On Friday, 20 September, during the opening weekend of the Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture project, 55 students from the Secondary Medical School of Celestína Šimurková in Trenčín participated in the Destination Europe workshop.
Through an interactive role-play exercise, students stepped into the roles of ministers, a European Commissioner, mayors, business representatives and NGO representatives. As part of the simulated decision-making process, they discussed proposed measures, defended their positions and sought support for their proposals.
The Destination Europe activity helped students better understand the complexity of migration decision-making. When adopting specific measures, they had to consider not only their own priorities, but also the impact of their decisions on different groups of migrants, EU Member States and local communities. Throughout the activity, they saw that every solution brings both benefits and trade-offs, and that reaching a common agreement requires discussion, argumentation and cooperation. They also gained practical experience in negotiation and in balancing solidarity, responsibility and the real capacities of different actors.
About Destination Europe
Destination Europe is an educational and training tool based on role-playing for groups of 4 to 6 participants. Over the course of 90 minutes, participants experience a comprehensive decision-making process on migration policies involving various stakeholders with sometimes conflicting interests.
The tool was developed by the European Migration Network (EMN) and is aimed at youth and adults aged 16 and older.
If you would like more information about this educational tool or are interested in organizing a similar workshop and/or lecture on migration topics, please contact EMN Slovakia at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
