Immigrant's Entrepreneurship for Socio-Economic Cohesion and Improvement of Living Standards
The need for socio-economic inclusion of immigrants and minorities and the reduction of migration waves are challenges widely recognised throughout the EU. In the IMMENSITY project host countries and the immigrants' countries of origin are involved, because both have to face the consequences connected with immigration. One problem is that, compared to the rest of the population, the share of self-employment among economic immigrants is very low due to a lack in adequate skills. For example in Greece 25% of the people registered in the Social Insurance Institute are economic immigrants, repatriates and refugees. Of them, less than 0.5% are entrepreneurs. This signifies a crucial imbalance with impact on the whole local, regional and national economy. Similar figures can be found in other regions participating in the project. IMMENSITY aims at overcoming this imbalance by stimulating entrepreneurship with immigrants. One characteristic feature of the IMMENSITY project is the social and economic inclusion of legal economic immigrants and repatriates in host countries, with a specific focus on women. This should be achieved by stimulating their entrepreneurship and self-employment potential as well as by improving the standard
 of living in the countries of origin through the promotion and support of bilateral trade.