(Brussels) Ten Christian bodies working in the field of migration, including the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), Caritas Europe, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) have published some comments this morning on the Action Plan aimed at supporting Member States in the integration of third-country nationals legally residing in the EU, proposed by the European Commission in June 2016. Although the EU’s intention to “establish a common policy framework” is praiseworthy, it must be noted that the Plan is “insufficiently linked to other related legislation” recently proposed by the European Commission. “Integration should have been a priority” and “must be mainstreamed outside from the action plan”, looking both “at the immediate impact and longer term consequences”. A list of suggestions is given which revolves around three points: recognising “the role of religion and faith-based organisations” as an “instrument of cohesion” that “has not yet been appropriately valued”, through the concrete proposals outlined in the document; “capitalising on civil society expertise”; and “ensuring effective implementation across policy fields”, starting with anti-poverty strategies, social protection, the labour market and initiatives and tools minimising the creation of “competitive environments which result in opposing migrants versus other marginalised citizens”.