INVOLVIM

INVOLVIM project focuses on developing informal and voluntary services for work based immigrants in the partner regions. Through exchange of experience project's overall objective is to influence policy instruments in partner regions or locally in order to develop better services for immigrants. As a result of the policy improvements, regions can offer better help in integration of immigrants in order to prevent social exclusion.

The provision of services, especially by law and regulations, are quite often designed and targeted to persons, who arrive as refugees, asylum seekers, students or unemployed, missing out e.g., immigrant employees, homemakers and retired persons. The beneficiary group of this project are the immigrants, who are “missed out”, especially work based immigrants. They may be customers of e.g. some social or other public services, but not particularly assisted in finding wider support for their integration, e.g., advice for housing, education, hobbies and other activities or even language studies. Still, employers, education providers, public authorities, religious organisations and different types of NGOs have big potential in providing and developing different types of services for the end target group from its perspective and paying close attention to its needs.

Partnership consist of five regions across Europe representing regions, cities and one education institution. Partners are:
- Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia (Finland, lead partner)
- Municipality of Fundão together with associated policy authority Centro Regional Coordination and Development Commission (Portugal)
- City of Plock (Poland)
- Municipality of Litija and Education centre Geoss (Slovenia)
- Louth County Council (Ireland).