The workshop was organised in two parts. The first session, held on 26 March 2026, gathered institutional and expert stakeholders, including representatives of the City of Zagreb, Croatian Chamber of Economy, Croatian Employment Service, academia and organisations working directly with migrants. The second, participatory session was held on 17 April 2026, bringing together around 30 migrants and stakeholders from China, India, Argentina, Congo, Georgia, Ukraine, Slovenia and other countries.

The discussions were informed by research findings presented by CEPOR, focusing on migrant entrepreneurship among Ukrainian refugee entrepreneurs living in Croatia, as well as insights from Ana Budimir Župić from the University of Zagreb Faculty of Political Science on migrant employment and labour market integration. Additional comparative perspectives were provided by Jan Brzozowski from Jagiellonian University, who shared lessons from Poland relevant to the Croatian context.

Across both sessions, several key policy conclusions emerged:

Migrants in Croatia often face strong motivation, entrepreneurial potential and valuable professional experience, but their integration is slowed down by complex administrative procedures, fragmented information, difficulties in recognising qualifications, language barriers and limited access to tailored support.

A clear need was identified for simpler, more transparent and better coordinated support systems that would help migrants understand legal, employment and business procedures in one place. Participants also emphasised the importance of accessible information, practical mentoring, stronger links with local institutions, and support that takes into account different migrant backgrounds and levels of readiness.

The workshop also highlighted that migrant entrepreneurship should not be seen only through the lens of vulnerability, but also as a source of innovation, job creation and economic contribution. The entrepreneurial story of Yuriy Polishshuk, founder of Tesla Distribution, showed how migrant-led businesses can grow, create employment and contribute to the local economy when the right conditions are in place.

Through interactive group work and open dialogue, participants proposed practical solutions that will feed into the upcoming Policy Recommendations document, developed by CEPOR as a key deliverable of this work package.

The PRO-MOTE Policy Accelerator Workshop confirmed that meaningful policy development must include migrant voices from the beginning. When lived experience, institutional knowledge and expert insight come together, policy recommendations become more grounded, practical and actionable.