ARCI: lessons from relocation and resettlement

Established in 2017, the “Action of Red Cross on Integration of Relocated and Resettled Persons”, or ARCI, project set out to support the integration of refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the EU under emergency relocation and resettlement schemes.

Implemented through the German, Bulgarian and Croatian Red Cross National Societies, funded by the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), and managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the project sought to apply participatory approaches to supporting people who were newly arrived in the EU, with a focus on providing clear, useful, tailored information.

As well as sharing facts and advice in relevant languages and through appropriate channels, the ARCI project also offered skills and language training, along with support in accessing education, the job market and basic health services, and aimed to boost social cohesion by bringing new arrivals and host communities together for activities and events.

Research for this report was carried out in July 2019, as ARCI entered its final few months, to capture best-practices and learning to apply to future projects, and highlight key policy and advocacy opportunities to support refugees and asylum seekers, host countries and host communities.