Funding for Asylum & Migration
The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) was set up for the period 2014-20, with a total of EUR 3.137 billion for the seven years. It was set to promote the efficient management of migration flows and the implementation, strengthening and development of a common Union approach to asylum and immigration. This Fund contributed to the achievement of four specific objectives:
- Asylum: strengthening and developing the Common European Asylum System by ensuring that EU legislation in this field is efficiently and uniformly applied
- Legal migration and integration: supporting legal migration to EU States in line with the labour market needs and promoting the effective integration of non-EU nationals
- Return: enhancing fair and effective return strategies, which contributed in combating irregular migration, with an emphasis on sustainability and effectiveness of the return process
- Solidarity: making sure that EU States which are most affected by migration and asylum flows can count on solidarity from other EU States
The Asylum, Migration & Integration Fund (AMIF) 2014-20 provided funding for asylum, return, integration, resettlement and relocation. Integration and inclusion actions were also supported other EU funding instruments, most pertinently the European Social Fund (focusses investment on activation of the unemployed, improving social and labour market inclusion, enhancing education attainment and tackling youth unemployment)
Funding for Education
The Erasmus+ programme 2014-2020 provides funding for a range of international education and training projects, including student and staff exchanges, job shadowing, teaching assignments, and strategic partnerships between organisations. Over this period, almost €15 billion has been earmarked to enable people at all stages of life to take part in learning opportunities across Europe. An EU funding programme for activities in the areas of education, training, youth and sport. Key actions 1 and 2 may be of interest to staff wishing to enhance the learning experience of migrant students.
- Key Action 2: Co-operation for innovation and the exchange of good practices. Initiatives supported under this key action enable organisations to work together in order to improve their provision for learners and share innovative practices. Under this action, one organisation will lead the project and manage the activities and funding on behalf of the partnership. Different sizes of partnership are possible so that smaller organisations can get involved.
- Key Action 3: Support for policy reform This key action supports initiatives which enable the active participation of young people in democratic life and fosters debate around topics centred on the themes and priorities set by the Structured Dialogue. Structured Dialogue is the name used for discussions between young people and youth policy makers to get results which are useful for policy-making.
Other Funding supports:
The ESIF mainly focus on 5 areas: research and innovation, digital technologies, supporting the low-carbon economy, sustainable management of natural resources and small businesses. This fund encourages and facilitates citizens’ wider involvement in the European Union and what it stands for. This includes involvement on decisions and policies on Europe’s role in the world and as it is described in the document
The EGA assists EU Member States to provide active labour market supports to workers made redundant (or self-employed people whose activity ceases) as a result of major structural changes in world trade due to globalisation or global financial and economic crisis.
Asylum & Migration Fund and European Social Fund Plus.
In mid-2018, the European Commission published its proposals for a new Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-27, including the Asylum & Migration Fund and European Social Fund Plus.
Negotiations on the MFF for 2021-27 were ongoing when the COVID-19 emergency occurred, and in May 2020 the Commission announced a revised budget proposal for 2021-27. The revised proposal includes a Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) package, that adds €55 million to current cohesion funds, including the European Social Fund. The impact of the revised budget on the proposed Asylum & Migration Fund is yet to be made clear.
You can follow the MFF 2021-27 process at the webpages of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.
REACT-EU
REACT-EU stands for Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe and is an initiative that continues and extends the crisis response and crisis repair measures delivered through the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative and the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus. It will contribute to a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy.
The REACT-EU package includes €55 billion of additional funds that will be made available to the 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) as well as the European Fund for Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD). These additional funds will be provided in 2021-2022 from Next Generation EU and already in 2020 through a targeted revision to the current financial framework.