(28 June 2018) – Johannes Cornelis van Nieuwkerk, the founder of Refival, argues for two concepts that would facilitate the integration of refugees into the European Union: 1) the voluntary resettlement of refugees in ‘incubator villages’ in rural areas; and 2) the establishment of ‘universal basic employment’ that includes any service carried out by refugees for the benefit of the host community.
The incubator village concept would enable refugees to enjoy a better quality of life, to acquire through digital technologies the skills required by the labour market, and to integrate more easily into the culture of the host territory. Moreover, the countryside would benefit from the arrival of new inhabitants.
Settlement in rural areas would be facilitated by universal basic employment that would encompass the refugees’ overall contribution to their host society (usually paid work, voluntary work, community services, etc.) and replace the ‘passive’ social assistance that is currently practised.
Refival is calling on any person or organisation to join them and help implement this proposal as a pilot project.