Beyond emergency aid: long-term integration strategies for Syrian refugees

On 3 March 2016, EFD Executive Director Roberta Bonazzi moderated an event at the European Parliament on integration strategies of Syrian refugees, in light of the largest migrant crisis facing Europe since WWI. This conference examined ways that civil society, NGOs, government and the private sector can cooperate to address the complex needs of refugees. The conference was co-hosted by the Maya Foundation, Friends of Turkey in the European Parliament and Project Lift. The host was MEP Ernest Maragall of the European Free Alliance/Greens political party.

With more and more refugees and other migrants flowing into Europe, the refugee crisis has now become a transnational issue. Although options differ among various host countries over how best to deal with resettling refugees, it is clear that the end of the crisis is not in sight. Therefore, new strategies need to be developed that will help these extremely vulnerable refugees, particularly the children, deal with the trauma of displacement and forced migration.