Integration of Third-Country Nationals

Call summary and aims

The European Union’s objective to constitute an area of freedom, security and justice should be achieved, inter alia, through common measures framing a policy on asylum and immigration, based on solidarity between Member States, which is fair towards third countries and their nationals.

In order to contribute to the development of the common Union policy on asylum and immigration and to the strengthening of the area of freedom, security and justice in the light of the application of the principles of solidarity and responsibility-sharing between the Member States and cooperation with third countries, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) was set up. It aims at supporting actions to contribute to the efficient management of migration flows and the implementation, strengthening and development of a common Union approach to asylum and immigration.

In May 2015 the European Commission adopted the European Agenda on Migration (EAM)[[COM(2015) 240 final]], which brings together the different steps the European Union should take now, and in the coming years, to build up a coherent and comprehensive approach to reap the benefits and address the challenges deriving from migration. Building on the European Agenda on migration and as announced in the communication of 6 April 2016 on the reform of the common European Asylum system and enhancing legal avenues to Europe[[COM(2016) 197 final]], the Commission adopted an Action Plan on the integration of third-country nationals on 7 June 2016[[COM(2016) 377 final]]. The Plan is a general policy framework for integration and includes actions to support Member States across all the policy areas that are crucial for integration.

Legal basis of AMIF are the following regulations:

- Regulation (EU) No 516/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund[[OJ L 150, 20.05.2014, p. 168]]

- Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 laying down general provisions on the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and on the instrument for financial support for police cooperation, preventing and combating crime, and crisis management[[OJ L 150, 20.05.2014, p. 112]].

The AMIF Regulation sets out four specific objectives, respectively to:

(i) strengthen and develop all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension;

(ii) support legal migration to the Member States in accordance with their economic and social needs, such as labour market needs, while safeguarding the integrity of the immigration systems of Member States, and to promote the effective integration of third-country nationals;

(iii) enhance fair and effective return strategies in the Member States which contribute to combating illegal immigration, with an emphasis on sustainability of return and effective readmission in the countries of origin and transit;

(iv) enhance solidarity and responsibility-sharing between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration and asylum flows, including through practical cooperation.

In conformity with Regulation (EU) No 514/2014 Article 6(2), in order to implement the AMIF, the Commission has adopted, on 26 April 2017, the 2017 Annual Work Programme for the financing of Union Actions[[https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/financing/fundings/migration-asylum-borders/asylum-migration-integration-fund/union-actions/docs/awp_union_action_c_2017_2572_f1_annex_v2_p1_885372_en.pdf]], which includes this Call for Proposals.

Five priorities have been included in this call for proposals, which relate to policy priorities identified in the Action Plan on integration of third-country nationals, in particular priority 1 and 2 of the call (corresponding to policy priority "social inclusion and active participation"), priority 3 of the call (corresponding to the policy of the Action Plan "pre-departure and post-arrival measures"), priority 4 of the call (corresponding to policy priority of the Action Plan "labour market integration and vocational training"). Priority 5 of the call relates to the EU legal and policy framework addressing trafficking in human beingsPlease refer to Directive 2011/36/EU and to the 2012-2016 EU Strategy to eradicate trafficking in human beings and other Commission documents available on the website: https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/eu-policy_en?solrsort=ds_field_publication_date%20desc. For an overview, please refer to EU anti-trafficking action at a glance: https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/publications/eu-anti-trafficking-action-2012-2016-glance_en.