Euromed public services meeting migrants project- New research

Welcoming migrants in the Euromed region: perspective of public sector employees

December 2012

This new survey was carried out as part of an EU-funded project Public services meeting migrants submitted by EPSU’s French affiliate CFDT-Interco (2012).

It looks at working conditions in migration public services (charged with work/residency permits) and health services in direct contact with migrant/ users.

It is based mainly on the interviews of 313 employees, of whom 75% of women, in Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal.

The research results were presented at the final project conference in Marseilles, 18-19 September 2012.

Key findings are:
- gradual deterioration of public services,
- very difficult working conditions, above all in the initial migrant reception services, including poor equipment, offices and infrastructures
- abuse of quantitative efficiency criteria to the detriment of a quality service to migrants
- lack of adequate staff training and information on migrants’ human rights and migration policy that is constantly changing
- conflicts with management and an overall climate of mistrust and deskilling of public sector workers.

The research is available in English, French and Italian ( more languages to follow)

The researcher, Raffaella Greco Tonegutti, carried out a previous research in 2010, during the first phase of the Euromed migration and public services project, which also looked at the views of migrant/users of public services.

The new research results will be presented next
- 5 février, conseil fédéral CFDT, Paris
- 14 February, European University Institute, Firenze
- 19 March EPSU/NEA conference, Kiev, Ukraine

SURVEY REPORT AND RESULTS - Receiving migrants:
a public sector worker perspective in the EuroMed region