KA153 EU-migrating

1. Objective:
The main objective we aim to achieve by carrying this project out is to provide youth workers in the migration sector (including those working on a voluntary basis in non-governmental organisations) with useful tools to improve their approach with young migrant population. In an interconnected and globalised world, we encounter all types of migration; however, it is essential for Youth Workers - when working with young migrants - to take into account the background of these people, i.e. to be aware of fundamental aspects such as their origin, culture, beliefs, values, etc. As working with groups of sub-Saharan or North African migrant minors is not the same as working with migrants from Syria, Yemen or Afghanistan or with migrants from Ukraine or Latin America, there are certain aspects that must be taken into account so that the work carried out is appropriate for each of the profiles.
This project will focus on providing tools to people working with young, forced migrants, i.e. those who leave their country of origin in an irregular way simply because they need to survive.
In this case, due to the migratory situation that is currently being experienced in Mediterranean countries, we believe it is appropriate to focus on the field of action with migrants from the African continent and the Middle East.
According to data from the Spanish newspaper El País and Frontex (the European Border Agency), the arrivals of people in an irregular situation in the European Union are increasing, especially in the Mediterranean. Frontex has recorded an increase of almost 300% in arrivals by sea compared to the same period last year.
2. Target:
Taking into account the above information, we consider relevant:
- Youth workers in the migration sector between 18-30 years old.
- Profiles of migration receiving countries that facilitate the exchange of experiences: Greece, Italy, Turkey, Portugal, France.
According to Frontex, the Central Mediterranean route - the stretch of the Mediterranean Sea between North Africa and Italy - is one of the main migration routes to Europe. On the other hand, in the first six months of 2023, arrivals to Greece increased by 65.9%, which is why we believe it is essential that organisations from these countries participate in the project.
According to data compiled through the Missing Migrants Project, the project of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) that monitors the victims of the global border system, at least 3,997 people died at the southern border of the European Union in 2023. On the other hand, the Spanish organisation Caminando Fronteras, has presented its Right to Life 2023 report, developed by its Human Rights Observatory, in which it set the number of people died in the border of the European Union in 6,618 deaths in the course of the sea crossing.
It is these alarming rates that have led us to decide to focus the project's action on Youth Workers in the field of migration, who receive a large number of young migrants from Morocco, Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia.
- The number of people per organisation will depend on the number of participating organisations.
- It will be evaluated if in any of these organisations at least one of the participants is from a vulnerable background, or has a migrant background; or has suffered some kind of discrimination because of their ethnicity or origin.
3. Location and duration of the project:
- The project will be developed in one of the Canary Islands due to a) its geographical enclave-it is located on the African continent, but belongs to a country of the European Union and is easily accessible; b) extreme migratory situation-it is currently one of the places in Spain where most immigrants are arriving by sea.
According to the latest publication of the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR), of the total of 57,071 people who arrived in Spain by sea, 39,910 did so in the Canary Islands, an increase of 154.5% over the previous year. While in 2022, the main ports of departure were Morocco and Western Sahara, in 2023 they were Gambia and Senegal, due to political instability. Precisely because of all the above mentioned data, the present project focuses on working with Youth Workers working with young migrant population coming from these countries.
- The duration of the project will be 8 months.