The EU Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion (2021-2027) and Eurostat data from 2019 reveal that 8% of EU residents were born outside the EU (around 34 million people). In 2019, only 26.8% of non-EU born adults (25-64) had high education levels. Dropout rates among young migrants (18-24) were significantly higher at 22.9%, compared to 8.9% among natives. Additionally, the risk of poverty or social exclusion was 39% for migrants and 19.5% for natives. Schools can play a crucial role in integration, especially for children and families with a migrant background. To foster integration, it’s vital to combat segregation in schools and promote interactions between migrant and native children

Therefore, the BuddyMigrants project aims to address the barriers faced by newly-arrived third country natonal (TCN) families in the project countries in accessing the social services (access to information, health, education, employment) as well as to contribute to creating inclusive environments that foster social inclusion, equity and equality, and that are responsive to the needs of the wider communities in the project countries. Outreach to TCN families can be done through education, awareness raising, and mobilization of school communities of which they are members.