The ASAP project directly contributes to the implementation of European integration priorities, from enhancing local and regional capacities, resources and expertise to ensuring that all migrants have safe access to basic services. From 2014, the rapid increase in arrivals of migrants and refugees brought to light previously existing deficits and accentuated the structural limitations of local public capacities to provide a migrant-inclusive access to basic services. The pandemic exposed the vulnerability of migrants with limited access to social protection and highlighted barriers in access to public health information. Faced with many urgent and unprecedented challenges, many local authorities took social and economic emergency measures that left out migrants, who lacked information and support to access the new measures.
Reaching the most vulnerable groups remains challenging: social isolation is one of the main issues facing migrant women, together with low skills in host-country language and intersecting forms of discrimination. Public services and civil society organisations (CSOs) play a crucial role in facilitating access to services, as they can implement complementary tasks: public service providers should deliver appropriate, culturally, linguistically and gender-responsive services and information, while local CSOs are able to communicate well with migrants and have capacities to engage with their communities. A strong collaboration between local authorities and CSOs can lead to broad and complementary responses to integration challenges, capable of catering for the service needs of vulnerable groups while enhancing social cohesion in their communities.
Project Activities
Cross-cutting Tools
Capacity-Building Trainings
ASAP-FactSheets
Access to Mental Health Services - Factsheet
ASAP – Needs Assessment FactSheet
The project “Accessing services, Sharing Approaches and Practices” (ASAP) focuses on assessing the capacity of local services providers and Civil Society Organisations, increasing their capacity through strong collaborations, improving and sharing knowledge on migrants’ needs and informing all the stakeholders about replicable and effective responses to challenges in migrants’ access to basic services.
A needs assessment at the local level took place during the spring 2022 in Greece to identify the major obstacles in the sectors of employment, health, education, and housing, with special consideration on the needs and challenges for migrant women and vulnerable refugees/asylum seekers. The needs assessment research consisted of desk research, in-depth interviews, and focus groups with Nationals from Third Countries, representatives of CSOs and public authorities.
Take a look at the Fact Sheet!
ASAP-FactSheets
The ASAP project directly contributes to the implementation of European integration priorities, from enhancing territorial capacities, resources and expertise to ensuring that all migrants have safe access to basic services.
Take a look at the Fact Sheet!
Videos
Symbiosis joined forces with 9 European organizations in 6 EU countries to find out how welcoming Europe is for migrants and refugees, and how to address gaps and needs during the EC Accessing Services, Sharing Approaches and Practices (ASAP) project.
The ASAP project contributes to the implementation of European integration priorities, enhancing capacities, resources and expertise to ensure that all migrants have safe access to basic services. The partnership met in Thessaloniki for its 2nd transnational steering committee on 12-13 of October.
Press Release
The project ASAP – Accessing services, Sharing Approaches and Practices, funded by the Asylum Fund, Migration and Integration of the European Union, wants to support local service providers and civil society organisations in the implementation of effective and replicable practices which can respond to third country nationals’ needs in the access to public services in the fields of employment, housing, education and health.
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic came at a crucial time for international migration. Just prior to the crisis, high inflows were recorded, and populations of immigrants have grown everywhere in Europe. Although several EU member states have used the pandemic to justify the closing of their borders to all migrants, recent studies state that this will have little effect on long-term migration.
In this scenario, the ASAP project directly contributes to the implementation of European integration priorities, from enhancing territorial capacities, resources and expertise to ensuring that all migrants have safe access to basic services and to strengthening migrant-inclusive service delivery systems (obj. 15 – Global Compact for Migration).
The project will be implemented in 6 countries: Greece, Italy and Spain, Austria, Romania and Croatia and will be addressed to service providers, CSOs’ representatives and TCNs.
The Partnership
