Towards a Healthy Future: Action Plan

Title of the Project: Towards a Healthy Future: Action Plan

Summary: According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the number of foreign nationals residing in Türkiye exceeded 1.5 million in 2023, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that there are approximately 281 million international migrants worldwide as of 2024. A significant proportion of this population consists of young people, making migration an increasingly important global issue. Migrant adolescents often face multiple challenges such as adaptation difficulties, language barriers, discrimination, and social exclusion. Combined with the developmental vulnerabilities of adolescence, these factors may negatively affect mental health and increase the risk of addiction.
International reports, including those by UNODC and WHO, highlight that migrants are among the high-risk groups regarding substance use and addiction due to trauma exposure, limited access to services, social stigma, and legal uncertainties. Migrant adolescents frequently experience psychosocial stress, social isolation, and insufficient support systems, which may lead to harmful coping mechanisms. These challenges not only affect individuals but also impact families and broader social integration processes.
In response to these needs, this project aims to strengthen preventive and supportive mechanisms by focusing on the training of professionals working directly with migrant adolescents. Through capacity-building activities, educational modules, and support initiatives, the project seeks to enhance awareness, improve professional competencies, and promote healthy lifestyle strategies among migrant youth while contributing to stronger social support systems.

Project Duration: 24 months

Project Budget: 120.000 EUR

Aims and Objectives of the Project:

This project aims to reduce addiction risks among migrant adolescents in Türkiye and Europe by promoting healthy lifestyles and strengthening preventive support mechanisms. The main focus is the development of a needs-based training module designed for professionals working directly with migrant youth. Through workshops and collaborative project activities, data and thematic content will be collected to shape the “Towards a Healthy Future: Action Plan” Training Module, which will be published as a practical training kit.
The project seeks to improve the knowledge and intervention capacity of professionals, increase awareness among migrant adolescents, and strengthen access to social support systems. It also aims to foster scientific cooperation among national and international stakeholders and raise societal awareness regarding the challenges faced by migrant youth.
Key outputs include a comprehensive needs analysis, training workshops, the development of a training module kit, awareness-raising activities, and the organization of an International Addiction Symposium. The main deliverables will consist of printed and digital training materials, workshop and needs analysis reports, symposium outcomes, and educational resources.

Expected Results/Outputs
A workshop organized in Türkiye with the participation of Finland and other partners will focus on developing and enriching training programmes for professionals working with migrant adolescents. Each partner will prepare a training programme, which will be finalized and implemented with the approval of the project coordinator. Participants will receive Erasmus+ certificates, and the training materials will be published as open-access resources in Turkish and English.
Following the training phase, an International Addiction Symposium will be held in Sakarya, Türkiye, aiming to increase awareness and knowledge about migrant adolescents and substance addiction, while encouraging innovative solutions and strengthening professional networks for future collaboration.
Project results will be widely disseminated through social media and communication activities in multiple languages. Feedback collected during activities will support continuous improvement, while promoting global awareness and encouraging the development of similar local-level initiatives.