JRS Kosovo, signed a partnership with Deaconess Foundation Finland on the project “SUPPORTING SOCIO-ECONOMIC RE/INTEGRATION AND ENSURING EQUAL PARTICIPATION RIGHTS FOR REPATRIATED AND REFUGEE WOMEN AND GIRLS IN KOSOVO”

As the first activity of this project JRS Kosovo participated in a Study Visit where we were able to see the best practices of integration in Finland. For 5 days, we had the chance to meet different institutions and stakeholders and learn a lot from their experience.

Day 1: The delegation from Kosovo composed by JRS, the Ministry of Interior Affairs and KRCT – Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims had the chance to visit the offices of Diakonissalaitos. We got to know the concrete work they are doing in serving the vulnerable groups in the society and also presented the work that JRS Kosovo in doing for asylum seekers, detainees and persons with International Protection.

Day 2: The delegation from Kosovo, had the chance to visit the Ministry of Interiors and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. We got to know the work that these Ministries are doing in the Integration process of foreigners.

Day 3: We visited Pietrasaari -Jakobstad Municipality. We had the chance to meet the Mayer, The Integration Port and the Employment and Economic Development Office.

We got to know the work that is done in the local level and we had the chance to meet Mr. Ismet from Vushtrri, Kosovo who shared his integration experience in Finland.

Day 4:The delegation from Kosovo met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland where we had the chance to present Kosovo context, the project on socio-economic empowerment of repatriated and refugee women.

We visited Hirundo Day Centre for Roma and other transient population where we got to know the services the center offers and we met also some of the beneficiaries there.

The next stop was at the Startup Refugees where we discussed about social innovations, integration and starting businesses and skills development of migrants.

Last but not least, for today, we met the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman and to close the day we had the chance to have dinner with a small group of Kosovars who are successfully integrated in Finland.

And the last day (day 5) of the study visit we had the chance to visit The National Human Rights Institution of Finland. We were presented with the role and the tasks of this Institution and the way how the topics of interest are chosen.

It has been a very intense but fruitful week where we received a lot of very good practices on integration process of migrants and some of them will be putted in practice during the implementation of our project.