Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

9.88 billion

Measures on asylum, legal migration and integration, irregular migration, and returns

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DG / Responsible Agencies: HOME

Potential beneficiaries

State and local authorities, local public agencies, nongovernmental and humanitarian organizations, private and public enterprises, educational and research institutions and organizations.

Description and objectives

In recent years, the EU has had to cope with large and growing numbers of asylum seekers and migrants. Their attempts to reach Europe have too often created tragedies. The EU budget has supported efforts to manage inflows and returns: asylum and migration are by their nature interconnected and transnational phenomena that cannot be adequately addressed by member states alone. Along with integrated management of the EU’s external borders.

The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund aims to strengthen national capacities and improve procedures for migration management (in the early stages and in the long term), complete the establishment of a Common European Asylum System, and strengthen solidarity and responsibility-sharing mechanisms among member states, particularly through emergency assistance and the relocation mechanism. More specifically, the Fund:

• strengthens and develops all aspects of the Common European Asylum System (including its external dimension) in the area of legal migration to member states,
• Promotes the integration, social inclusion and reintegration of legally migrated third-country nationals within the Union,
• counteracts irregular immigration and improves mechanisms for return and readmission,
• Promotes mechanisms of solidarity, operational cooperation and equitable sharing of responsibilities among member states.

Types of actions and projects

The Fund supports a wide range of initiatives: the improvement of housing and reception services for asylum seekers, measures and information campaigns in third countries regarding legal migration channels, education and language training actions for third-country nationals, specialized support for vulnerable people, unaccompanied minors and victims of trafficking, information exchange, cooperation and joint training initiatives between member states. More specifically, the actions financed by the Fund can be summarized as follows:

• Ensure uniform application of the EU acquis and priorities related to the Common European Asylum, Legal Migration and Return System;
• Provide support and services consistent with the status and needs of the person concerned, particularly vulnerable groups;
• Provide support for the resettlement, humanitarian admission and relocation of applicants and beneficiaries of international protection;
• Support the development and implementation of policies that promote legal migration, such as the development of mobility programs to the EU and raising awareness of appropriate legal channels for immigration;
• Support integration measures tailored to the needs of third-country nationals and initial integration programs focusing on education, language and other types of training (such as civic and career guidance courses) to prepare them for active participation and acceptance by the host society;
• Set up supporting infrastructure for the reception of third-country nationals, including the possible joint use of such facilities by more than one member state;
• Support an integrated and coordinated approach to return management at the EU and member state level, capacity building for effective and sustainable return, and reducing incentives for irregular migration;
• Supporting assisted voluntary repatriation and reintegration;
• Cooperate with third countries on asylum, legal migration, countering irregular migration, return and readmission.

Highlights

The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund continues the experience of the similar program implemented during the previous programming period. It has been adapted to offer greater safeguards and more flexibility (possible allocation of funds for emerging or unforeseen needs, progressive adaptation to possible changes in EU priorities and urgent challenges).