Migration Policy Group Newsletter

Dear ,

As the European elections are around the corner, MPG is committed to supporting New Europeans (individuals who have arrived in and reside within the European Union, as well as their descendants), ensuring they have a voice in decisions that directly impact their lives. For this reason, we are excited to announce two initiatives: our first-ever video competition and VoteEuropa webinar.

The EU elections video competition, a collaboration between MPG and Vocifiy, aims to raise awareness about the elections, share compelling stories from New Europeans on their voting motivations and the importance of participation, and inspire others to participate in the democratic process. The winners of the competition will receive equipment of their choice worth up to €500. The VoteEuropa Webinar will be held on Thursday 23/05 (16:30 - 18:00 CET), which will explore the most effective messaging strategies for encouraging mobile voters to participate in the electoral process.

We are excited to announce another exciting initiative featured in this newsletter, where MPG is actively involved. Introducing the Starting New: Newcomer Entrepreneurship Policy Coalition, dedicated to empowering those new to Europe by advancing their economic integration and advocating for policy reforms that support the growth and sustainability of their businesses.

Next in this newsletter, you will find a new publication on housing challenges and good practices by the European Website on Integration (EWSI), as well as an overview of all 2023 publications by the European Equality Law Network, now available online.

Win equipment worth up to €500 in our EU elections video competition

In less than a month, from 6-9 June 2024, EU citizens will be electing new members of the European Parliament for the 2024-2029 term. The New Europeans Initiative supports New Europeans (individuals who have arrived in and reside within the European Union, as well as their descendants), to have a say in decisions that directly affect them.

To ensure more New Europeans are aware of the upcoming EU elections in 2024 and actively participate in them, we are organizing a video competition. This competition is open to individuals and civil society organizations that are part of and engaged with New European voters. The goal is to spread the word about the elections, share testimonies from New Europeans on why they are voting and why it is important to them, and encourage others to vote.

Winners of the video competition will receive an award in the form of equipment of their choice worth up to €500. The deadline for the competition is May 27th!

Newcomer Entrepreneurship Policy Coalition is Launched

Starting New is a coalition formed by SINGA Global, Forward.Inc, Startup Migrants, and Migration Policy Group. The initiative is at the forefront of redefining how Europe supports newcomer entrepreneurs.

Starting New is all about innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity. The mission is to empower those new to Europe by promoting their economic integration and advocating for policy reforms that foster the growth and sustainability of their businesses.

The European Website on Integration (EWSI) launches analysis on housing challenges and good practices

EWSI is the only EU-wide source bringing up-to-date information and good practices on migrant integration for policy makers and practitioners. MPG started working on the creation of EWSI for the EC’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs in 2007, and has been running the project ever since, with website visits increasing exponentially over the past few years.

In this latest analysis, Migrants’ access to medium- and long-term housing in the EU: barriers, governance and good practices, the publication ferrets out the main challenges migrants face when looking for housing in the EU. It also features a collection of over 40 proven good practices related to the provision of accommodation services.

All 2023 publications by the European Equality Law Network are now available online

European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination, of which MPG's Director Isabelle Chopin is the Specialist Coordinator in Non-Discrimination Law, has made all its publications online.

These publications include:

27 reports on EU non-discrimination law in Member States, along with comparative analysis
31 reports on EU gender equality law in Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, UK, and comparative analysis
Thematic reports on various topics, such as:

Court practices on disability discrimination
Transposing the Work-Life Balance Directive
The EU framework to combat antisemitism
National LGBTIQ equality action plans

The European equality law review 2023.

VoteEuropa Webinar - Effective messaging to get-out-the-vote

In just over two weeks, we will vote in the EU elections. Mobile voters (naturalised migrants and EU citizens who have moved within the EU) make up 15% of the EU's electorate. Their votes will be decisive but they experience many barriers that keep them from making it to the ballot box.

On Thursday 23/05 (16:30 – 18:00 CET), two weeks before the elections, we are organizing an interactive online panel discussion exploring what messaging works best and which actions to take to encourage mobile voters to go out and vote.

If you are looking for inspiration on what actions to take in the last weeks and days before the elections or even ready-made content to share, then this webinar is for you!

This month's MIPEX Citations

The Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) is a unique tool which measures integration policies in 56 countries across 8 policy areas. It provides up-to-date, comprehensive research data and analysis on which to base policies, proposals for change and projects.

Here are this month's MIPEX citations:

"Immigration status and adolescents’ voting intention in European countries: The importance of immigrant integration policy context" by Hyungryeol Kim and Michael H. Seltzer, published in International Journal of Intercultural Relations.
"A virtuous cycle? Migrant integration policies, attitudes toward immigration, and populist radical right voting in Europe" by Piotr Zagorski et al., published in International Journal of Comparative Sociology.