Regional multi-stakeholder cooperation platform for migrant and refugee integration launched in Guadalajara
The regional platform is set up in the framework of the Share SIRA project, our European project co-funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, which aims at strengthening and expanding the social orientation and overall integration of newcomers in rural territories in Europe. Besides the Province of Guadalajara, regional multi-stakeholder cooperation platforms have also been set up in 9 other rural regions in Europe. Click here to find out more about these regions!
“This initiative is innovative and will have a very good impact on the territories. It is not the work of just one organisation, it has to be articulated and join efforts together”
Fuentelsaz, Guadalajara province - Courtesy of Fundación Cepaim
On 24 March 2021, IOM Spain, in cooperation with Fundación CEPAIM and ICMC Europe (lead of the SHARE Network) organized the first roundtable of the regional multi-stakeholder cooperation platform for migrant and refugee integration in the Province of Guadalajara, located in the Spanish Autonomous Region of Castilla – La Mancha.
The two-hour event took place online and gathered 26 stakeholders active in the reception and integration of refugees and migrants in the region. This included representatives from regional authorities and agencies, local authorities, political representatives, civil society organisations, international organizations, as well as several local citizens, students, and other agencies working in the community.
Adopting a multi-stakeholder approach, the regional platform aims at fostering cooperation, coordination and knowledge sharing between stakeholders involved in refugee and migrant integration in the region, as well as pilot innovative inclusive territorial approaches for social orientation and integration to foster social cohesion.
During the first roundtable, participants had an exchange on the concept of « inclusive territories » and its meaning. The participants went on to discuss ways to involve local populations in the integration of migrants and highlighted examples of good practices in the participants’ own municipalities and organizations. The roundtable brought about several crucial insights, including:
the tools needed for migrants to have agency (such as language support);
the importance of involving migrants in local community organizations (like parents associations, local associations, migrant-led organizations, etc.);
the importance of empowering migrants in their own integration; make them feel part of the community and value their contribution to socio-economic development;
the benefits of more spontaneous environments, which are led by other citizens, such as community gardens, inter-cultural clubs, etc.;
how migrant populations often represent a younger population in what are often aging local communities.
These conclusions contributed to creating a strong evidence-base on social orientation and integration in the region, which will help shape upcoming activities.
The stakeholders involved in the regional platforms will gather on three more occasions over the course of 2021/2022. You can find more information on the activities in Guadalajara on the regional webpage.