Four reports will be debated on Wednesday 28 June, focusing on the humanitarian and political response to the migration crisis, the human rights implications of the European response to transit migration, migration as an opportunity for European development and the integration of refugees in times of critical pressure, in particular:

• Migration as an opportunity for European development
• Integration of refugees in times of critical pressure: learning from recent experience and examples of best practice

The reports provide an overview of different national approaches to the integration of migrants in Council of Europe member States. They put emphasis on good practices which can be broadly used to succeed in engaging refugees in the daily economic, social and cultural life of host communities. They recommend, among others, that member States should:

• provide adult migrants with the necessary language and vocational training courses as well as a level of civic instruction which provides orientations for everyday life in the country;
• provide children with immediate access to appropriate education or day care, where possible including them in mainstream educational structures, provided allowances are made to minimise language and cultural barriers;
• promote inclusive societies by enabling the full and active participation of migrants in all aspects of life (for example, through the provision of opportunities for language learning for migrants, language and citizenship classes for asylum seekers and refugees, and the development of educational programmes in schools to promote knowledge of different cultures, languages and religions).

Related links

• Website of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Summer plenary session
• PACE news item & agenda
• Live web stream: the session will be streamed live on PACE’s website
• Twitter: #PACEsummer2017