A fulfilling profession is key to the well-being of an individual. Nevertheless, integration policies across Europe have not sufficiently addressed the sustainable labour market inclusion of third-country nationals. As a result, most migrants and refugees are either not allowed to work (sometimes for years) due to ineffective early recognition of qualifications and language difficulties or they end up in low-income jobs, making them susceptible to exploitation and discrimination.

The nexus of employment and migration is especially relevant for rural areas in many parts of Europe. On the one hand, rural areas are increasingly becoming destinations for both migrants fleeing conflict, but also those searching for a better life (“new migration destinations”). At the same time, they are affected by depopulation, ageing, brain drain and skills shortages. In order to unleash the potential of international migration to tackle the interrelated challenges of demographic change and the labour market integration of non-EU nationals, it is necessary to develop measures to not only support migrants but also municipalities which are overwhelmed by the challenges they are facing.

The goal of the MILEstone project is to address these challenges by enabling access to the labour market, providing support to migrants and municipalities, fostering entrepreneurship and encouraging life-long learning through vocational training. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to strengthen and develop public policies underpinning sustainable labour market inclusion of third-country nationals. The project equally aims to foster collaboration, intensive exchange and joint learning thanks to the variety of actors representing different geographic and institutional backgrounds. To achieve a fruitful exchange of experiences, members of the MILEstone consortium represent both new and established destinations for non-EU nationals.