How can we support better integration of refugees in our societies?

On 28 March, the new phase (2018-2020) of the Project “European Qualifications Passport for Refugees” (EQPR) was launched in Athens at the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs. It aims to develop the EQPR and its use further, in particular by testing online interviews and information storage and assessing secondary education qualifications.

The launching conference gathered around 70 participants including representatives of Greek authorities, Embassies, the UNHCR Representation in Greece, universities, NGOs dealing with refugee issues.

This phase of the Project involves new partners from Armenia, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands - along with the original partners from Greece, Italy, Norway and the UK - it will also target new groups of refugees. Through the use of online technologies, the project will be able to assess refugees’ qualifications not only in Greece, Italy and in the Netherlands, but in any participating country, widening the scope of potential candidates and reducing the costs. Finally, the involvement of EQPR holders themselves in the project, through a creation of an Alumni Network, will better prepare future refugee candidates for the assessments, help other EQPR holders to use their EQPR and help them to integrate better and more quickly into host societies.

The project “European Qualifications Passport for Refugees” promotes a reliable methodology to assess refugees’ qualifications in the absence of full documentation.

The European Qualifications Passport for Refugees helps public authorities and institutions by supporting refugees to be admitted to further studies or enter the job market in the host country.

For more information:

- Joint Council of Europe/UNHCR Press release

- Agenda of the launching event

- Presentation by Sjur Bergan, Head of Education Department, Council of Europe

- Presentation by Ms Chiara Finocchietti, Deputy Director, Associazione CIMEA

- Presentation by Ms Polyxeni Passa, Protection Associate, UNHCR Office in Greece

- Presentation by Sarah Keating, Head of Co-operation and Capacity Building Division, Council of Europe

- Presentation by Mr Stig Arne Skjerven, Director of Foreign Education Department, Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT)

- Presentation by Mr Spyros Spyros Syropoulos, Associate Professor, Vice Rector of International Relations, Student Affairs and Alumni, University of the Aegean, Greece

- Documentary "Imagine for a second…”