PROJECT EU CITIZEN

Presentation Agenda

• Background• Mission and project ownership• crossroads output• Project organisation and network• Financing• crossroads activities• Client statistics and trends• Experience so far• Q&A, Welcome to visit us

All non-profit organisations that run daycentres in the city of Stockholm have seen an ever-increasing number of people from other EU countries during the last couple of years.

In 2004, social daycentres had hardly any non-Swedish guests. Today, the largest daycentres in Stockholm gets approx. 100-150 guests from other EU countries every day (approx. 80% of all guests).

Swedish citizens that live in homelessness often have psychiatric disabilities and/or issues with addiction. Foreign EU citizens often live in homelessness due to poverty and lack of employment.

Foreign EU citizens also does not have rights to benefits from the Swedish state or cities, as does Swedish citizens. They have a greater need for information about Swedish society and the special regulations that surrounds foreign EU citizens in Sweden. And this in their own language.

Both non-profit organizations and the Social Services of Stockholm have therefore seen a need to separate centres for foreign EU citizens that could provide the advice and support that this group requires.

BACKGROUND

Project milestones

• Conference in Tampere 2009• Preparations for ESF application May 2010• ESF application filed June 14, 2010• Nordic visits – building experience – August to

October 2010• Planning phase November 2010 – February

2011• crossroads start march 2011• crossroads relocation June 17

PROJECT EU CITIZENProject EU Citizen addresses the needs of foreign EU citizens and third-country nationals with permanent residence permits from another EU country that live in poverty, homelessness and/or unemployment in Stockholm for the purpose of counteracting economic and social exclusion.

The project will run an advice and support centre in Stockholm from 1 March 2011 until 28 February 2013:

The project will also work creating networks, co-ordinating resources and building public opinion while working for the inclusion of EU citizens.

The project is run by the Stockholm City Mission, the Salvation Army, the City of Stockholm and the Public Employment Agency of Sweden. Doctors in the world, the Red Cross, S:ta Clara kyrka, Citykyrkan and Ny Gemenskap are also collaborating with the project. The project is financed through the European Social Fund (ESF).

General advice and individual guidance

Basic needs support, i.e.:• food• shower• opportunities

for laundry

Facilitation of contacts to Swedish organizations, public authorities and private businesses

Competence-enhancing initiatives, i.e.:•translations of grades and recommendation letters,•volunteer-led courses in Swedish•Computer use•Employment preparation

Contacts with foreign organizations, public authorities and private businesses to facilitate a possible return

1 March 2011 – 28 February 2013

crossroadsUnit managerEU-advisors

Voluntary co-workers

Unit Manager

Stockholm City Mission

Steering Committee

Stockholm City Mission

City of StockholmPublic

Employment Agency

Salvation Army

Swedish Authorities

Voluntary co-workersPsychologists

Voluntary co-workersTranslators

Voluntary co-workersLawyers

FinancingEuropean

Social Fund

Embassies

Swedish organizations

Cultural or ethnic organizations

Landlords

Medical caregivers

Social rehabilitation

Employers

Labour union representatives

EU Advisors

Budget EU/ESF Project EU Citizen Crossroads

tSEK

2010 2011 2012 2013 Grand Total

Total Budget 400 6 786 8 196 1 958 17 340

EU/ESF financing 40% 160 2 715 3 278 783 6 936

Public co-funding 60% 240 4 072 4 917 1 175 10 404

Allocation public co-funding

Public Emplyment Agency 500 600 100 1 200City of Stockholm grants 3 302 4 047 1 030 8 379City of Stockholm allocated work time 240 270 270 45 825

Total Public co-funding 240 4 072 4 917 1 175 10 404

crossroads

INFORMATION AND SUPPORT FOR FOREIGN EU MIGRANTS IN STOCKHOLM

Background

Why Crossroads?

• due to an increasing number of EU migrants

• our target group does not have access to the social welfare system

• due to the lack of correct information about the Swedish society among

the group

• as the social services are not adjusted to our target group’s needs

Background

Target group

• foreign EU citizens and non-European citizens that have a permanent

residence permit in another EU country

What is our goal?

• to counteract social exclusion and poverty among the target group

Introduction

What do we offer:

• Individual action plans

• Various courses

• Swedish civic information

• Food, warmth and rest

Crossroads teamFive EU advisors and one unit manager

Our areas of responsibility:• Labor market and employers

networking• Culture and repatriation• Volunteers and participants

coordination• Healthcare • Gender equality• Course development and

coordination • Communication and website

administration• Statistics and documentation

We speak 11 foreign languages:

• Arabic• Armenian• English• Finnish• French• Lithuanian• Polish• Romanes• Romanian• Russian• Spanish

Information and support

Individual counseling/action plan meetings

Individual psychotherapy sessions

Juridical support

Informational meetings

Translation of documents

Activities in participants’

language

Activities

Courses:

• Foreign languages: English and Swedish

• Computer user

• Job searching

• Cooking

Discussion groups

• Discussion group for women

• Discussion group lead by psychologists

Basic needs and services

Medical assistance

Pedicure

Hairdressing

Two meals per day for free

Possibility for laundry

Showers and rest

Our volunteers

Over 100 volunteers:

• Interpreters

• Translators

• Teachers

• Lawyers

• Psychologists

• Chiropodists

• Hairdressers

Our participants

Nationalities:• Guests from 70 countries

Our participants

Gender:• 92.6% men and 7.4% women

Age:• Majority between 21 and 45

Our participants

Education• The majority are educated within

a trade

Professions• Top three: builder, carpenter,

mechanic

Feedback

According to our polls, surveys and verbal contacts:

Participants’ experiences:

• jobs and housing expectations

• civic information in their own language

• personal contacts with personnel and volunteer co-workers

Our experience

The great importance of language and cultural knowledge – volunteer co-workers and personnel

What could work better:

• Participants’ expectations

• Cooperation with some

embassies

What works best:

• Civic information

• Action plans/counselling

• All our courses

Next steps

Documentation, information distribution

Networking within Scandinavia and Europe

Project and material analysis

Method and concept completed

Thank you!

You are very welcome to visit us in Stockholm!

www.stockholmcrossroads.se