Inclusion of non-EU migrants The EU is home to 21.6 million third-country nationals, accounting for 4.2% of the total EU population. New migrants settling in the EU every year represent less than 0.5% of the EU population. Most migrants residing in the EU are likely to stay in the medium-term. Therefore finding a job and being included in the society is crucial to their successful integration. Social support such as access to housing, healthcare, and assistance for children is equally important. Challenges Worse labour market outcomes compared to EU nationals: the average employment rate of working age non-EU migrants residing in the EU was 55% in 2017 (against 68% of the host-country nationals). Wider labour-related gaps among women. Unfavourable outcomes in education, skills and social inclusion: 39% of third-country nationals (or 5.7 million) live in relative poverty, over twice the rate for EU nationals (17%). The reasons for gaps in the integration of non-EU migrants mostly relate to lagging behind in education, language barriers, discrimination, uneven access to employment and decent housing and social services, or mismatching jobs and overqualification in the case of highly educated migrants. Policy response While migration policies are a national competence, EU institutions have a long-standing record in supporting the integration of migrants into European labour markets and societies. Addressing integration challenges is a multidimensional process and requires integrated policy actions in a number of policy areas. Following the European Agenda on Migration, the Commission has put forward: The Action Plan on the Integration of Third Country Nationals, presented in June 2016, to strengthen the common approach across policy areas and involve all relevant actors, The Communication on the progress report on the implementation of the European Agenda for Migration (March 2019), which highlighted the need for continuous determined action with a comprehensive approach, Joint activities and efforts with the Member States, in cooperation with partners outside of the EU. Other measures The Commission: helps national governments, regional and local authorities, social partners and the civil society by supporting early labour market integration, public employment services, access to education and trainings launched in 2017 the EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals, an online multilingual tool to help identify and map skills and qualifications monitors policy developments in employment and social inclusion of these vulnerable groups through the European semester implementing the Europe 2020 strategy funds a range of measures for migrant integration through the European Social Fund, the Fund for European Aid for the most Deprived and the Employment and Social Innovation programme encourages and supports evidence-based policies, mutual learning, stakeholders’ dialogues and exchange of good practices among the Member States