Context:
As a consequence of the unusually high inflow of asylum seekers and refugees into Europe in 2015, issues around asylum procedures, legislative and policy changes, and longer-term issues around successful integration emerged, and an increased interest in social inclusion measures and integration appeared in the EU and Member States agendas. The migration events in Europe 2015 brought highest media and political attention to migration. Together with the rise of migration across the world, the difficulties that governments encounter in successfully integrating migrants and in guaranteeing their dignity against prejudice and extremist attitudes came to light, particularly in the context of crises or socio-economic hardship where prejudice heightens. In this context, migration has become an everyday reality, the norm rather than a temporary deviance, which makes it essential to formulate coherent policy responses. It has become crucial that “host countries strongly engage with different, innovative and constructive approaches to migration in order to positively integrate migrants, thus contributing to showing migration as an enriching aspect of contemporary societies rather than challenges to their welfare” (UNU Network, 2015).
Overall objectives:
By exploiting advanced data science and technology, the MICADO project aims for a successful integration of migrants into European countries´ societies and communities, and for building up capacity for responding to future migrant challenges and developments on institutional and personal levels. It wants to bring migrants into regular social systems (e.g. housing, education, health care, labour) with more efficient and more effective digital services, thus lowering socio-economic effort expenditure in migrant integration.
MICADO wants to empower Public Authorities and local communities that attend migrants from their moment of arrival in the EU. Also, MICADO aims to strengthen migrants - mainly but not exclusively asylum-seekers and refugees - by enabling essential communication, orientation, and navigation within their new life environments. MICADO intends to create cohesion in local societies and communities by involving end users in the development of migrant integration services early on. By delivering valuable information to all relevant stakeholders and funneling added value in all directions, it builds up trust and contributes to a fact-based perception of migrant issues.
