The 2016 EPIC research brief on Education policy responses for the inclusion of migrant children in Europe was presented at a conference on Promoting Migrant Integration for a Powerful, Diverse and Multicultural Europe.

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The conference, organised by Public Policy Exchange, took place in Brussels on Thursday 14 September 2017.

The 2016 EPIC research brief was presented in a session on Facilitating Access to Education and Labour Market in Host Countries. Other key speakers included the European Commission (DG HOME) and the International Migration Office (IOM).

The conference was split in four thematic sessions:

• The first session focused on Understanding the EU Framework for Migrant Integration, where speakers assessed the EU Integration Action Plan and discussed the current challenges and recent developments in the EU Immigration Policy. The Senior Regional Migration Health Advisor at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Migrant Health Division introduced the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) Project and analysed its health strand.
• The second session on Debunking Myths and Challenging the Perception of Migrants in Europe focused on actions to combat racism, discrimination, and xenophobia, including the role of the media in reporting on migration topics.
• The EPIC policy brief was presented in the third session, Facilitating Access to Education and Labour Market in Host Countries. Other topics covered in this session included the role of vocational education and training (VET) in integration initiatives, and measures to ensure equal access for migrants to the labour market.
• The last session, Best Practice of Migrant Integration at Local Level, provided overviews of projects on the ground, including the Regional Competence Centers of Integration and Diversity (ReKIs) programme in Upper Austria as an example of an initiative to facilitate regional integration processes.

The conference provided a valuable platform to share learning and discuss policy on the current opportunities and challenges for the integration of migrants in Europe.