How does the AMIF work, and what opportunities does it offer? We find out from Ferdinando Santoriello, Coordinator of the Managing Authority
Migration: a megatrend that affects us all
About a year ago, we dedicated an insights into Megatrends, that is, to the major global dynamics, the great “driving forces” that will have a greater influence on our future.
One of these megatrends is the growing social and political significance of migration and the increasing complexity of migration patterns. The number of migrants in the world has doubled in 30 years, driven by the effects of international instability, conflict, inequality, poverty, demographic and economic dynamics and climate change. Migration – a phenomenon linked to all the other global Megatrends – is at the centre of political debate in Italy, Europe and the rest of the world. In some ways, migration is a phenomenon that affects everyone: both because people of foreign origin play an important role in the economic and social processes of our country, and because Italy itself is a nation of migrants. To quote the most recent ISTAT analysis, “Italy remains a country in which a very positive migration dynamic manages to counteract a largely negative natural replacement rate and in which the population continues to age”. At the same time, AIRE data records more than 6 million Italian citizens residing abroad, or more than one in 10 Italian citizens.
AMIF: a tool for creating prospects
Italy – and also Europe as a whole – is therefore, in both senses, at the centre of global migration patterns. Migration stories have always been stories of sacrifice. In many cases, they are stories of suffering and denied rights: the same rights that constitute the DNA and founding values of the European Union.
For all these reasons, for more than 10 years the European Union has been addressing the issue of migration with a dedicated fund, the AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund), managed through various methods: direct (AMIF calls for proposals managed centrally by the European Commission), indirect (delegated to international or national organisations) and shared, i.e. (in the case of Italy) through the AMIF National Programme, managed by the Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration, part of the Central Directorate for Migration Policies of the Ministry of the Interior. Most of the funds are managed in a shared manner, i.e. at the national level.
We have already talked about AMIF in relation to the Specially Unknown project, which was carried out precisely through the contribution of AMIF. From this story (to which we have also dedicated a podcast) we have come to the conclusion that the Fund, and the projects supported by the Fund, are tools that can create prospects for those who, like migrants around the world, are looking for them.
We discussed this with Deputy Prefect Ferdinando Santoriello, Co-ordinator of the AMIF Managing Authority: an opportunity to learn more about the activities of a Managing Authority for European funds, and the partnership opportunities offered by the AMIF.
Migration is one of the great challenges of our time. How does the AMIF contribute to addressing it?
First of all, let me say that I am very happy to be doing this interview. There is a lot of talk about migration in the media and in public discourse, in various ways, but little is said about the AMIF, which is the largest sectoral fund in Italy. A fund to which other actions are also added, managed directly at the European level. A fund that has been able to use its resources and that has recently increased its budget in response to the new European Pact on Immigration.
To give you some figures, the AMIF originally had a budget of 800–900 million euros. In December , a new version of the AMIF National Programme was approved, which brought the Fund to more than 1.5 billion, half from national sources, half from EU sources. 95% of the Funds had already been committed, and now we are working to make the best use of the new allocation as well.
The needs are obviously enormous, but the AMIF National Programme is making its contribution to addressing them. The AMIF has a very specific focus: regular migration and the protection of asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors and people in vulnerable situations. It addresses that part of the migration situation that is perhaps less visible, but more in need of support.
Our first objective, which accounts for more than 50% of the AMIF’s activity and resources, is dedicated to the issue of asylum and concerns the effectiveness of procedures for granting international protection, the reception of unaccompanied foreign minors and health, social and economic support for refugees.
Our second objective, which accounts for about 30%, is dedicated to the integration of regular migrants and includes language training services, educational inclusion, social and labour inclusion, as well as the qualification of public services aimed at foreigners.
We also support repatriation measures, to ensure new safe and dignified life paths in the country of origin, and solidarity measures, to improve the legal channels of entry and reception for people in need of international protection.
Even with the Fund’s large budget, these are huge challenges. What specifically does your work consist of, and what changes with the new European Pact on Immigration?
The areas in which the AMIF works most directly are the reception of unaccompanied foreign minors, training (linguistic and otherwise), psychological and health care, housing needs and integration into the labour market. The AMIF also provides assistance and support to asylum seekers and to the organisations responsible for processing their applications, by providing interpreters and experts.
The AMIF addresses all the basic needs of asylum seekers. These are very diverse areas in which it is not possible to work in isolation.
The programme’s key role is to focus on building capacity, establishing networks and creating forums capable of bringing focus and coherence to initiatives that would otherwise lack them. The aim is to bring together all those “points” – comprising prefectures, agencies and regional administrations, local authorities, universities, experts, practitioners and civil society organisations – which, without the support of the AMIF, would find it difficult to work with the same level of coordination and effectiveness. It also involves coordinating the efforts of no fewer than six ministries: the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Universities, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, each within its respective area of competence.The new European Pact on Immigration and the increase in funding for our Programme certainly give new impetus to our work. The fact that 95% of the funds had already been committed by the end of last year is an indication of the scale of the needs to which the Fund must respond. We hope that this will be taken into account in the current debate on the new 2028–2034 project cycle.
In many cases, the new resources will be used to strengthen, expand and complete existing actions. With the new Pact, we have committed to expanding the capacity of reception services, improving administrative procedures relating to asylum and strengthening our work in the field of linguistic mediation.
Therefore, one of the major challenges facing the AMIF is to establish partnerships, bringing together different sectors and involving all stakeholders.
That’s absolutely right. Let’s start with the resources: EU funds are used in a supplementary and complementary capacity. Let me give an example: within the reception system, targeted services for vulnerable groups – such as unaccompanied foreign minors or people with mental or physical health conditions – were not effectively provided. These services were subsequently launched with funding from the AMIF. And the new resources entrusted to the AMIF National Programme have been directed towards meeting needs that would otherwise not be addressed, prioritising the qualification of services and the protection of the most vulnerable target groups. The coordination of resources does not stop there. The national fund for asylum policies and services, the European funds for social cohesion policy, the emergency measures and the instruments offered by the PNRR also contribute to the activities of the AMIF.
Partnership and coordination are also the main aspects of our work. Our operational priorities are – on the one hand – to promote uniformity and qualification in the provision of services for migrants, through common standards: in the monitoring of reception centres, in language training, and in the pathways to autonomy after leaving reception centres. On the other hand, to consolidate, expand and structure the most successful interventions: for example, in the area of health care for migrants in the reception system and job guidance services. We therefore have the difficult task, together with the institutions and operators in the sector, of defining, developing and then redefining the standards for the reception of migrants.
In fact, the main objective of our new planning has been defined as follows: “to strengthen the intervention networks of the migration policy management system, connecting the relevant services, improving and standardising, at the national level, the capacity of public offices to respond to the needs expressed by migrants, and providing for the direct involvement of third-country nationals”.
As our work also includes this aspect: consolidating the channels for listening to and actively involving migrants, in order to co-plan interventions with the final recipient at the centre. We recognise this as the main parameter in the design of initiatives and in the verification of results.
It’s a very good idea. Do you have an example of how you were able to achieve it?
Third-country nationals are involved in our working groups and activities. Their role is crucial in practical terms when it comes to reaching out to and informing migrant communities across the region, in order to identify those most in need of help and support. Several Prefectures (which often operate as lead partners in AMIF projects) have interesting activities in this regard.
For example, the Prefecture of Avellino has created a simple and effective communication tool. The tool includes, first of all, a QR Code, widely distributed, linked to an anonymous questionnaire, designed to identify the basic needs of migrants. The tool then offers a series of videos with simple and effective information on the specific needs that emerge from the questionnaire: how to enter a flow decree, how to arrange family reunification, how to obtain a residence permit for work, etc. Each video features a member of the user’s community of reference, addresses them in their own language and thus deals with the problems that emerge from the questionnaire. Even very serious and sensitive problems, which are difficult to talk about through other channels, such as that of women who are victims of trafficking.
How do you collaborate with the non-profit world, with Third Sector organisations and with civil society?
Partnership and co-planning with the various components of civil society are fundamental to our work. In particular, on the most complex and sensitive issues, such as in situations of trafficking, unaccompanied minors or asylum seekers with protection issues, undeclared work or illegal hiring, or when it comes to taking action to find employment or accommodation for asylum seekers, it is precisely the Third Sector organisations and local administrations that have widespread contact with the regions and can help us.
Many of our projects are primarily aimed (as lead partners) at the Prefectures and administrations, but they are almost always co-designs involving a variety of stakeholders, for which we publish specific co-design notices. We also directly fund projects for Third Sector organisations. On our website, there is a page dedicated to public notices, one with the calendar of notices, one with news and updates on the subject, as well as a portal dedicated to the submission and management of projects, AMIF 2.0, which is also accessible to non-profit organisations via SPID.
Our collaboration with civil society includes a leading role for universities, which support all the part of our work that concerns language training, in coordination with the Initial Reception Centres. Collaboration with lawyers and legal experts has enabled us to speed up the time it takes to grant citizenship. This collaboration has led, for example, to the creation of Polo Orienta, a call centre dedicated to providing information support for third-country nationals applying for citizenship. The work of Polo Orienta has allowed us to more effectively identify problems in citizenship applications that have already been submitted, to prevent them through pre-investigation activities, and to support the relevant offices in the back office, significantly helping to speed up the process.
There is also strong collaboration with the profit world: companies and business associations are interested in promoting legal entry for the purpose of job placement, particularly from countries with a strong tradition in certain production sectors. This is a promising frontier that can be applied to various sectors and can promote a positive model of integration.
