Blog Articles

Since the beginning of the year, Social Platform is part of the ReSOMA project (Research SOcial Platform on Migration and Asylum). As introduced in an earlier blog article, ReSOMA aims at establishing a reliable platform for exchanging evidence, data and good practice in the field of asylum, migration and integration that decision makers can rely on.

As part of the project, nine discussion briefs were produced. These discussion briefs aim to address key topics of the European migration and integration debate in a timely matter. They bring together the expertise of stakeholder organisations and academic research institutes in order to identify policy trends, along with unmet needs that merit higher priority.

The nine discussion briefs are available here and focus on the following topic

1. Hardship of family reunion for beneficiaries of international protection
This discussion brief reviews the restrictions in place and their various impacts. The ReSOMA project wants to collect more evidence and testimonies from families trying to reunite under these rules. These cases may help the European Commission to adopt and use EU guidelines to reunite families in need.

2. Responsibility sharing in EU asylum policy
This discussion brief reviews the main issues and controversies raised in Europe’s long-standing debate and proposals on solidarity and responsibility-sharing.

3. The role and limits of the Safe third country concept in EU Asylum policy
This discussion brief reviews the ongoing EU debate on safe third country rules and its impact on European and international human rights standards, cooperation and protection regimes.

4. The crackdown on NGOs assisting refugees and other migrants
This discussion brief analyses the trends behind criminalisation cases, their causes and possible deterrent effects. NGOs and researchers can submit their evidence through the ReSOMA project to contribute to an Observatory and to draft effective guidelines that would present criminalisation cases.

5. Migration-related conditionality in EU external funding
This discussion brief takes stock of the debates of EU external funding on migration. Reviewing research and stakeholder evidence of the impact of conditionality, this brief explores the impact on EU external policies on its human rights standards, democratic rule of law and, more broadly, the legitimacy and coherence of its external relations.

6. EU return policy
This discussion brief reviews the debate on the ‘effectiveness’ of EU returns policy as migration scholars and practitioners on the ground have repeatedly stressed the complexity of returns procedures and raised serious concerns about the safety and well-being of migrants subject to return.

7. The social inclusion of undocumented migrants
This discussion brief reviews the EU’s current and proposed funds and policies. The lack of financial inclusion and ‘firewalls’ for the undocumented have many unintended consequences for local authorities and service-providers, for migrants and their families and for wider society.

8. Policy mainstreaming of immigrant integration
This discussion brief reviews the mainstreaming debate in light of the European Commission’s current programme proposals for 2021-2027. The brief highlights the perspectives and recommendations from different actors involved in the negotiation.

9. Cities as service providers to migrant populations
This discussion brief identifies the key points of debate after the release of the European Commission’s proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 to 2027, and before legislation on programmes like the Asylum and Migration Fund and the European Social Fund are adopted by Council and Parliament.