Integrated Pathways: Leveraging ESF+ and AMIF to Advance Migrant Labour Inclusion

The ESF+ Community of Practice on Migrant Integration organised a two-day study visit, ‘Labour Market Paths: Synergic Use of ESF+ and AMIF for Tackling Labour Exploitation and Vulnerable Migrants’ Integration’, in the Campania Region, Naples and Salerno, Italy.

This on-site study visit aimed to showcase good practices in the use of EU funding to promote labour market integration in rural settings, covering both seasonal and long-term employment.

Learning from Italy’s leading example and effective practice

Reinforcing synergies between AMIF and ESF+ is a key priority for the European Commission. In 2021, the Commission published a Toolkit on the Use of EU Funds for the Integration of People with a Migrant Background (2021–2027 programming period). The toolkit highlights that: ‘Member States should consider cooperation as a horizontal objective and adopt a multilevel governance approach. This involves close collaboration between stakeholders at different levels (local, regional and national authorities), including those addressing cross-border, transnational and macro-regional matters. This is also in line with the partnership principle.’

At the beginning of 2024, thematic experts from the ESF+ Community of Practice on Migrant Integration held bilateral meetings with CoP members who possess expertise in implementing ESF+ and AMIF funding. Therefore, the Managing Authority of AMIF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) and ESF+ (Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) in Germany, along with the Implementing Body of ESF+ and AMIF (Ministry of Labour and Social Policies) in Italy, were invited to share their experiences of combining ESF+ and AMIF funding with CoP members at an online event.

Beyond leveraging resources, combining EU funding enables implementers to address gaps often encountered when attempting to join complementary sectors or topics, and to respond to the varied situations faced by individuals along migration paths, ensuring a holistic approach to integration. The delivery method of these practice exchanges aligns with the current methodology adopted by the CoP, whereby knowledge is developed in building blocks to support the continuous expansion of good practice.

The topic of labour inclusion was central to the 2023–2024 Work Programme, and it remains a priority for 2025. Consequently, the Italian experience of combining AMIF and ESF+ provided a unique and particularly valuable example of good practice. The study visit enabled a more in-depth understanding of the complexities of programmes implemented through both funding streams. This stems from three full years of developing a governance model and testing methodologies for collaborative programming and co-design. The aim was to approach multi-layered labour integration while repurposing lands confiscated from organised crime.

Extensive research demonstrates the increased effectiveness of multidisciplinary approaches, particularly through collaborative teams and cooperative partnerships. However, the structured systems of many EU contexts often make it easier to work in silos or hierarchical frameworks. Therefore, the horizontal collaborative model observed by the CoP MI during the study visit to Campania facilitated meaningful learning and interaction with stakeholders from the perspectives of regional, national, NGO, and beneficiary bodies.

Through the Su.Pr.Eme and PUOI long-term programmes, the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and Sviluppo Lavoro Italia S.p.A. have successfully established projects to support people on the move who are in vulnerable situations. Both interventions, which often operate side by side, cover responsibilities such as identifying human trafficking, supporting person-centred inclusion processes (including health, legal, and psychological support) and intervening in cases of domestic violence, among other services. These projects not only constitute a complex example of financial engineering, but also represent a commendable investment in establishing principles that could form the foundation of a collaborative governance model from which all EU contexts could benefit.

Encouraging mutual learning and knowledge sharing through PUOI Model

The Panel Session on the PUOI Model was initially designed to systematically demonstrate how different partners work together to achieve the programme’s goals. While successfully fulfilling this aim, the session also revealed the human dimension of the project.

During the panel session, participants gained insight into the complexities involved in managing an ongoing programme for over ten years, which involved two Managing Authorities and, consequently, two systems, requiring coordination across multiple levels. Despite the challenges, the pride of the programme promoters was evident, thanks to the many positive outcomes achieved for a large number of people. The promoting organisations noted that, while their primary role was to act as a bridge between migrants and host companies by fostering skills enhancement to improve migrants’ employment prospects, they also learned from the migrants themselves. One project promoter remarked, ‘She showed us a world that we would not have seen alone,’ highlighting the importance of a two-way relationship and the trust and strong bonds formed through this programme. Also, a beneficiary stated that her work made her feel more useful to society and gave her a new perspective, adding: ‘Helping others was one of the biggest opportunities I had.’

In essence, the PUOI Model is about building meaningful connections and giving back in more ways than one.

Insights from the study visits

The study visit, organised by the CoP MI with the kind and dedicated support of the Directorate General for Migration Policies and the Social and Labour Inclusion of Migrants of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, aimed to showcase good practices in EU funding for achieving labour market integration in rural areas through both seasonal and long-term employment.

This was the first study visit for the CoP MI since its inception in October 2023. In addition to recognising the learning opportunities surrounding the complementarity of AMIF and ESF+, participants especially valued ‘getting out and seeing the implementation of projects’, engaging with the ‘ideas and implementation procedures’, and ‘meeting real people doing real stuff’ in their written feedback during the brief assessment session at the end of Day 2. Some participants cited the experience of ‘getting to know directly from the beneficiaries what they can achieve through the projects’ as particularly positive.

Further benefits reported by participants focused on the ‘model of cooperation’:

• ‘When various players co-design and cooperate, the results are ++’; ‘power of joint action: network and multi-discipline’
• ‘Multilevel programming of the project’
• ‘Having a mixed perspective between public and private’

The study visit offered a platform to showcase the powerful outcomes of ‘collaborative governance to influence and change public policies.’

The visits clearly demonstrated the real-world impact of EU funding when applied through coordinated, inclusive, and human-centred approaches. By bringing together diverse actors and sharing lived experiences, the visits reaffirmed the value of collaboration in shaping effective labour integration policies. The lessons learned and relationships built will inform future practices and strengthen transnational efforts towards more inclusive labour markets. Beyond technical insights, the visits also highlighted powerful human narratives, underlining the importance of dignity, cooperation, and shared responsibility in integration processes. Observing implementation first-hand reminded CoP MI members that meaningful change often originates at the grassroots level, supported by strategic and well-coordinated funding.

Conclusion

The two overarching objectives of learning about other EU realities and networking and exchanging knowledge on practices were both successfully achieved during this rich and fruitful first study visit.

As it was the first study visit dedicated solely to the ESF+ Community of Practice on Migrant Integration, one of the key outcomes was the opportunity to spend two full days focused on the subject, while also creating space for members to meet each other in person. Each session brought a unique perspective in terms of working methods and the areas of integration, inclusion, community engagement, and empowerment.

One of the most significant successes of the study visit lay in the open and frank conversations around the topic, particularly those shared directly by individuals working on the programmes. Rather than simply presenting best practices and identified challenges, the visit exposed the passion and dedication underpinning the implementation of such substantial programmes, along with the evolving obstacles and solutions developed in response.