On 30 September 2025, the first EPIC-UP Policy Lab took place online, bringing together over 50 participants from across Europe. Organised by KMOP with the support of AEIDL and ALDA, the session explored emergency mechanisms for migrant integration: how local, national, and European actors can prepare for and respond effectively to migration-related crises. This Policy Lab is part of the wider EPIC-UP project, which aims to improve the integration and inclusion of migrants through Communities of Practice (CoPs) in six partner countries: Greece, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, and Poland.
Drawing on EPIC-UP desk research and consultations, Georgia Alexandrou (KMOP) presented a state-of-the-art overview of emergency mechanisms. She outlined existing EU tools such as rapid-deployment grants, the Temporary Protection Directive, and high-level crisis coordination, while highlighting recurrent gaps across partner countries. These include political tensions between national and regional authorities, limited local capacity, housing shortages, and unclear responsibilities. She underlined that effective responses depend less on well-written plans and more on political will, multi-level governance, and sustainable resources. Without these, emergencies risk becoming the “new normal” and, in some cases, legal frameworks may even be repurposed to restrict rights rather than protect them.
Expert perspectives
From unpreparedness to ultra-conformity
Nikos Alexiou, consultant to the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, opened the expert session. He reflected on lessons from 2015 and warned that the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, while designed to ensure preparedness, risks creating fragility by imposing overly rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions.
Migration flows are unpredictable, he argued, and systems need flexibility to adapt. He suggested that the EU should encourage decentralised experimentation, redundancy of support systems, flexibility in solidarity mechanisms, and stronger ownership by national and local authorities. Without this, responses may look robust on paper but collapse when funding or political support shifts.
Building inclusive emergency systems
Efthymis Antonopoulos, Policy and Advocacy Lead at Victim Support Europe, addressed the needs of migrant victims of crime. He noted that crises often amplify risks such as trafficking, gender-based violence, labour exploitation, and hate crime. Yet victims face major barriers in reporting and accessing protection, especially when their status is insecure.
He called for status-neutral services, safe reporting mechanisms, and clear referral pathways between asylum systems and victim support. Frontline responders must be trained to identify and assist victims, and migrant voices should be included in the design and evaluation of emergency responses. According to him, inclusive systems not only protect rights but also support long-term integration by building trust and resilience.
Lessons from Spain
Valeria Méndez de Vigo, from Fundación Cepaim in Spain, presented three contrasting case studies: the reception of people fleeing Ukraine, the evacuation of Afghans under the Antígona operations, and the ongoing situation in the Canary Islands.
- Ukraine: Nearly 240,000 people received protection in Spain, supported by CREADE one-stop centres which issued documents and provided referrals within 24 hours. Strong social mobilisation and positive media coverage reinforced this response. Within the first year, around 40,000 children and young people were included in education programmes, though housing and employment remain key challenges. Temporary protection under the TPD has been extended until 2026, but a stable long-term status will be required for those unable to return.
- Afghanistan: More than 4,000 people were evacuated through legal pathways and referred into the asylum system. Coordination worked well, but difficulties with housing, jobs, and prospects persist.
- Canary Islands: Nearly 47,000 arrivals in 2024, including over 5,700 unaccompanied minors, created overcrowding and tensions. Negative narratives in media fuelled hostility, and limited capacity turned emergency into a chronic condition.
Her conclusion was clear: emergency mechanisms must not become permanent. Rapid action must go hand in hand with long-term policies on housing, employment, education, and legal stability.
Exploring challenges and solutions
The Policy Lab combined desk research and consultations with experts and policymakers, followed by an interactive online session. The session featured presentations by the EPIC-UP project team and three invited experts, setting the stage for two breakout discussions and a final plenary exchange.
In the breakout rooms, participants explored key challenges, good practices, and possible policy recommendations. Across both groups, several recurring gaps and challenges emerged, including:
- Lack of coordination between authorities and unclear roles.
- Housing shortages and poor-quality accommodation.
- Bureaucracy, short-term funding, and political shifts affecting responses.
- Limited involvement of migrants and migrant-led organisations.
- Vulnerable groups —such as women, children, and victims of trafficking— often overlooked.
At the same time, participants highlighted a number of good practices, such as:
- Spain’s Guide of Good Practices for the Care of Migrant Children.
- Local coordination hubs and municipal integration centres in Germany.
- Repurposing buildings for housing.
- NGO innovations later adopted by states, such as the guardianship programme in Greece.
Recommendations converged around four pillars:
- Institutionalise coordination with clear mandates for all actors.
- Ensure migrant participation in designing policies and services.
- Link emergency measures to long-term integration, especially in housing and jobs.
- Invest in digital tools, cultural mediators, and structured volunteer or mentoring schemes.
Next steps
The outcomes of this first Policy Lab will feed into the drafting of policy briefs and recommendations. Two further Policy Labs are planned: one on urban–rural linkages in integration and another on migration narratives.
The next Lab will take place in March 2026 in Brussels, offering an opportunity to continue the exchange in person.
Watch here the recording: EPIC-UP Policy Lab: Emergency mechanisms for migrant integration