MIICT

The MIICT project presented the final project outputs at the conference titled “Co-creating ICT solutions to aid migrant integration: challenges, solutions and sustainability.” The panels focused on co-creation methods, evidence-based field research in Spain, Cyprus and Italy, the technological solutions developed by the MIICT consortium – such as the IMMERSE platform – and finally, the sustainability of project outputs.

As the MIICT project came to an end, the project outputs were presented at a final conference that attracted over 80 participants from academia, policy circles, and civil society. In six panels, the conference covered different steps that were necessary in the development of ICT solutions for migrant integration. Speakers included members of the MIICT consortium from the fields of computer science, social science, law and engineering, as well as partners from the NGO sector. Furthermore, guest speakers from the sister projects EasyRights, Welcome, and MICADO also provided their input in selected panels.

In order to provide a wide-ranging exchange with key stakeholders, the conference included presentations by IOM, the Spanish Red Cross, UNHCR Cyprus, the European Commission DG NEAR and the Court of Minors of Trento. This goes with the spirit of MIICT, which is based on the ambition to contribute to pressing policy debates on migrants’ integration in Europe.

Conference program

The conference featured six panels which are summarized below:

Panel 1 focused on the co-creation methodology applied in the MIICT project. Dr Karen Latricia Hough, Sheffield Hallam University, discussed how ICT solutions can provide efficient and effective integration when they are co-created by developers and end users. The panellists stressed that co-creative methods can have a transformative effect on participating migrants, but they also come with challenges: The presentations highlighted the knowledge gap that often exists between project and policy designers and field-based practitioners. Petya Peteva, Law and Internet Foundation, also addressed the legal and ethical considerations surrounding the development of ICT solutions for migrants’ integration in this panel.

Panel 2-4 were dedicated to field research in the piloting locations of the MIICT project: Italy, Spain and Cyprus. The discussions demonstrated the importance to customize ICT solutions based on local needs. Insights from the field by practitioners (Spanish Red Cross, UNHCR Cyprus, Court of Minors of Trento) highlighted the diverse challenges faced by migrants and refugees during their journey and when arriving in a host country. ICT providers need to take into consideration local hurdles to integration as well as the bureaucratic frameworks and distribution of responsibilities between governmental, and non-governmental organizations, as well as between different levels of government (municipalities, regional and national governments) when designing ICT tools.

In Panel 5, Dimos Ntioudis, CERTH, presented the technological solution developed in the MIICT project – the IMMERSE platform. In this session, the participants were also asked to provide further feedback on the platform, to assess its usability in different local contexts. Furthermore, the IMMERSE platform was compared to an AI-based technological solution which is currently being developed in the Welcome project.

The last panel, centred on the topic of impact and sustainability. Tuomas Tammilehto, Laurea University, discussed the topic of how to measure the societal impact of the MIICT project. Theoni Spathi, CERTH, presented the policy recommendations drafted by the MIICT consortium and the sister projects, which are aimed at influencing policy-making at the EU level.

The full program as well as the presentations can be accessed on the project website.

Take aways

The conference provided an opportunity to get informed about the diverse outputs created in the lifetime of the MIICT project. The discussions during the event pointed to the continued need to support migrants’ integration in host countries by using ICT tools, and therefore, the ongoing relevance of the MIICT project outputs.

While participants from the NGO sector reiterated their interest in using the IMMERSE platform, important questions related to the administration, hosting and funding for maintenance and further development the platform were listed as potential hurdles in the uptake of digital solutions like IMMERSE.

Despite the end of the MIICT project, the consortium partners will remain in contact to develop a strategy for the roll out of the IMMERSE platform. A plan for uptake will be developed in cooperation with future administrators of the platform.

Links

https://www.miict.eu/miict-final-event/

Keywords

Co-creation, participatory design, migration, ICT, platform