According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), cultural orientation is a very important part of a well-managed resettlement process that contributes to reducing refugees’ concerns and overall anxiety, while at the same time increasing their chances of successful integration. As refugee and migrant integration is a two-way process that involves both refuges and the receiving societies, the project aims to provide the young refugees and migrants, recently resettled in a new country, with the appropriate tools to help them integrate smoothly as well as youth workers/ operators opportunities to: (1) build their capacities and equip with the appropriate tools that will enable them to foster the inclusion and employability of young refugees and utilise effective methods to reach out to this youth group; (2) professionalise their work by developing their competences; and (3) set quality standards and define ethical and professional codes.

In order to achieve the project aims, BLEND-IN partners will develop a cultural, social and language integration toolkit in the form of a mobile application, orienting the young newcomer refugees into the hosting societies’ cultural and social realities and norms. As the majority of young refugees arriving in EU possess a smartphone, the orientation mobile application will be accessible by a vast number of beneficiaries and will be available free of charge 24/7.

The BLEND-IN APP, the main resource of BLEND IN project, is now updated and open to the public. Aiming at facilitating young migrants, refugees and asylum seekers’ smooth cultural and social integration in the host/ receiving community, BLEND IN APP invites you to take a glance and learn, find, go, do, addressing successfully your early days’ needs in the host society.
Don’t miss to visit the APP today. You may download it from Google Play store or by using the QR code below.

Furthermore, a Refugee Integration Handbook for Operators will be developed, focusing on key areas of a successful integration of young refugees and migrants in a host/ receiving country, e.g. understanding and setting ethical and professional codes when working with young refugees; empowering young refugees and enhancing their self-confidence during the initial stages of resettlement by providing them with accurate information about the host country; understanding the cultural and age profile of the concerned refugee group and communicating respecting this profile; providing young refugees with pre-departure and post-arrival cultural orientation based on the developed orientation mobile application; and promoting the mobile application in the context of their work.