MMN International Meeting: Aims, Prospects and Synergy– Incorporating Members’ knowledge to the MMN future action plan

The meeting focused on developing an action plan to establish the MMN as a common reference platform to identify challenges, discuss solutions, generate new ideas and plan future projects and build the capacity of the MMN members to support the effective integration of migrants in the local communities. 

The meeting started with an overview of the Mediterranean Migration Network’s recent actions and a presentation of the MMN’s Steering Committee members, which include:

  1. CARDET
  2. OXFAM Italia, 
  3. ACIDI Portugal, 
  4. KOPIN Malta, 
  5. Centre for Ethnic Studies Lithuania, 
  6. Cameroonian Students Association, 
  7. Cyprus Ministry of Interior 
  8. Cyprus Anti-Discrimination Body
  9. MENA Representative (Upcoming)

Participants reflected at this session on the organizational structure of the MMN, the importance of establishing national focal points and the increase of active and direct involvement of its members in new initiatives at local and international level.

At the following session the participants, had a productive discussion on the challenges and needs of the migration and integration stakeholders from the EU and the Mediterranean Basin. Some of the topics discussed at this session were the greater need for lobbying in the EU to provide a workable definition of migrants with the input of civil society organizations and the migrant community. Other points debated dealt with the challenges and opportunities to create a workable and transparent collaboration between the public services and civil society organizations, ways to address negative stereotypes, and ways to increase the input of the migrant community in determining actions directed at them. Moreover, a challenge that was extensively discussed was the unbalanced burden of migration management between the North and the South EU member states.

At the final session of the meeting participants discussed and proposed actions and next steps to secure the sustainability of the network. Among the actions proposed and agreed are the publication of an annual eJournal with the contribution of the MMN national focal points, the administration of online meetings, the sharing of resources and information and the drafting of project proposals for upcoming funding calls.

The minutes of the MMN International Meeting are available here.