IMMENSITY Description

“BACKGROUND RATIONALE”

The need for socio-economic inclusion of immigrants and minorities, repatriation of economic immigrants to their origin countries & reduction of migration waves is widely recognized across the European Union, especially in Member States with a significant influx of this population. Social inclusion of economic immigrants and minorities is a political issue; so is the decrease of migration flows. The socioeconomic inclusion of immigrants and minorities has been recently added in the political agendas of Member States, especially due to the EU Enlargement. Regional authorities need proper strategies and action plans to socially/economically incorporate this population and support their return to their origin countries.

“PROJECT DESCRIPTION”

Overview of the Project – Main Objectives

IMMENSITY's main idea is the social and economic inclusion of legal economic immigrants & repatriates in destination countries, with a specific focus on women. A way to achieve this goal is to stimulate the immigrants' entrepreneurship/self-employment potential, while, in parallel, try to improve the living standards in the origin countries by promoting & supporting bilateral trade.

The overall objective of the project is to develop Regional Strategic Operational Plans and Pilot Structures (Immigrant Entrepreneurs' Reception Offices) so as to boost the target groups' entrepreneurship/self-employment in growing economic sectors by promoting and supporting bilateral trade, thus ensuring their socio-economic inclusion in destination countries. The project's long-term objective is the return of economic immigrants to origin countries. Focus will be on:

• The development of the immigrants and repatriates' entrepreneurship/self-employment potential through Pilot Structures providing online/offline services, e.g. information, consulting, training, and business mentoring, in the destination countries.
• The promotion of bilateral trade between countries of origin & receiving regions as a way to improve quality of life in origin countries.
• The carefully planned return of immigrants to their origin countries and the re-establishment of their businesses in their homelands.

Main Activities

The main actions foreseen by the project are:

1. Existing Situation Analyses in the participating regions to identify current data, trends, policies, problems & opportunities
2. Investigation of Good Practices - Benchmarking of the participating regions
3. Development of Regional Strategic & Operational Plans for the Pilot Structures - Analysis of Socioeconomic Impacts for the Pilot Structures to be formulated
4. Establishment of the Immigrant Entrepreneurs' Reception Offices in the destination regions - Design/Development of the Portal that will support these structures
5. Plans for Immigrants' Return
6. Dissemination / Diffusion activities and Promotional material
7. Project Management and Project Evaluation activities / Follow –up Strategy

Expected Results & Impacts

The main expected results / impacts of the project are:

• Improved knowledge on social and economic issues of economic immigrants and repatriates in planning documents
• Strategic and operational plans to be used by the participating regions for interventions
• Improved qualifications and entrepreneurial skills of the target groups in the participating regions due to the business support services (consulting, training and information) offered by the Pilot Structures
• Boost of economic activity in the areas where beneficiaries live and develop their enterprises by inviting collaboration and expansion of local native business
• Increased knowledge on bilateral trade opportunities with participating origin countries - creation and maintainance of sustainable economic and trade relationships
• Contribution to the reduction of the migratory flows through socioeconomic inclusion of beneficiaries in the receiving communities and improvement of life in origin countries
• Awareness raising to beneficiaries, key stakeholders and the public

Target Groups & Beneficiaries

The target groups / direct beneficiaries of the IMMENSITY project can be classified as follows:

• Legal Immigrants from the CADSES area who live in one of the EU regions participating in the project and left their country of origin in pursuit of better economic and security conditions. Immigrant women can be further distinguished as a separate target group because of the compound nature of the problems they encounter in the receiving country.
• Repatriating nationals of the participating regions, most of who were born and raised in the country of origin.
• Communities from the immigrants' origin country that will engage in bilateral trade with destination countries, adding value to their economic activity. In the long run, they will benefit from the return of their workforce and the establishment of viable & profitable enterprises.
• Local businesses in the receiving countries, since new opportunities for business collaborations and trade will open up.
• Local/regional authorities and business support agencies, that will be better equipped to deal with socio-economic development issues of immigrants who settle in their regions and wish to be self-employed.