Transnationale soziale Dienstleistungen
▶Summary
The free movement of workers in the European Union increases circular migration. People from Eastern and Southeastern Europe take up jobs in other European countries for short periods, then return...
▶Objectives
The free movement of workers in the European Union increases circular migration. People from Eastern and Southeastern Europe take up jobs in other European countries for short periods, then return to their home countries and start soon to seek further employment abroad. This circular mobility sometimes comes together with precarious working and living conditions. Temporary homelessness, unemployment, and work expulsion are accompanied by discrimination, stigmatization, and exclusion in the home and destination countries. The TSS project set the goal to improve the quality of counseling for the target group in two EU countries through capacity building of professionals. Transnational counseling will prepare mobile EU citizens for the challenges of labor migration and will improve their living conditions in the short and medium term. Parallel to the professionalization of migration counseling, the TSS project had the task of establishing a network for professionals.
▶Activities
2 hybride conferences incl. exchange visits of professionals : 17-21 September 2022 in Ruse, Bulgaria (7 Persons from Germany came to visit and learn more about the social support institutions in Bulgaria, see list attached) 13-17 Februar 2023 in Hamburg, Germany (7 Persons from Bulgaria came to visit and learn more about the social support institutions in Germany, see list attached) Online Workshops: 1st Workshop 'Human Rights and Social Counseling' (27 October 2022) 2nd -Workshop '“Counselling in Social Work' (9 December 2022) 3rd workshop 'Counseling in the digital context' (24 March 2023) Final conference One Year Transnational Social Services – Bulgarian-German Perspectives on EU-Migration (28 April 2023) Ongoing project evaluation: 'Transnational cooperation in the field of the mobility of EU citizens' (October - May) Website 'TSS' with member area for social workers in the field of migration counselling.
▶Impact
1) 2 face-to-face conferences: Due to the specificity of transnational consulting, two conferences were organized in Russe, Bulgaria and Hamburg, Germany with online streaming. Over 320 participants attended on both events (live and online). 2) 3 digital events: The participants had opportunities to deepen specific topics in the digital workshops. 2) A curriculum of advanced training for social work professionals to conduct counselling in a transnational, online context (1st draft), 3) Teaching/learning materials on social law, social policy, counseling methods, intercultural practices are produced, 4) A network with a digital exchange platform (https://tss-net.eu/): About 350 social workers and people interested in transnational migration counselling participated in the events. For those professionals with a continuing interests in the topic we set up on the homepage an area for registered users. There are 45 registered users by now. 5) Handbook: 'Transnational cooperation in the field of the mobility of EU citizens' (in German and Bulgarian). 6) Videos from the activities: see website and membr area.