Workshop about the access of foreigners to social rights in Slovakia: we presented the findings of the research project PACES and brought together policy stakeholders in migration and social integration

The research team of the Institute of Forecasting of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the civic organisation Mareena organised a workshop on November 13, 2025, in Bratislava named Experiences of Migrants from Third Countries in Accessing Social Rights: Challenges of Cross-Sectoral Cooperation in Integration. The event aimed to present the results of the international research project PACES- Making Migration and Migration Policy Decisions Amidst Societal Transformations and to connect policy stakeholders engaged in implementing migration and social integration policies and activities.

Researchers Lucia Mýtna Kureková, Lucia Kováčová and Jana Papcúnová presented findings on the lived experiences of people from the African community in Slovakia, particularly regarding access to social rights. They focused on the barriers that foreigners face in accessing public services and the factors that influence migration decision-making.

The event brought together experts from the public sector, local governments, academia, non-profit organisations, as well as representatives of companies and the African community living in Slovakia itself. The participants discussed proposals on how to improve and more effectively interconnect social policies crucial for the integration of immigrants from third countries, ranging from language education, health care, to employment.

The event was part of the project PACES- Making Migration and Migration Policy Decisions Amidst Societal Transformations, which examines migration decision-making processes and their relationship to migration policies in Europe.

More about the project can be found HERE.