The Regional Conference on Fostering social inclusion and integration of asylum seekers and refugees in the Western Balkan region and other CEI countries was held on 5-7 December in Belgrade, Serbia. The event was organised by the Asylum Protection Center and gathered more than 30 international, local governmental and non-governmental experts and practitioners from 13 different EU and non-EU CEI countries affected by migration and integration challenges.
More than 20 representatives of local authorities, international organisations, local stakeholders, presented a timely, exquisite platform for discussing and sharing challenges, experience, best practices, forecasts and ideas for long-term integration of refugees in local Western Balkan countries and other CEI Member States and their local communities.
The event paid special attention to local strategies and best practices in integration, to the role of social media and other venues of communication in breaking barriers and establishing links for interaction and for building dialogue between local and migrant population, as well as to how the concept of integration is influencing hosting societies.
Participants had the chance to enhance understanding of the disadvantages of social exclusion, investigate educational, labour, and other social inclusion opportunities and shape various media approaches to open venues for communication, interaction and closeness between the local community and the refugees.
This event was co-funded under the CEI Cooperation Fund.
