IncluCities, city-to-city collaboration for better migrant integration
On June 17 the IncluCities with its partners on board will spread the sails and set off for a 2-and-a-half-year journey searching solutions for a better migrant and refugee integration.
Over the past decades, migration has transformed towns and cities across Europe. However, the integration of new arrivals for many still presents a challenge too difficult to tackle. Often unexperienced small and medium-sized cities with limited human resources and funding are lacking support to manage the diverse challenges on the front lines of migration.
To improve the integration of third country-nationals in these cities and to scale up efficient action plans from the ground into innovative policy solutions on integration at the EU level that will better feed the needs of local governments, the IncluCities has been brought to life. Eight cities and their national associations joined a project led by CEMR and funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the European Union.
On 17 June IncluCities will have its virtual kick-off with all eight participating cities accompanied by associations of local and regional government. A network with varying degrees of migration-related experience will start an exciting journey. The cities will be paired as mentors and mentees, whereas the focus of their collaboration will be defined by schemes, covering education and training; access to basic services; housing, active participation and social inclusion. The project is based on the identification of good practices, solutions and key factors that can help less experienced cities in carrying out concrete changes in their local integration practices with respect to an objective of reference.
Associations of local and regional governments play a pivotal role in this process by disseminating good practices from participating cities to other cities across the EU and to represent local voices in the dialogue with national governments.
If you are interested in learning more about the IncluCities project follow this link and stay tuned for the updates via twitter @InclucitiesEU.
