IPS-partnered initiative empowering the integration of youngsters in refugee-like situations shortlisted for the 2025 European Social Services Awards

Recognising that the responsibility for adaptation is too often placed solely on refugees, overlooking the fact that integration must be a mutual and bidirectional process shared between newcomers and host communities, the REFUGIN project sought to engage civil society and educational institutions in building intercultural competencies and welcoming communities. 

Over a three-year period, ranging from 2022 to 2025, the project focused on fostering synergies within civil society and educational spheres to promote refugee integration by strengthening the capacities of non-governmental actors, particularly educators and NGO practitioners. Beyond supporting these professionals, REFUGIN aimed to achieve a broader impact across educational and community settings. 

Through innovative methodologies and diverse activities, the project has contributed to the development of more tolerant and inclusive societies, having successfully delivered several significant outcomes, including: 

• Created an interactive network with 93 members from 59 worldwide organisations. 

• Developed a toolkit with 130 resources in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French and tailored training materials for CSOs and educational practitioners. 

• Trained over 150 certified practitioners on best practices for engaging youth in refugee-like contexts. 

• Equipped 58 young people in refugee-like situations with a tailored course to address the challenges of forced migration. 

• Organised 3 active and comprehensive training events, each gathering around 40 practitioners. 

• Compiled a handbook of best practices on integration policies and organisational strategies across partner countries. 

• Implemented a comprehensive mentoring programme across 8 partner countries to support personal, professional, and social development, alongside frameworks for schools and NGOs to promote intercultural activities and inclusive communication. 

At the project’s final conference, held in June in Lisbon, Portugal, more than 50 practitioners came together to discuss the project’s achievements and explore how these outcomes can be leveraged to foster the sustained integration of refugee youth, particularly in light of the current European context. 

The discussions emphasised the importance of cooperation and networking, highlighting several core areas of impact: 

• Local needs and best practices: Drawing from various data-collection methods, several challenges related to integration (e.g. education, housing, mental health) were identified, departing from practitioners’ own insights. 

• Continuous capacity building: The project’s training approach was in the spotlight, with clear data on its impact on practitioners and youth. 

• Mentoring: Reminding that integration is about building connections, the project’s mentoring approach was presented, benefiting from the testimonies of mentors and mentees. 

• Interculturality: Showcasing how interculturality brings host communities with refugees together, the project’s newly developed frameworks for schools and for NGOs were presented. 

The conference underscored that sustainable change is only possible when civil society, governmental bodies, and educational institutions work collaboratively. It also reaffirmed that participatory, bottom-up approaches offer the greatest potential for long-term, meaningful impact.