DEVMigra: Empowering Youth Workers to Strengthen Migrant Resilience

Migration has become one of the defining challenges of our time, not only for governments but for communities and individuals. The DEVMigra project responds to this reality by strengthening the capacity of young professionals who work directly with migrants in care facilities, community organizations, and migration centers.

At its heart, DEVMigra is built on the concept of resilience—the psychological strength to adapt positively to trauma and adversity. By integrating resilience-based learning into youth work, the project equips participants with the tools needed to provide psychosocial and emotional support to migrants, many of whom face stress, loss, and uncertainty during the process of integration.

Environmental change, conflicts, and food insecurity increasingly drive migration across borders. The UN’s International Organization for Migration predicts that by 2050, there could be as many as 200 million environmental migrants worldwide. This global trend demands not only policy responses but also human-centered support systems facilitated by trained, empathetic professionals.

Through non-formal education and inclusive training, DEVMigra aims to improve the competence of youth workers, promoting social inclusion and mental well-being among migrants—especially young individuals at risk of social exclusion. Studies such as “Stress, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Migrants” (2018) underscore the urgent need for specialized psychosocial care, highlighting that refugees are nearly twice as likely to develop PTSD as other migrant groups.

By empowering those who work closely with migrant communities, DEVMigra contributes to building a Europe defined not by division, but by empathy, resilience, and connectedness.