PandPAS

The project PandPAS focus on post-arrival support for the integration of persons in need of international protection. At the same time, it produces tools for pre-departure activities and pilot practices to promote inclusion and active participation of third-country nationals in society overall. The project stems from Italian, Croatian and Slovenian regions where big or medium “hubs” are located. It makes use of the Portuguese approach in the matter of “widespread welcoming and integration” and of the Cypriot experience in the field social entrepreneurship for the inclusion of third-country nationals.

The expected outcomes are:

• A collection of 10 good practices already tested;
• Action Programmes at local level (conceived thanks to the active involvement of refugees and all institutional and social actors) with multiple and synergic activities in the field of language learning, “soft skills” development, vocational training, orientation to job, promotion of self and social entrepreneurship, inter-cultural dialogue;
• A social survey on refugees’ and asylum - seekers' feelings, needs and expectations;
• A Permanent Forum of European Local Communities engaged in welcoming and promoting inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers;
• A Video-documentary for “legal and aware emigration in Europe”, based on the telling – stories of the experiences of refugees resettled in the Partner towns.

The beneficiaries of the action at short and medium term will be both the refugees and the local communities (included professionals and volunteers). The expected impact is refugees’ empowerment, capacity building for hosting institutions and communities, improvement of cohesion and solidarity in society overall, reduction of risks of xenophobia on the one hand and radicalisation on the other. At long-term, all the institutions and European CSOs will benefit from the project’s outcomes. The expected impact is that PandPAS contributes to improving policies and practices across Europe.