Asylum Seekers and Refugees: New Tools for Integration in European Cities

The INTEgreat project has introduced new strategies and tools to promote the integration of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants under subsidiary protection. These were developed as part of a Strategic Framework for Integration, co-designed and tested in five European cities: Varese (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), Athens (Greece), Nicosia (Cyprus), and Limerick (Ireland).

Financed by the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and in collaboration with the University of Bologna, the project aimed to build a more inclusive strategy and ecosystem for the integration of migrants.

Morena Cuconato, Professor at the Department of Education Studies and scientific coordinator of the project, explained: “INTEgreat started intersectoral partnerships among various stakeholders and developed an innovative Strategic Framework for Integration. Municipalities, non-profit organisations, academia, general public and migrants worked together to develop guidelines, initiatives and tools for urban integration projects.”

Thanks to the expertise of partners from Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Ireland, the project actively involved migrants and local citizens to build mutual trust and a sense of belonging, highlighting the value of each participant’s contributions.

Intercultural events were organised to combat prejudice and discrimination, alongside sessions informing migrants about local health and employment policies. Training programmes were also introduced to strengthen migrants’ professional and transversal skills, while cultural training courses aimed to improve interactions between migrants and local communities.

Cuconato concluded: “A truly participatory approach, both at individual and group level, in co-designing, implementing, and evaluating initiatives for migrants, is an added value in the field of integration. Integration, meant as a process of mutual adaptation and negotiation between society and migrants, requires a holistic approach that takes into account both functional and social aspects by combining human and material resources.”