(ANSA) - BOLZANO - A new initiative called the Interreg Italia-Austria EUMINT project aims to help refugees and asylum seekers find a job, effectively becoming full European Union citizens in all respects. The project, led by Eurac Research of Bolzano, involves areas along the Italian border in the regions of Alto Adige (South Tyrol), Trentino, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and the Austrian regions of Tyrol and Carinthia.

The project's objective is to face social, economic, political and cultural challenges together in innovative ways through interactive games, meetings with local citizens, and multimedia materials. In Alto Adige, participants include the provincial division for social policies, the Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), and the City of Bolzano, as well as other local entities.

The EUMINT project has already been selected for the Paris Peace Forum 2019 from among 700 projects presented by 115 countries. It is now also one of five finalists in the category "Combatting Inequalities and Poverty" of the European Commission's (EC) 2019 RegioStars Awards. The winner will be selected in a public-choice online vote on the EC RegioStars website, with voting through September 9. The awards ceremony will take place October 9 in Brussels as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities. (ANSA).