Regional multi-stakeholder cooperation platform for migrant and refugee integration launched in Saône-et-Loire
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 Saône-et-Loire, 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!
On 1 July 2021, Association Entraide Pierre Valdo and ICMC Europe, lead of the SHARE Network, organized the first roundtable of the regional multi-stakeholder cooperation platform for migrant and refugee integration of Saône-et-Loire, a department located in the French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
The two-and half-hour event took place online and gathered 23 stakeholders active in the reception and integration of newly arrived refugees and migrants in the region. This included regional authorities and agencies, local authorities, mainstream service providers (such as training providers), numerous civil society organisations, as well as a few migrants and refugees.
Adopting a multi-stakeholder approach, the regional platform aims at fostering cooperation, coordination and knowledge sharing between these various stakeholders, as well as pilot innovative inclusive territorial approaches for social orientation and integration to foster social cohesion in Saône-et-Loire.
During the first roundtable, participants learned about the project, its objectives and foreseen activities, including the training needs and offer and the pilot actions. Stakeholders also exchanged on migrant and refugee orientation and integration frameworks and practices in the region, and jointly reflected on the meaning of “inclusive territories”. They stressed the importance of networks and coordination between stakeholders working with migrants and refugees to improve social orientation, integration and overall social cohesion. Participants also identified challenges for the provision of orientation and integration activities for newcomers, pointing out - for example - that mobility can be an issue in the rural region, as well as constraints faced by public authorities. However, the discussion allowed to put in perspective these constraints and to balance them with the opportunities provided by rural areas, where proximity facilitates a more continuous dialogue between NGOs, local actors and volunteers, ultimately benefitting asylum seekers and refugees.
These conclusions from the first roundtable contributed to creating a strong evidence-base on social orientation and integration in the region, which will help shape upcoming activities. Finally, participants also discussed upcoming opportunities in terms of regional training and the launch of the call for proposals for pilot actions with a co-design approach.
The stakeholders involved in the regional platforms will gather on three more occasions over the course of 2021/2022. You can stay updated on all the activities in Saône-et-Loire by visiting the regional webpage.