Migration Counselling 4.0

Due to the right to freedom of movement, immigration from other EU countries has been the dominant immigration trend in Germany for over a decade. The most common reason to migrate is to look for a good-quality job.

Several Minor studies have shown that newcomers in Germany use digital and especially social media as their primary information and communication source. However, the search for information and advice on these platforms is often limited to superficial, contradictory and sometimes misleading information, even in the case of serious integration problems. Despite this fact, conventional advice services are losing in importance.

The project started in January 2018 with the goal to effectively support EU workers in their integration in the German labour market. Newcomers are provided with proactive information and counselling offers in the digital spaces, where they normally interact. Simultaneously the teams counteract false information circulating in those spaces . A fundamental aspect of the project is the proactive counselling approach – we meet our target group and react to its needs in the digital spaces where they normally discuss questions regarding their orientation and integration processes in Germany.  At the same time, we are testing and evaluating innovative approaches to information and advice about employment- and social issues on social media.

The project operates in seven domains:

• Analysis of social media spaces and monitoring with a focus on migrants in Germany from the ten most common countries of origin in the EU.
• To provide proactive information and advice to EU workers using social media,  while enssuring the quality of information and its documentation.
• Design of innovative multimedia information materials.
• Development of information campaigns relating to the labour market integration process of EU newcomers.
• Establishment of an advisory board of migrant organisations and experts to coordinate between strategic decision making, outcomes and project planning.
• Regular organisation of high-level events and workshops with strategic partners, to address methodological and content issues related to the counselling and information work for EU newcomers and to facilitate networking and coordination.
• Creation of guidelines where all the project outcomes are included and are to be discussed as part of a closing event.

The task of the Office for the Equal Treatment of EU Workers of the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration and the Federal Government Commissioner against Racism  is to support EU migrants in the exercising of their rights, which have been granted by the freedom of movement for workers from the European Union in Germany. It also funds the Projekt MB 4.0 – Fair Work in Germany, which is carried out by Minor.

By offering proactive counselling and information, the MB 4.0 project expands the field of migration counselling for EU migrants. Additionally, Fem.OS advises female migrants from third countries, also in 10 languages, supporting the individual, social and professional integration of women. The funding by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration and the Federal Government Commissioner against Racism thus provides a broad and easily accessible range of legally verified information and counselling for migrants.