On 27 November Eurodiaconia and PICUM jointly organised a seminar to discuss the role social services play for the integration and inclusion of migrants in the EU. This event was hosted by MEP Nadja Hirsch in the European Parliament with participants from international organisation, social NGOs and representatives from the European Parliament.

Eurodiaconia’s member organisations Kerk in Actie and the Hungarian Reformed Church, who very actively work on the integration of migrants in their respective communities, contributed to the event by sharing best practices and experiences. A rich debate emerged at the end of the presentations about the importance of collecting data as a tool for advocacy, how to change the perception of migrants in society and the importance of bringing down barriers to provide access to services to migrants regardless of their legal status.

A full report will be available soon. A joint press release was issued following the seminar and can be found here.