most  stakeholders  agreed that  multi-stakeholder cooperation has  become 
stronger, although not in all Member States. 

The  Action  Plan  calls  on  Member  States  to  make  full  use  of  EU  funding  to  support  labour 
market integration. The vast majority of Member States reported doing so by using mostly the 
ESF+, but also the AMIF, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Technical 
Support Instruments (TSI). Member States also increasingly aim to create synergies between the 
funds, for example by using AMIF for early integration measures and ESF+ for measures with 
longer term orientation. The scope of measures is vast, including both active labour market policies 
to  which  migrants  have  access  together  with  other  parts  of  the  EU  labour  force,  or  specific 
programmes targeted at applicants and beneficiaries of international protection, or migrant mothers 
for example. 

Progress was made towards assessing and validating migrants’ skills more effectively, as well 
as facilitating the recognition of qualifications obtained in third countries and providing access 
to  training,  up-  and  reskilling.  The  multilingual  EU  Skills  Profile  Tool  for  Third-Country 
Nationals66,  which  supports  early  profiling  of  skills,  is  predominantly  used  by  organisations  in 
reception  centres.  Since  2023,  it  is  interoperable  with  the  Europass  platform,  which  helps 
jobseekers showcase their skills and qualifications. The European Centre for the Development of 
Vocational  Training  (CEDEFOP)  produced  materials  to  facilitate  the  validation  of  informally 
acquired skills – important for migrants with work experience but without formal qualifications – 
and increase the participation of migrants in high-quality vocational education and training.67 

The arrival of large numbers of displaced people from Ukraine, many of them with a high level of 
qualifications, prompted various initiatives to help them apply their skills and qualifications. The 
EU  Skills  Profile  Tool  was  translated  to  Ukrainian  in  early  2022.  The  European  Training 
Foundation  (ETF)  published  information  material,  e.g.  a  report  comparing  the  European 
Qualification  Framework  (EQF)  with  the  Ukrainian  National  Qualification  Framework,  on  a 
dedicated information hub68.  Through the EU Talent Pool Pilot, launched by the Commission and 
the European Labour Authority in October 2022,  beneficiaries of temporary protection seeking 

65 Representatives  of  the  European  Partnership  for  Integration  and  the  Commission  Expert  Group  on  the  Views  of  Migrants 
participated in that EIN meeting. 
66 EU  Skills  profile tool  for  third-country  nationals:  https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/skills-
and-qualifications/skills-jobs/eu-skills-profile-tool-third-country-nationals_en. 
67

(2023):  European  guidelines 

for  validating  non-formal 

learning,  3rd 

 CEDEFOP 

informal 

edition, 

and 

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications/3093. 
68  Education  and  work  information  for  Ukrainians  and  EU  countries:  https://www.etf.europa.eu/en/education-and-work-
information-ukrainians-and-eu-countries.  

14 

 
 
 
jobs in a Member State could make available their profiles and skills with employers registered on 
EURES (European network of employment services).  

Based on the 2022 Commission Recommendation on recognition of qualifications of people 
fleeing  Russia’s  invasion  of  Ukraine69,  Member  States  took  a  range  of  measures  to  speed  up 
access to practising in regulated professions, such as waivers for certain requirements, practising 
under  supervision  etc.  Building  on  this  approach,  in  2023,  the  Commission  issued  a 
Recommendation on the recognition of qualifications of third-country nationals in general, 
as  part  of  the  ‘Skills  and  Talent  Mobility  package’ 70.  A  series  of  webinars  organised  by  the 
Commission  in  2024  followed  up  on  the  recommendations  relating  to  i)  information,  ii) 
simplification  and  iii)  cooperation  with  third  countries  regarding  recognition  procedures.  The 
webinars also showcased good practices applied by Member States in these areas. To follow up on 
the package, the Commission is also taking steps to boost information on recognition procedures 
(e.g.  by  supporting  Member  States  to  develop  interoperable  databases  on  recognition)  and 
developing an improved understanding of qualification frameworks of key countries or origin. 

A growing number of Member States use tools developed under a series of ERASMUS+ funded 
projects,  the  European  Qualification  Passport  for  Refugees 71  or  other  methods  to  recognise 
qualifications of beneficiaries of international protection, even where they cannot document 
their  qualifications.  In  March  2022,  the  Commission  fostered  cooperation  between  public 
authorities in charge of integration and national centres for recognition of qualifications through a 
joint meeting of the EIN and the ENIC-NARIC network72. An analysis of Member States’ different 
practices to provide bridging courses73 for migrants whose qualifications are not (or not fully) 
recognised, highlighted good practices but also the fact that such courses are not systematically 
available and are often hard to access. That analysis also informed EIN discussions.  

A key objective of the  European Year of Skills (9 May 2023-9 May 2024) was to promote a 
mindset of up- and reskilling. The Year brought skills to the forefront of the EU’s political agenda 
and allowed advancing and raising awareness among stakeholders and the general public about the 
EU’s skills-related initiatives and policies, including those that target vulnerable parts of the EU 
workforce.  In  March  2024,  the  Commission  adopted  an  Action  Plan  on  Labour  and  Skills 
Shortages  in  the  EU,  which  highlighted  the  importance  of  increasing  the  labour  market 
participation of migrants74. 

L 

1, 

p. 

available 

6.4.2022, 

69 Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/554 of 5 April 2022 on the recognition of qualifications for people fleeing Russia’s 
invasion 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
107I, 
of  Ukraine,  OJ 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022H0554. 
70 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  Skills  and  Talent  Mobility,  COM(2023)  715  final  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023DC0715 ; Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/2611 of 15 November 2023 on the 
recognition 
ELI: 
of 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2023/2611/oj  
71 The European Qualifications Passport for Refugees is a standardized document issued in a project carried out by the Council of 
Europe  and  partners.  See  European  Qualification  Passport  for  Refugees  (EQPR):  https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-
blocks/sites/display/EBSI/European+Qualification+Passport+for+Refugees.  
72 ENIC-NARIC - gateway to recognition of qualifications: https://www.enic-naric.net/page-homepage. 
73

 https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/whats-new/publications/bridging-courses-migrants-complement-qualifications-acquired-

qualifications 

third-country 

24.11.2023, 

2023/2611, 

nationals, 

OJ 

L, 

of 

at 

third-countries-approaches-and_en  
74 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  Labour  and  skills  shortages  in  the  EU:  an  action  plan,  COM(2024)  131  final,  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52024DC0131 

15 

 
 
 
Aiming  to  improve  the  labour  market  inclusion  of  migrant  women  and  following  the  gender 
mainstreaming  approach  of  the  Action  Plan,  the  Commission  pursued  the  objective  of  gender 
equality  in  its  work  on  integration  horizontally.  The  large-scale  displacement  of  people  from 
Ukraine focused public attention on the specific needs of women fleeing with children. In its 2022 
guidance for access to the labour market, the Commission called on national authorities and 
PES to ‘address the needs of women with children, also in relation to their rights to access early 
childhood education and care and school education as this can help them take up employment 
opportunities 75’.  An  EMN  study  on  the  integration  of  migrant  women 76 showcased  good 
integration  practices  at  national  and  local  levels  on  labour  market  integration  as  well  as  other 
priorities of the Action Plan. The fact that women facing multiple obstacles to employment need 
tailor-made support in line with their needs, and that such support is possible and effective if labour 
market and other relevant actors cooperate effectively at the local level, was confirmed in the five 
projects resulting from the 2019 call for proposals to support social and economic integration 
of migrant women under the AMIF thematic facility. The lessons learnt were disseminated to 
EIN members.  

In order to better support migrant entrepreneurs through easier access to financing, training and 
advice,  the  Commission  promoted  innovative  financing  mechanisms  and  facilitated  capacity 
building  and  experience  sharing  through  initiatives  and  programmes  such  as  InvestEU,  the 
Financial Instrument Compass, the Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy and others. Several 
Member States reported opening their mainstream entrepreneurship support services to migrants 
and many also developed dedicated support programmes.  

3.2. Remaining challenges 

In line with the positive evolution of the overall EU employment rate, the employment rate of 
third-country nationals increased from 55% in 2013 to 63% in 2023 (compared to 68% in 2013 
and  76.2%  in  2023  for  nationals) 77 .  Workers  born  outside  the  EU  are  overrepresented  in 
occupations facing persistent labour shortages, showing their importance for the EU economy78. 
Nevertheless, challenges remain regarding migrants’ full inclusion into the EU labour markets, 
particularly for migrants with respectively a high or very low level of education, migrant women 
and  recently  arrived  persons  (other  than  labour  migrants).  The  unemployment  rate  of  third-
country  nationals  is  over  twice  that  of  EU  nationals79 (12.2%  vs.  5.4%  in  2023),  with  recently 
arrived and low-educated migrants more likely to be unemployed. Migrants seeking international 
protection or arriving to join family members have lower employment rates than labour migrants, 
as they tend to have weaker attachments to the labour market. On average, they achieve labour 

people 

fleeing 

Russia’s 

75 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions on Guidance for access to the labour market, vocational education and training and adult learning 
of 
final, 
aggression 
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_3620. 
76 EMN Integration of Migrant Women: https://www.emnbelgium.be/publication/integration-migrant-women. 
77 Eurostat (2024):  
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Migrant_integration_statistics_%E2%80%93_labour_market_indicators#Employment_rate. 
78
Employment 

Social  Developments 

Commission, 

 European 

Ukraine, 

C(2022) 

Europe 

against 

Report 

2023: 

4050 

war 

and 

on 

of 

in 

https://op.europa.eu/webpub/empl/esde-2023/executive-summary.html. 
79 Eurostat (2024): 
 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Migrant_integration_statistics_%E2%80%93_labour_market_indicators#Employment_rate . 

16 

 
 
 
market  outcomes  comparable  to  nationals  after  10  years  of  residence80,  even  though  evidence 
indicates  that  displaced  people  from  Ukraine  enjoy  better  labour  market  outcomes  than  other 
refugee groups81. This delay in entering the national labour markets creates challenges for Member 
States, in particular the actors that support their integration (employment services, adult education 
institutions, municipalities etc.). It also puts additional pressure on social protection systems.  

While migrants bring motivation and skills to the EU, the economy is missing out on part of this 
potential. As highlighted in the Draghi report, migration can significantly contribute to reducing 
labour shortages. In particular, Europe faces challenges in attracting and retaining skilled talent, 
and  despite  being  more  likely  to  work  in  shortage  occupations,  migrant  workers  are  often 
employed in low-skilled jobs82. According to the OECD, if highly educated migrants had the same 
employment rate as their native-born counterparts, the EU would have around 760 000 more highly 
educated  people  working83.  Migrants  with  a  university  degree  are  almost  twice  as  likely  to  be 
overqualified  for  their  jobs  (i.e.  work  in  low-  or  medium-skilled  occupations)  than  the  local 
population: in 2023, the EU over-qualification rate was 39.4% for migrants compared to 20.8% 
for nationals (31.3% for citizens of other Member States)84. Migrants also tend to work more in 
temporary arrangements and involuntary part-time work. The majority of stakeholders flagged a 
lack of progress on qualification recognition, skills validation and access to training, even though 
they acknowledged improvements in some Member States. Specifically, stakeholders highlighted 
that efforts were still necessary regarding overqualification and the provision of bridging courses, 
including in combination with language support, as well as better adapted access opportunities to 
vocational education and training. Some stakeholders recommended that innovative measures for 
support people fleeing the war in Ukraine should be extended to all beneficiaries of international 
protection. 

A persistent issue of concern is the gender gap. The employment rate for migrant women was 20 
percentage points lower than for female nationals in the EU in 2023, in contrast to a gap of only 
5.7  percentage  points  for  migrant  men85.  The  overqualification  rate  for  migrant  women  is  also 
higher than for migrant men. The OECD finds that the effect of having children, also referred to 
as ‘motherhood penalty’, tends to be more pronounced for migrant women and largely accounts 
for  the  gender  gap.  This  is  due  to  limited  access  to  integration  support,  childcare,  and  family 
networks  among  others 86.  Despite  the  efforts,  the  majority  of  external  stakeholders  did  not 
consider that the labour market inclusion of migrant women had improved, citing the lack of access 
to childcare and overqualification as some of the key issues. Some, however, pointed to the faster 
integration of displaced women from Ukraine compared to other groups in refugee-type situations. 

80  OECD/European  Commission  (2023), Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  2023:  Settling  In,  OECD  Publishing, 
Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en. 
81 European  Commission,  Labour Market  and  Wage  Developments  in  Europe  2024:  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/057f23e9-bdc5-11ef-91ed-01aa75ed71a1/language-en 
82 The future of European Competitiveness – Part B: ec1409c1-d4b4-4882-8bdd-3519f86bbb92_en. 
83 Calculations adapted from OECD/European Commission (2023), Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2023: Settling In, OECD 
Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en. 
84

 Eurostat 

integration 

(2024),  Migrant 
explained/index.php?oldid=536540  
85 Eurostat (2024): Labour market: 
 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Migrant_integration_statistics_%E2%80%93_labour_market_indicators#Employment_rate 
86 OECD (2023): International Migration Outlook 2023, https://doi.org/10.1787/b0f40584-en. 

over-qualification: 

statistics 

- 

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

17 

 
 
 
While  the  Action  Plan  acknowledges  the  contribution  of  migrant  entrepreneurs  to  economic 
growth and job creation, research by the OECD87 confirms that migrants choose self-employment 
more often as a fallback option than locals, due to difficulties to enter paid employment. In addition, 
statistics about self-employment also reflect bogus self-employment, such as platform work, where 
migrants  are  overrepresented.  The  majority  of  stakeholders  consulted  for  this  review,  also 
considered  support  to  migrant  entrepreneurs  as  insufficient,  particularly  regarding  access  to 
financial  services  and  availability  of  training  and  mentoring  programmes.  Stakeholders  with  a 
more positive perception usually referred to cases in a specific local area. 

3.3. Way forward in implementing the Action Plan 

In order to achieve the objectives set by the Action Plan, the Commission, the Member States and 
the labour market actors have to continue strengthening multistakeholder cooperation structures at 
all government levels. In the context of implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum, they 
should  pay  particular  attention  to  creating  opportunities  for  the  sustainable  labour  market 
integration of beneficiaries of international protection and applicants who have the right to work. 
The  Reception  Conditions  Directive  (Article  17)  and  the  Qualification  Regulation  (Article  30) 
clarify  and  strengthen  key  employment-related  rights  of  applicants  and  beneficiaries  of 
international protection, respectively. These legislative acts provide that both categories must be 
treated equally as nationals in terms of working conditions and labour rights; access to training 
and employment guidance services; as well as access to recognition of formal qualifications and 
validation of prior learning outcomes. The Qualification Regulation highlights the importance of 
information  and  counselling  services  offered  by  the  public  employment  services.  As  several 
Member  States  already  have  programmes  and  measures  in  place  for  these  target  groups,  the 
Commission will continue to facilitate the sharing of experience and good practices through the 
EIN and other networks. In addition to immigration procedures, in line with the indications in the 
Draghi  report,  Member  States  should  provide  appealing  job  opportunities  for  highly  skilled 
professionals  and  support  EU  schemes  like  the  Blue  Card 88,  which  simplifies  the  entry  and 
residence of highly qualified non-EU nationals for employment purposes. 

As  set  out  in  the  Communication  “A  predictable  and  common  European  way  forward  for 
Ukrainians  in  the  EU”89,  the  Commission  will  support  the  setting-up  of  Unity  Hubs  in  those 
interested Member States. These will serve as multipurpose information centres to foster both the 
integration of displaced people in EU labour markets and host societies and for going back home 
to Ukraine.  

It will also be important to consolidate and upscale recent initiatives to support skills validation 
and recognition of qualifications of migrants. Member States  are encouraged to  take forward 
implementation of the Commission Recommendation on the recognition of qualifications obtained 
in  third  countries,  including  by  investing  in  training  provision  and  streamlining  recognition 
procedures. The Union of Skills includes a focus on addressing barriers that hinder the portability 
and recognition of people’s skills and qualifications, and announces a Skills Portability Initiative 

87 OECD  (2024):  International  Migration  Outlook  2024,  https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/international-migration-outlook-
2024_50b0353e-en.html.  
88
Card: 

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/legal-migration-resettlement-and-

 Blue 

integration/work/eu-blue-card_en. 
89 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the 
Committee of the Regions, A predictable and common European way forward for Ukrainians in the EU, COM (2025)649 final, 
eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0649 

18 

 
 
 
to be adopted in 2026. As part of this, the Commission will explore whether to propose common 
rules for simpler procedures for handling the recognition and validation of qualifications and skills 
of third-country nationals. 

All actors are also encouraged to provide more and better targeted support to reduce the gender 
gap in employment and help migrant women, and migrant mothers in particular, find adequate 
work and professional training. This is essential also because working mothers are role models for 
their  children90.  As  part  of  the  2025  AMIF  Call  for  proposals  for  transnational  projects  on  the 
integration of migrants and protection of children, the Commission will support projects on the 
socio-economic integration of migrant women and will continue to disseminate good practices to 
Member States and other stakeholders. By taking a whole-of-family perspective to integration, 
Member States authorities in charge of integration programmes could make it easier for migrant 
mothers  to  participate  in  such  programmes  by  making  them  more  flexible,  for  example  by 
extending mandatory timelines, adapting schedules and facilitating childcare provision. Finally, 
regarding  support  for  entrepreneurship,  the  Commission  will  continue  to  work  on  making 
support for migrant entrepreneurs better targeted and more accessible. 

4.  Health 

4.1. State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan 

Healthcare systems in the EU faces several challenges due to the ageing populations, increasing 
needs, budgetary constraints  and medical  staff shortages. Additional  challenges exist regarding 
mental  health  care,  as  highlighted  in  the  communication  on  a  Comprehensive  Approach  to 
Mental  health91 adopted  on  7  June  2023.  Effective  healthcare  integration  is  a  cornerstone  for 
addressing  the  social  determinants  of  health  among  migrants  and  reducing  health  disparities. 
Migrants  often  face  unique  barriers  to  accessing  healthcare,  including  language  and  cultural 
differences, legal status in addition to financial constraints. Addressing these issues is critical not 
only for improving health equity but also for fostering social cohesion and stability within the EU. 
The Action Plan calls on Member States and the Commission to improve access to healthcare 
for  migrants.  In  that  regard,  Member  States  –and  the  European  Commission-  have  developed 
multiple training programmes for people working in the healthcare sector aimed at improving 
awareness  of needs of specific migrant  groups  (migrants  with  trauma, victims  of trafficking  in 
human  beings  or  gender  based  violence,  unaccompanied  minors,  older  people,  people  with 
disabilities etc.) and facilitate the dissemination of information on access to healthcare services 
and their rights, including access to mental health services. In that regard, the communication 
on a Comprehensive Approach to Mental health highlights the specific situation of vulnerable 
groups such as refugees, migrants and persons with migrant background. In line with this broader 
framework,  the  EU  Strategy  on  Combatting  Trafficking  in  Human  Beings  (2021-2025) 92 
emphasises the importance of providing comprehensive support to victims of trafficking in human 
beings  and  invites  Member  States  to  provide  training  to  healthcare  workers  on  diversity 

90 This is the case especially for daughters: In its International Migration Outlook 2023, the OECD reports that having a working 
mother during adolescence is associated with an increase of 13 percentage points in the employment rate of women born in the EU 
with at least one parent born in a third country.  
91 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  a  comprehensive  approach  to  mental  health,  COM/2023/298  final,  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2023%3A298%3AFIN    
92 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions on the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021- 2025, COM(2021) 171 
final eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0171&from=EN. 

19 

 
 
 
management and on the needs of victims of trafficking in human beings who are migrants, using 
the EU health programmes. 

The EMN also produced in July 2022 a report entitled ‘Mapping mental health policies for third-
country nationals’93 whose main objective  was to identify the underlying challenges to  access 
healthcare services and the responses by Member States. The Commission also organised multiple 
conferences  with  different  stakeholders  at  national,  local,  and  regional  level  to  encourage  the 
sharing  of  good  practices  on  accessing  healthcare  services  among  Member  States.  Within  the 
framework of the EU4Health Work Programme 2022 and 2023, several projects were funded to 
enhance  access  to  mental  health  services  and  increase  the  literacy  on  mental  health  issues  of 
migrants in the European healthcare workforce as well as in the migrant population themselves. 
Furthermore,  since  2021  the  Commission  is  funding  a  project  to  enhance  universal  access  to 
vaccination for newly arrived migrants (AcToVax4NAM)94 and signed a contribution agreement 
with  the  World  Health  Organisation  (WHO),  under  the  EU4Health  Work  Programme  2023,  to 
increase vaccination coverage, including in the migrant population. 

Access to healthcare also requires migrants to receive proper information about their rights via 
appropriate  outreach  tools.  The  Commission  worked  with  Member  States  to  create  new 
partnerships aimed at improving such tools, notably within the framework of the Urban Agenda 
for  the  EU  Partnership  on  the  inclusion  of  migrants  and  refugees.  In  October  2022,  the 
Commission organised, along with the European Committee of the Regions and the Council of 
Europe Development Bank, a conference on the access of third-country nationals to healthcare 
in the EU with the objective to explore evidence-based approaches to minimise existing barriers 
to healthcare, identify best practices and potential solutions, and develop recommendations on how 
these  challenges  can  be  addressed.  Member  States  have  also  developed  resources  to  support 
healthcare  professionals  working  with  migrants  in  detecting  psychological  suffering  and 
adopting best practices. 

When it comes to Member States’ efforts to improve the availability of information to migrants 
on their right to access healthcare and the different services available to them, further work is still 
needed. Some Member States have made considerable efforts to create tools to help overcome 
language and cultural barriers for migrants, assisting them in getting information and access to 
medical care via the use of web portals in multiple languages and booklets. However, important 
disparities still exist in that regard between the different Member States. Most Member States have 
also adopted legal frameworks to ensure that refugees and migrants can access at least basic 
healthcare services, which is in line with the rules of the Reception Conditions Directive (Article 
19). 

For both access to healthcare and the development of outreach tools, the Commission has made 
available  several  funding  sources  such  as  the  AMIF,  ERDF,  ESF+,  RRF  and  EU4Health 
funding programmes  to finance projects  aimed at facilitating access to  healthcare services, as 
well as promote exchanges between Member States through the formation of new partnerships and 
the setup of suitable outreach tools. In addition, Member States have created specific supporting 
services  for  migrant  women  targeted  at  raising  professionals’  awareness  on  the  specific 
challenges they face, such as female genital mutilation and reproductive health, and put in place 

93

 EMN, 

June 

2022,  Mapping  mental 

health 

policies 

for 

third-country 

nationals: 

https://home-

affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-07/EMN_Mental-health_INFORM_20072022.pdf. 
94 Access to Vaccination for Newly Arrived Migrants: https://www.accesstovaccination4nam.eu/about/. 

20 

 
 
 
specific  centres  to  provide  individual  support  for  women  travelling  alone  or  in  a  vulnerable 
situation. 

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Commission signed two contribution agreements 
with the WHO and the International Organization for Migration to reinforce the EU health systems, 
support Member States to ensure access to services for displaced persons from Ukraine and 
support the integration of Ukrainian healthcare workers into the national healthcare systems. The 
Commission concluded another contribution agreement with the International Federation of the 
Red Cross Societies aimed at implementing specific interventions to increase access to mental 
health care services for the displaced population from Ukraine95. Member States have also put 
in place special separate psychological support services for displaced people from Ukraine. 

Member States  have made efforts to  improve the availability of information to migrants  on 
their right to access healthcare and the different services available to them, however further work 
is needed. Some Member States have made considerable efforts to facilitate access to information 
via the use of web portals in multiple languages and booklets. However, important disparities still 
exist in that regard between the different Member States. Most Member States have also adopted 
legal frameworks to ensure that refugees and migrants can access at least basic healthcare 
services, which is in line with the rules of the Reception Conditions Directive (Article 19). 

4.2. Remaining challenges  

Over  the  past  years,  the  obstacles  faced  by  the  national  health  systems  have  been  multiplying, 
ranging from health crises, to ageing populations, staff-shortages and budgetary limitations. The 
situation has led Member States to face serious challenges in granting effective access to healthcare 
to their nationals. In spite of this situation, most Member States have managed to offer the same 
level of access to both nationals and migrants since 2017, except for the dental care96, even though 
migrant households (where all responsible persons of household are foreign-born) are less likely 
to use healthcare services (77% versus 83% EU-wide)97. Indeed, despite the efforts put forward 
by Member States, the stakeholders consulted still report persistent barriers faced by migrants to 
accessing  healthcare  services  such  as  administrative  hurdles,  lack  of  information  about  the 
healthcare system, linguistic and intercultural obstacles such as the lack of trained personnel, 
a lack of financial resources to pay for social health insurance or treatments, or a lack of 
formal healthcare rights in the case of certain migrant statuses. In addition, migrants are also 
more likely to struggle to afford healthcare services compared to the native population in nearly 
all Member States (36% vs 30% EU-wide)98. 

According  to  the  stakeholders  consulted,  healthcare  facilities  often  lack  culturally  sensitive 
approaches and special trainings for addressing migrants, including regarding the diversity of their 
situations, which leads to mistrust and discomfort from migrants and refugees. Several Member 
States have put in place specific mechanisms to assist migrants, such as mediators and interpreters, 
however their scarcity and the additional costs linked to their services also put additional pressure 

95

 More 

information 

available 

at  https://www.ifrc.org/our-work/health-and-care/community-health/mental-health-and-

psychosocial-support/eu4health-and-ifrc  
96 Eurostat, Migrant integration statistics - health - Statistics Explained: Migrant integration statistics - health - Statistics Explained 
97 Eurostat, Migrant integration statistics - health - Statistics Explained: Migrant integration statistics - health - Statistics Explained 
98  OECD/European  Commission  (2023), Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  2023:  Settling  In,  OECD  Publishing,  Paris,  p. 
123 https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en. 

21 

 
 
 
on national health systems. Most stakeholders consider that access to healthcare is still problematic, 
although the situation varies between Member States.  

The barriers described above are also present when it comes to mental health where they contribute, 
together with additional factors such as high costs, lack of awareness and reservations, to even 
bigger difficulties in accessing mental health care. This is particularly relevant for some migrants 
as they are at a particular risk of developing mental health conditions due to the severe stress 
and  trauma  they  often  experience  before,  during,  and  after  the  migration  process.  Notably, 
migrants exposed to adversity and refugees are more susceptible to mental health disorders such 
as  anxiety,  depression,  and  post-traumatic  stress  disorder  compared  to  native  populations 99 . 
Stakeholders also underlined the importance of going beyond the essential provision of trauma-
related  services  and  approaching  mental  health  and  psycho-social  support  in  all  elements  of 
integration work. Overall, Europe is witnessing a worsening of the mental health of its younger 
generations with forcibly displaced and migrant children particularly at risk100. 

These issues are further accentuated for migrant women who face additional challenges as they 
tend  to  have  lower  proficiency  in  the  host  country  language,  weaker  social  networks,  lower 
educational and economic levels, and greater responsibilities for childcare and family. Despite the 
efforts made by Member States, the stakeholders consulted underline that migrant women are still 
facing significant challenges when accessing healthcare depending on their residency status and 
access to medical insurance. As highlighted by stakeholders, prenatal, delivery and post-natal 
healthcare  for  migrant  mothers  is  still  problematic  and  require  immediate  attention,  as 
evidenced by various studies which show that women with migrant background are more likely 
to  experience  discrimination  when  accessing  healthcare.  This,  in  addition  to  the  barriers 
mentioned above (lack of language proficiency, awareness about their health rights, etc.) could 
imply they receive lower quality perinatal care. Furthermore, health needs of migrant women go 
far beyond sexual and reproductive health and involve especially preventive healthcare, screening 
and management of non-communicable diseases101. 

4.3. Way forward in implementing the Action Plan 

It remains necessary to keep improving access of migrants to healthcare and make it as effective 
as possible for all migrants.  For Member States, this  means continuing  the work on removing 
administrative hurdles, for example for beneficiaries of international protection in the context of 
the  implementation  of  the  Pact  on  Migration  and  Asylum  and  the  related  provisions  under  the 
Qualification Regulation (Article 32), which requires beneficiaries of international protection to 
receive the same access to healthcare services as nationals.  

In addition, more Member States should devote additional efforts and place specific attention on 
access to mental health, in line with the comprehensive approach to mental health adopted by 
the Commission, including by ensuring access as early as possible for all migrants to adapted 

99 World  Health  Organisation,  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-and-forced-displacement  (2021) 
and https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240081840 (2023) as well as Commission communication on a Comprehensive 
Approach 
https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/cef45b6d-a871-44d5-9d62-
3cecc47eda89_en?filename=com_2023_298_1_act_en.pdf . 
100

to  Mental 

health, 

14 

p. 

Comprehensive 

Approach 

to  Mental 

communication 

 Commission 

health, 

on 

p. 

8 

a 

https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/cef45b6d-a871-44d5-9d62-
3cecc47eda89_en?filename=com_2023_298_1_act_en.pdf. 
101  Non-communicable  disease  includes  for  instance  cardiovascular  diseases,  diabetes,  chronic  respiratory  diseases,  mental 
disorders, neurological disorders, or cancer: https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/overview_en 

22 

 
 
 
healthcare,  and  ensuring  that  applicants  of  international  protection  receive  appropriate 
mental  health  care  support  as  required  by  the  Reception  Condition  Directive  (Article  19), 
especially for minors (Article 23(4)). Member States are also encouraged to link work on mental 
health priorities with provisions of inclusive education by ensuring understanding and awareness 
of mental health issues in school environment and with education staff. Psychosocial support in 
the  education  context  must  also  be  reinforced  and  the  impact  of  discrimination  that  migrants 
might  face  must  be  taken  into  consideration,  with  relevant  trainings  provided  to  the  education 
community. There is a strong need to continue to work on specific support for migrant women 
to access the general healthcare system, to dismantle the additional hurdles they face, as well as 
on less visible categories of migrants like migrant elderly. The special needs of pregnant women, 
together with victims of physical or sexual violence, are an important element of the Pact on 
Migration and Asylum, and the Qualification Regulation (Article 32(2)) requires Member States 
to provide them with adequate healthcare. In general, only a handful of activities have focused on 
the specific needs of migrant women and there is a need to step up efforts and increase the number 
of projects targeting health challenges faced by migrant women. As part of the 2025 AMIF Call 
for proposals for transnational projects on the integration of migrants and protection of children, 
the  Commission  will  support  projects  in  the  area  of  migrants’  access  to  healthcare,  including 
mental health services and psychological support, and continue to disseminate good practices to 
Member States and other stakeholders.  

5.  Housing 

5.1. State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan 

The EU is facing a housing crisis, with millions of families and young people struggling to find 
affordable housing. Rents and house prices are soaring. In several Member States, there is also a 
significant and growing investment gap by public authorities in social and affordable housing102. 
To support Member States in addressing these issues, the Commission will put forward a first-ever 
European  Affordable  Housing  Plan  that  will  aim  at  improving  the  housing  situation  of  all, 
including but not only migrants’.  

Since 2021, the Commission has made available several sources of funding to support migrants’ 
access to housing. Under the 2023 AMIF Call for transnational projects on integration, 4 projects 
focusing on community-sponsorship  and housing support  were awarded.  The Commission  also 
explored  the  use  of  financial  instruments  to  cover  housing  access  and  tried,  together  with  the 
European Investment Bank, to identify the possible areas where loans and  guarantees could be 
used to facilitate migrant’s access to the housing market103. The TSI104 has also offered technical 
support to Member States' reception and accommodation capacity for migrants. In 2023, via the 
ESF+, the Commission published a EUR 15 million call to support innovative projects and policy 
measures addressing homelessness and housing exclusion105. Cohesion policy continues to put a 
strong emphasis on housing investments. As of the end of 2024, the planned support of cohesion 
policy funds to  housing for the 2021-2027 period amounts to  EUR 7.5 billion over the period. 

102 Rising housing costs in the EU:  https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20241014STO24542/rising-housing-costs-in-
the-eu-the-facts-infographics 
103 Fi-Compass, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF): https://www.fi-compass.eu/funds/amif#publications.  
104 TSI 2024 Flagship Technical Support Project: https://reform-support.ec.europa.eu/tsi-2024-flagship-enhancing-reception-and-
accommodation-capacity-migrants-0_en. 
105  Social 
tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/esf-2023-
homeless?tenders=false&frameworkProgramme=43254019.  

to  combat  homelessness,  ESF-2023-HOMELESS:  https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-

innovation  practices 

23 

 
 
 
Together with the national allocations, the total planned support to housing is EUR 10.4 billion. 
In April 2025, the Commission proposed to double the EU allocations to secure more investments 
in  the  area  of  affordable  housing106.  Part  of  these  investments  will  also  contribute  to  housing 
infrastructure  and  services  for  migrants  and  refugees.  InvestEU,  and  Horizon  Europe  also 
supported  projects  targeting  affordable  and  social  housing  development.  Furthermore,  the 
Commission published a Toolkit on EU funds for social housing investment in March 2024107, 
which provides case studies on how to use EU funding to improve access to housing for migrants. 
Some  Member  States  also  adopted  integrated  housing  approaches  linking  policies  with  other 
integration actions, especially for those fleeing the war in Ukraine. 

Given  the  magnitude  and  the  importance  of  the  challenges,  the  Commission  committed  in  its 
Political guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029108 to enable Member States to 
double the planned cohesion policy investments in affordable housing. To this end, as part of the 
Communication on “A modernised Cohesion policy: The mid-term review”109, the Commission 
proposed legislative changes to address the growing investment gap by widening the possibilities 
for Member States to reprogramme under their 2021-2027 programmes towards investments that 
promote access to affordable housing. 

The  Commission  and  Member  States  have  also  continued  to  cooperate  and  promote  mutual 
learning  on  fighting  discrimination  on  the  housing  market  and  reducing  residential 
segregation,  as  well  as  on  exploring  innovative  practices  to  foster  inclusion.  In  2022,  the 
Commission promoted mutual learning among central government and local authorities through 
a Mutual Assistance Project. Through the MAP, Austrian and Greek representatives visited non-
segregated housing solutions for vulnerable migrants set up by Italy. The Urban Agenda for the 
EU Partnership on Inclusion of migrants and refugees organised study visits110 and thematic 
sessions on the reception and accommodation of migrants, with a focus on vulnerable migrants 
and  people  fleeing  the  war  in  Ukraine.  At  the  February  2023  European  Integration  Network 
meeting,  co-hosted  by  the  Commission  and  the  Swedish  Presidency,  Member  States  discussed 
housing  market  discrimination  and  residential  segregation  together  with  lessons  learned  from 
housing displaced people from Ukraine and sustainable housing solutions. The Commission has 
also  supported  efforts to promote innovative community engagement towards autonomous 
housing solutions, encouraging Member States to promote so-called ‘community sponsorship’ 
programmes111.  In 2024,  the EU Asylum Agency published  ‘guidelines  on  the EU approach to 

106 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  A  modernised  Cohesion  policy:  The  mid-term  review,    COM(2025)163,  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0163  
107

 Toolkit 

on 

the 

use 

of  EU 

funds 

for 

investment 

associated 

services 

housing 

and 

in 

social 

for 

the 

Next 

Political 

 European 

Guidelines 

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8607&furtherPubs=yes.  
108

Commission 
https://commission.europa.eu/priorities-2024-2029_en.  
109 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - A modernised Cohesion policy: The mid-
term review, COM(2025) 163, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0163  
110 The Commission funded two study visits in Berlin and Amsterdam and an expert meeting in Mechelen (Belgium) focusing on 
reception and accommodation of LGBTQI+ migrants. Members from local and regional authorities visited the Queer Shelter of the 
State of Berlin, which offers independent housing (flats) to the migrant LGBTQI+ community that faces segregation in the housing 
market. In Amsterdam, members visited hotels that offer accommodation and social services to Ukrainian LGBTQI+ migrants. In 
March 2023, a dedicated session of the Urban Agenda was held on ‘Building a Sense of Home: Towards Sustainable Housing for 
Displaced Ukrainians and Other Refugees ‘ addressing the issues of discrimination and segregation. 
111 Community  Sponsorship  are  public–private  partnerships  between  governments  that  facilitate  legal  admission  for  refugees. 
Sponsor groups can support the newcomers regarding housing and access to other services.  

Commission 

2024-2029 

European 

24 

 
 
 
community  sponsorship’112 that  aim  to  establish  minimum  quality  standards  for  the  different 
phases  of  community  sponsorship  across  the  EU,  thus  including  recommendations  for  the 
provision  of  suitable  accommodation  for  beneficiaries  of  international  protection.  In  2023,  the 
Commission launched the affordable housing initiative113 as part of the New European Bauhaus 
initiative114 to ensure social and affordable housing also benefit from the Commission's renovation 
wave  for  Europe 115 ,  thereby  improving  the  migrants’  living  conditions.  In  response  to 
accommodation needs of people fleeing the invasion of Ukraine, the Commission and the Council 
presented a 10-points plan116 on 28 March 2022 to enhance coordination for welcoming refugees 
and  launched  the  Safe  Homes  initiative  to  support  private  hosting  efforts.  The  Safe  Homes 
guidance117 outlined principles for matching refugees with safe housing and explores sustainable 
housing  solutions  like  community  sponsorship  programmes.  The  2022  EMN  inform  on 
‘Arrangements for accommodation and housing for beneficiaries of temporary protection’118 
and  the  2023  EMN  inform  on  ‘Organising  flexible  housing  in  the  context  of  international 
protection’119 assess  the  practices  of  national  authorities  to  upscale  their  capacity  to  provide 
accommodation whilst anticipating further challenging arrivals of people in need in the future. 

To  support  the  transition  toward  autonomous  housing,  several  Member  States  provided 
counselling services to applicants and beneficiaries of international protection on how to access 
the private or social housing sectors for autonomous accommodation. Some Member States also 
reported providing tailored support to ensure smooth transition to  autonomous housing. In 
several  Member  States,  including  at  regional  and  local  levels,  opportunities  to  improve  equal 
access  to  housing  also  emerged  in  connection  with  antidiscrimination  efforts,  for  instance 
following the adoption of anti-discrimination or anti-racism plans (Ireland), or through dedicated 
plans to combat discrimination in housing (Wallonia). 

5.2. Remaining challenges  

Despite  progress  in  the  implementation  of  the  Action  Plan,  challenges  persist  in  providing 
adequate housing for all migrants and refugees. Data show that migrants are more likely to live in 
overcrowded and substandard housing compared to native-born residents 120: more than one in 
six migrants in the EU live in overcrowded accommodation (a rate that is 70 % higher than for the 
native-born population). Furthermore, 26 % of migrants live in substandard housing (compared 
with 20 % of the native-born population). One of the main challenges remains the ongoing housing 
crisis  and  the  lack  of  affordable  housing  in  Europe,  particularly  in  urban  areas  and  major 

112 EUAA, Guidelines on the EU approach to community sponsorship: https://euaa.europa.eu/publications/guidelines-eu-approach-
community-sponsorship. 
113  Affordable  Housing  Initiative  https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/proximity-and-social-economy/social-
economy-eu/affordable-housing-initiative_en.  
114 European Bauhaus https://new-european-bauhaus.europa.eu/about/about-initiative_en. 
115 Renovation wave: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/renovation-wave_en.. 
116 The 10-Point Plan For stronger European coordination on welcoming people fleeing the war from Ukraine: the-10-point-plan-
for-stronger-european-coordination-on-welcoming-people-fleeing-the-war-from-ukraine_en.pdf. 
117 Safe Homes guidance: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/safe-homes-guidance_en. 
118 Arrangements 
for  beneficiaries  of 
https://emn.ie/publications/arrangements-for-accommodation-and-housing-for-beneficiaries-of-temporary-protection-emn-
inform/. 
119 Organising flexible housing in the context of international protection: EMN Inform, Organising flexible housing in the context 
of international protection: EMN Inform - The European Migration Network.  
120  OECD/European  Commission  (2023), Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  2023:  Settling  In,  OECD  Publishing, 
Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en. 

for  accommodation  and  housing 

temporary  protection:  EMN 

Inform: 

25 

 
 
 
cities121, that makes it difficult for Member States to guarantee access to housing even in some 
acute instances to their own population. Similarly, the limited stock of social housing leads to long 
waiting lists and leaves nationals and migrants without housing assistance. Furthermore, although 
a  few  Member  States  reported  providing  support  and  counselling  services  for  migrants  to  find 
social  and  affordable  housing,  this  support  remains  marginal  and  limited  to  beneficiaries  of 
international  protection. The  housing  shortage  has  increased  the  cost  of  accommodation  in  the 
private  market,  posing  a  significant  challenge  for  applicants  and  beneficiaries  of  international 
protection who in many cases cannot afford rental prices or are unable to meet the deposit and 
guarantee requirements. Discrimination and administrative challenges remain in many Member 
States122. Despite the availability of tools and best practices to combat housing discrimination, 
such as non-segregated housing solutions and independent housing shelters, there is a persistent 
need to raise awareness about their benefits and ensure that these instruments are put into practice. 
Some  local  and  regional  authorities  as  well  as  civil  society  organisations  have  reported  facing 
administrative hurdles in accessing EU funds for housing. 

5.3. Way forward in implementing the Action Plan 

As  per  the  Political  Guidelines  2024-2029 123,  the  Commission  will  put  forward  a  European 
Affordable Housing Plan to address the housing crisis. To promote investments in affordable and 
sustainable  housing,  the  Commission  and  the  European  Investment  Bank  are  preparing  a  pan-
European investment platform for affordable and sustainable housing 124. In addition, the Social 
Climate Fund will be soon rolled-out, which will notably help with renovations and access to 
affordable and energy-efficient housing125. 

To advance on the implementation of the Action Plan and address existing issues, Member States 
could  allocate more  funds, notably through ESF+ and ERDF and  efforts  to  increase  affordable 
housing offers, providing support for transitioning to long-term housing, and offering support to a 
greater  number  of  beneficiaries.  Targeted  funding  should  also  aim  to  alleviate  the  pressure  on 
vulnerable populations including migrants and people with a migrant background, as well as to 
expand the social housing stock in line with the Commission’s affordable housing initiative. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  Commission  will  support  Member  States  in  improving  their  reception 
systems, in line with the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Reception 
Conditions Directive requires Member States to provide housing for applicants for international 
protection. However, challenges such as poor contingency planning and limited housing stocks 
can affect the transition from reception centres to autonomous housing and compliance with the 
Directive’s housing requirements. In accordance with the Qualification Regulation, Member States 
must provide support and services to applicants even after they receive protection. This includes 

121 Access to autonomous housing in the context of international protection: EMN Inform https://emn.ie/publications/autonomous-
housing-in-international-protection-context/. 
122 Access to autonomous housing in the context of international protection: EMN Inform https://emn.ie/publications/autonomous-
housing-in-international-protection-context/. 
123 Political Guidelines For The Next European Commission 2024−2029: https://commission.europa.eu/document/e6cd4328-673c-
4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en. 
124 A  framework  for  allowing  combining  grants  and  repayable  financial  support  currently  developed  by  the  Commission  in 
collaboration with the EIB which will be part of the Pan-European investment platform, will help managing authorities to set up 
financial 
the  allocation  of  Cohesion  policy  funds  for  housing: 
https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2025-123-eib-group-and-european-commission-lay-foundations-for-a-new-pan-european-
investment-platform-for-affordable-and-sustainable-housing 
125 Regulation (EU) 2023/955 establishing a Social Climate Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, OJ L 130, 16.5.2023, 
p. 1, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32023R0955 

the  doubling  of 

to  help  achieve 

instruments 

26 

 
 
 
facilitating their exit from the reception system. Although there are existing measures to assist in 
moving towards independent housing, Member States should broaden support services to include 
those beyond individuals with international protection. In the context of implementing the Pact on 
Migration  and  Asylum,  the  Commission  is  monitoring  the  implementation  of  these  legal 
obligations. 

The  Commission  will  renew  its  efforts  to  facilitate  access  to  tools  and  best  practices  for 
Member  States,  local,  and  regional  authorities  and  promote  the  widespread  adoption  of 
inclusive housing solutions and fight discrimination. The Commission and Member States should 
continue  to  explore  the  use  of  innovative  housing  solutions  such  as  community  sponsorship 
programmes  across  the  EU,  ensuring  they  are  tailored  to  meet  the  specific  needs  of  diverse 
communities  and  contribute  to  giving  access  to  housing  for  all.  Several  Member  States  have 
proactively implemented new housing and reception models to welcome individuals fleeing the 
war in Ukraine. These innovative approaches present valuable opportunities for further exploration 
and  expansion  to  improve  integration  outcomes  for  migrants  and  people  with  a  migrant 
background. 

6.  Horizontal actions 

6.1. State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan 

The Action Plan includes a broad set  of flanking measures that  are vital  for the success  of the 
sectoral  initiatives  listed  above,  including  building  strong  partnerships,  providing  funding, 
fostering  participation  of  the  host  society,  enhancing  the  use  of  new  technologies  and 
effectively monitoring policies through data gathering.  

One  of  the  priorities  under  the  Action  Plan  is  to  finance  projects  that  increase  the  capacity  of 
national, regional and local authorities to involve migrants and migrant organisations in decision-
making processes related to migrant integration. Nine projects started in 2021 and 2022 following 
the AMIF Union Actions 2020 call for proposals on promoting the participation of migrants in 
the design and implementation of integration policies.  

When it comes to building strong partnerships among various stakeholders, including local 
governments, civil society, and the private sector, the Commission has reinforced its collaboration 
with  the  EIN,  provided  targeted  funding  and  capacity  building  through  the  Technical  Support 
Instrument, launched a partnership with the European Committee of the Regions for local action 
support, continued work with the Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership on Inclusion of Migrants 
and Refugees, and engaged in regular consultations with civil society and diaspora organisations 
through the annual European Migration Forum. In 2021, the Commission and the Committee of 
the Regions established the Cities and Regions for Integration of Migrants Network126 to support 
EU  cities,  regions  and  rural  areas  to  work  on  good  practices  and  capacity-building  on  the 
integration of migrants and refugees. In 2024 the Commission launched the Partnership of Cities 
of Equality127, aiming at addressing specific issues related to equality within cities and taking into 
account the needs of vulnerable groups, including persons with a migrant background. 

126 Network of Cities and Regions for the integration of Migrants: https://cor.europa.eu/en/our-work/Pages/cities-and-regions-for-
integration.aspx. 
127 Partnership of Cities of Equality https://www.urbanagenda.urban-initiative.eu/partnerships/cities-of-equality.  

27 

 
 
 
 
To  include  migrants  and  EU  citizens  with  a  migrant  background  in  consultative  and  decision-
making  processes,  the  Commission  supported  actions  to  foster  participation  and  encounters 
with the host society, including via the Expert Group on the views of migrants in the field of 
migration, asylum and integration128, which the Commission consults regularly. Some Member 
States introduced or reinforced instruments to involve migrants and migrant organisations in 
the  design  of  integration  and  inclusion  policies,  thereby  supporting  the  multi-stakeholder 
approach advocated by the Action Plan.  

In the view of a progressive transition towards digitalised public services, a specific analysis was 
carried out across Member States focused on the current level of digitalisation and accessibility of 
migrant integration services129. In particular, potential barriers such as language and digital skills, 
as well as potential lack of internet connection were examined, and good practices identified. Some 
Member States reported  targeting efforts on ensuring information is made accessible to all, 
particularly on official administration websites and on asylum application portals, while including 
migrants  in  the  process. The  Commission  has  allocated  different  tools  to  promote  and  finance 
projects  aimed  to  improve  digital  skills  among  migrants  and  EU  citizens  with  a  migrant 
background  together  with  tackling  potential  barriers.  The  ESF+  has  funded  several  projects  to 
enhance digital skills among third-country nationals and EU citizens. The AMIF Thematic Facility 
(2023-2025)130 includes the improvement of migrants’ digital skill as one of the main priorities.  

Lastly, actions to improve monitoring progress through evidence-based policies have been put 
forward. In 2022, the Commission published a Eurobarometer survey on immigrant integration131. 
The Horizon 2020 programme funded over 40 migration research projects with EUR 100 million. 
In  2023,  the  Commission  and  the  OECD  released  the  third  edition  of  the  statistical  report 
‘Indicators  of  Immigrant  Integration  2023  -  Settling  In’132.  Several  topical  analyses  were  also 
issued through the EMN133 and on the Migrant Integration Hub134.  

6.2. Remaining challenges  

Whatever the level at which integration of migrants is managed, be it centrally or at sub-levels, it 
is in practice implemented locally. As a result, strong partnerships between national, regional, and 
local  authorities  but  also  with  the  host  society  and  civil  society  organisations  are  paramount. 
However, there is often a lack of coordination between the various levels of governance. Digital 
illiteracy of some migrants, paired sometimes with their lack of knowledge of the host country 
language,  can  affect  their  integration  process  by  preventing  them  from  accessing  online  basic 
services, such as, education tools, health records, employment databases, banking. Enhancing the 
use of new technologies and digital tools remains largely an untapped area at EU level, often due 
to  costs  constraints  faced  by  Member  States,  including  to  increase  digital  skills  of  their  own 

128 Created in November 2020, the expert group advises the Commission on the design and implementation of migration-related 
policies. https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/news/ec-expert-group-views-migrants-useful-information-applicants_en. 
129

services 

during 

the 

Covid-19 

pandemic: 

migrant 

integration 

https://migrant-

 Digitalising 

integration.ec.europa.eu/index.php/special-feature/digitalising-migrant-integration-services-during-covid-19-pandemic-
adaptation_en. 
130 Commission Implementing Decision of 23.11.2022 on the financing of components of the Thematic Facility under the Asylum, 
Migration and Integration Fund and adoption of the Work Programme for 2023, 2024 and 2025, C(2022) 8340 final available at 
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-12/AMIF-Work%20Programme%202023-2025_en.pdf. 
131 Integration of Immigrants in the European Union https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2276. 
132 Integration  of  Immigrants  in  the  European  Union  https:  https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/settling-
report-indicators-immigrant-integration-2023_en  
133 https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/networks/european-migration-network-emn/emn-publications/emn-informs_en  
134 https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/whats-new/publications_en  

28 

 
 
 
populations,  even  though  a  more  widespread  use  of  digital  platforms  could  facilitate  language 
learning, access to information, and virtual support networks, empowering migrants to navigate 
their new environments  more effectively.  Finally,  the design and implementation  of successful 
integration policies should be based on evidence and collection of reliable data, but these are 
often incomplete and not comparable as monitoring practices differ across the EU. Even though 
availability of data and knowledge at EU, national,  and local levels  have improved, many 
stakeholders emphasised that an evidence-based debate on integration is still lacking.  

6.3. Way forward in implementing the Action Plan 

Despite  existing  initiatives  in  this  regard,  Member  States  and  the  Commission  should  further 
extend  and  empower  multi-governance  partnerships. It  is  important  for  the  Commission  to 
continue supporting Member States through the implementation of MAPs in areas identified as 
important for their integration policies. The re-launched Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership 
on  the  inclusion  of  migrants  and  refugees,  with  an  increased  number  of  members  reflects  this 
approach,  and  its  work  plan  will  match  and  complement  the  actions  of  the  Action  Plan  on 
Integration and Inclusion. In the future, the Commission and Member States should further reflect 
on effective mechanisms to consult migrant-led organisations in designing and implementing 
integration-related policies and put in place regular monitoring mechanisms. Migrants often lack 
digital skills to use online services. As part of the 2025 AMIF call for proposals for transnational 
projects on the integration of migrants and protection of children, the Commission will support 
projects aiming at improving digital skills among migrants and will continue to disseminate good 
practices  to  Member  States  and  other  stakeholders.  Finally,  more  focus  on  evidence-based 
programmes  could  better  support  integration  policies.  The  Commission  already  cooperates 
closely with the OECD  and the Member States through the EIN and the EMN as well  collects 
information  used  to  produce  EU-wide  analyses 135 to  provide  evidence  for  policy  making  on 
integration. It is important to continue this cooperation. Member States could leverage AMIF and 
EU funding to enhance the availability of data and knowledge across EU, national, regional, and 
local levels, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges at the local level and developing 
expertise in this area. The Urban Agenda Partnership on the inclusion of migrants and refugees 
will  work  on  collecting  data  and  good  practices  in  the  fields  of  education  and  labour  market 
integration. 

7.  Enhancing synergies on the use of EU funds on integration 

7.1 State of play on the implementation of the Action Plan 

Integration is a long-term process and given its crosscutting nature, it is supported through different 
EU funds in  their respective areas.  The Action Plan  emphasises the need to  provide increased 
investments in migrant integration through EU funding under the 2021-2027 Multi-annual 
Financial Framework and ensure better access to EU funds. In this context, it is useful to recall 
how different EU funds can contribute to the integration of migrants.  

AMIF can be used to support integration measures tailored to the needs of third-country nationals 
and early integration programmes focusing on education, language and other training (such as civic 
orientation  courses  and  professional  guidance)  to  prepare  their  active  participation  in  and  their 
acceptance by the receiving society. The 2023 AMIF call funded 27 new transnational projects on 

135

 Migrant 

integration  publications  https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/migrant-

integration/migrant-integration-hub/migrant-integration-publications_en  

29 

 
 
 
migrant education and labour market integration, for a total of EUR 42.5 million. With the support 
of the EIB and the CEB, the Commission is assessing the potential of financial instruments (e.g., 
loans) to support the integration of  third-country nationals. Such innovative financing  methods 
could  allow  for  a  more  effective  use  of  public  resources.  Additionally,  according  to  the  data 
available  on  Member  State  programmes  in  January  2025,  Member  States  have  allocated  about 
EUR 1.7 billion of AMIF 2021-2027 EU resources (about EUR 2.25 billion including national 
contribution) to integration measures, for victims of trafficking in human beings and vulnerable 
persons,  including  unaccompanied  minors,  within  the  scope  of  the  AMIF  specific  objective  2 
‘strengthening  and  developing  legal  migration  to  the  Member  States  in  accordance  with  their 
economic and social needs, and promoting and contributing to the effective integration and social 
inclusion of third-country nationals’.  

The  ERDF  supports  measures  for  the  integration  and  inclusion  of  people  with  a  migrant 
background  through  investments  in  non-segregated  education,  housing,  employment,  health-, 
social-  and  child-  care  and  by  fostering  access  to  services,  infrastructure  developments  and 
equipment. Member States and regions have allocated EUR 2.9 billion of ERDF EU resources 
(EUR  4  billion  including  national  contributions)  to  interventions  directly  focused  on  the 
integration  of  marginalised  communities  and  of  third-country  nationals  under  ERDF 
specific  objectives  4.3  and  4.4.  Further  indirect  ERDF  support  is  also  available  for  access  to 
quality and inclusive services. Under the ESF+, specific objective (i) is dedicated to promoting 
the  socio-economic  integration  of  third-country  nationals,  including  migrants 136 .  These 
investments  notably  encompass  support  for  the  participation  of  third  country  nationals  in 
employment, and social integration, through access to services, housing, measures fighting poverty. 
To date, EUR 1.1 billion has been allocated to this specific objective, with 10 Member States that 
have  made  use  of  the  ESF+  specific  objective  to  program  targeted  measures  for  third-country 
nationals.  Apart  from  that,  over  EUR  1.4  billion  have  been  mobilised  for  accommodation, 
healthcare, employment orientation, medical, social and psychological support in the context of 
the so-called CARE (Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe) package under the 2014-2020 
cohesion policy programmes, to address the situation of displaced people from Ukraine137. 

In addition, the TSI and the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) disbursed via the Recovery 
and  Resilience  Plans  (RRPs)  also  aid  Member  States  in  improving  integration  policies  with 
dedicated calls, reforms and investments. Several RRPs contain measures to support integration of 
such  groups  in  the  labour  market,  including  through  active  labour  market  policies,  vocational 
education  and  training  schemes,  and  incentives  for  female  entrepreneurship.  The  Erasmus+ 
program funds projects for migrant integration in education, while  Horizon 2020 and Horizon 
Europe  have  supported  research  on  migration,  particularly  in  social  inclusion  and  education. 
InvestEU, with  EUR 2.8 billion assigned to  social investment,  supports migrants  and refugees 
through financial products for education, social infrastructure, and microfinance.  Moreover, the 
2021  Council  recommendation  establishing  a  European  Child  Guarantee  (ECG)  guides  the 
Member States to provide children in need, including those with a migrant background, with free 
and effective access to key services, aiming to offset the impact of disadvantage and to prevent 
social exclusion. All Member States have adopted action plans for ECG implementation by 2030. 
EU4Health  has  also  supported  integration  via  the  funding  of  projects  on  mental  health  and 

136 Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the 
European  Social  Fund  Plus  (ESF+)  and  repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No  1296/2013,  OJ  L  231,  30.6.2021,  pp.  21–59, 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1057/oj 
137 The so-called ‘CARE package’ is composed of CARE, CARE-PLUS and FAST-CARE (Flexible Assistance to Territories). 

30 

 
 
 
psychosocial support for migrants, access to health care for refugees, and trainings for health and 
other  professionals  working  with  migrants,  and  making  sure  the  specific  needs  of  vulnerable 
groups, including migrants, are considered when applying health policies.  

To maximise the impact of EU funds on integration and support Member States in establishing 
synergies  between  the  different  source  of  funding,  the  Commission  organised  exchanges  with 
relevant EU funds managing authorities and has provided webinars and toolkits to guide public 
authorities  and  civil  society  on  using  EU  funds  for  integration.  The  need  to  further  improve 
coordination between EU funds relevant for the integration of migrants is one of the points raised 
by the European Court of Auditors in its special report on integration of third-country nationals in 
the EU138. To support Member States and ensure synergies among the different funds (and namely 
ESF+ and ERDF), the Commission published a toolkit in November 2021 to guide stakeholders 
on  using  these  funds  for  integration139.  In  March  2024,  the  ESF+  Community  of  Practice  on 
Migrant Integration hosted an event exploring synergies between ESF+ and AMIF funding. In 
May 2025, it also organised a follow-up study visit in Italy to visit projects combining ESF+ and 
AMIF support140. 

The Commission also took steps to further facilitate access to EU funds for actors directly involved 
in setting up integration programmes and implementing integration measures, and namely local 
and regional authorities and civil societies organisations. To actively involve local actors in the 
use of EU funds, under AMIF, a minimum of 5% of the initial allocation to the Thematic Facility 
shall target the implementation of integration measures by local and regional authorities.  In the 
context  of  the  Member  States’  response  to  support  people  fleeing  Ukraine,  the  Commission 
clarified  that  the  funding  for  Emergency  Assistance  would  be  delivered  ‘based  on  results’, 
including  whether  Member  States  channel  at  least  30%  of  their  share  of  funding  through  civil 
society organisations and local or regional authorities.  

Several  Member  States  reported  using  different  EU  funds  to  enhance  the  integration  and 
inclusion  of  migrants.  For  AMIF,  many  Member  States  have  also  reported  preparing  their 
national  programmes  in  partnership  with  actors  such  as  regional,  local,  urban  and  other  public 
authorities,  together  with  relevant  international  organisations,  non-governmental  organisations 
such as refugee organisations and migrant-led organisations, national human rights institutions and 
equality  bodies,  as  well  as  economic  and  social  partners.  Some  Member  States  have  set  up 
structural  exchanges  and  consultations  to  facilitate  collaboration  among  the  managing 
authorities of different funding instruments at national level, which could be further replicated. 

7.2 Remaining challenges 

Despite  these  innovations,  at  the  national  level,  a  lack  of  structural  cooperation  between 
managing authorities of the different EU funds level persists in several Member State. In addition, 
several  stakeholders,  including  civil  society  organisations,  local  and  regional  authorities,  and 
migrant-lead organisations, report difficulties in accessing EU funds, despite their key role in 
the integration process. Such difficulties include bureaucratic burdens and red tape.  

138 Special report 26/2024: Integration of third-country nationals in the EU | European Court of Auditors  
139 Toolkit on  the  use  of  EU  funds  for  the  integration of  people  with  a  migrant  background: 2021–2027  programming period: 
https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/toolkit-use-eu-funds-integration-people-migrant-background-2021-
2027-programming_en. 
140

https://socialinnovationplus.eu/event/labour-market-paths-synergic-use-of-funds-for-tackling-labour-exploitation-and-

vulnerable-migrants-integration/  

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7.3 Way forward in implementing the Action Plan 

To address these challenges, efforts should continue to improve information at national and EU 
level on the funding opportunities available through the different funds and the requirements to 
benefit  from  them  and  the  projects  and  tools  already  available.  In  the  future,  the  Commission 
should continue to actively promote and encourage Member States to explore synergies among 
different EU funds, namely on funds which are less commonly used in coordination with AMIF, 
ESF+ and ERDF. Member States should also explore further synergies between their national 
programmes and transnational projects selected by the Commission. An increased coordination 
between EU funds managing authorities and more cooperation between national governments and 
local authorities on funding could help local and regional authorities access funds which are crucial 
for  them.  Member  States  should  also  increase  their  efforts  to  make  information  on  funding 
opportunities  more  accessible  to  small  local  authorities,  social  economy  actors,  civil  society 
organisations  and  migrant-led  organisations,  who  struggle  to  access  funding  and  resources. 
Making  further  use  of  innovative  financing  instruments  for  integration  such  as  community 
sponsorship schemes, could also facilitate access to funds for authorities that need them. Moreover, 
the  Pact  on  Migration  and  Asylum  includes  links  with  integration  policies  (such  as  access  to 
accommodation and housing, access to healthcare, and access to employment and education for 
asylum applicants and beneficiaries of international protection) and Member States could support 
its implementation by using AMIF and other funds. In preparation of the next programming period, 
the Commission is conducting a mid-term evaluation of the 2021-2027 AMIF, which will take into 
account early findings of the ex-post evaluation of the effects of the 2014-2020 AMIF, as well as 
the Impact Assessment carried out for the 2021-2027 AMIF. This evaluation will provide valuable 
insights on the effectiveness of past programs and guiding improvements, including for integration 
measures. 

8.  Conclusion and lessons learnt  

Member States continue to face persistent challenges as they try to strike the right balance between 
the significant pressure on their public services and housing they are subject to, and the importance 
of supporting integration in order to invest in the long term cohesion of our societies, boost labour 
market participation which strengthens EU competitiveness, and reduce vulnerabilities in society 
and their associated costs. In that respect, since the adoption of the Action Plan in 2020, the number 
of residence permits delivered to non-EU citizens, in particular for employment reasons, has been 
increasing steadily. Although this requires additional efforts from Member States in ensuring that 
migrants  become  fully  functional  members  of  their  societies,  it  will  help,  in  the  long  term,  to 
address  labour  market  shortages  and  demographic  pressures,  thereby  strengthening  the  EU 
competitiveness and making the EU more attractive to global talents.  

To  address  the  persistent  challenges  and  maximise  the  impact  of  the  integration  measures  put 
forward so far, the Commission will continue its cross-sectoral approach to supporting integration 
along the lines defined in the Action Plan  and will continue to support Member States  and the 
development of cohesive societies. Special attention will be paid to advance on the integration of 
applicants for and beneficiaries of international protection with a view to ensure a well-managed 
and effective migration and asylum policy and effective implementation of the Pact. 

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