Share SIRA Transnational Conference: “Strengthening and Expanding Social Orientation & Integration for Newcomers in Rural Areas”
Photo credit © Delmi Alvarez
This November, our Share SIRA transnational conference in Brussels offered a unique opportunity to gather rural grassroots stakeholders from different EU Member States to discuss recent policies, research and practices on migrant and refugee integration in rural territories.
On 23 November, we organised together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), our Share SIRA Transnational Conference “Strengthening and Expanding Social Orientation & Integration for Newcomers in Rural Areas” at the premises of the Committee of the Regions in Brussels.
The conference convened, both in-person and online, 150 members of our network, representatives of EU institutions, national authorities, mayors, civil society organisations, academia & Horizon 2020 projects, city networks, refugee/migrant-led organisations and grassroots stakeholders from various European countries, to discuss recent policies, research and practices. The one-day event was web-streamed and interpreted in several languages, enabling the participation of any party interested or engaged in welcome and integration of newcomers in rural territories.
One of the key themes of the conference was the link between migration and rural revitalization. In her opening remarks, Antje Grotheer, Vice-President of Bremen State Parliament and Member of the CIVEX at the Committee of the Regions, set the scene and underlined the importance of building inclusive and resilient rural societies by involving and taking into account the needs of all their members, including newcomers. She stressed that “it is key to leave no one and no territory behind”, while depopulated areas can benefit from the arrival of people and talents.
The first high-level panel brought together representatives of the EU institutions (DG HOME), national authorities from France and Spain and local authorities from Poland and European networks (ELARD). Referring to the current reception crisis in Europe, they highlighted the opportunities for rural territories to provide solutions, in particular in the field of housing, and to be at the forefront of the debate on migration. They did not overlook the fact that this requires addressing structural challenges and strengthening policy coherence, as illustrated by the words of Isabel Bombal, “we must tackle social inclusion from the rural policy perspective as well”. Rural areas can be laboratories of integration, providing concrete bottom-up solutions and inspiring each other, as well as fostering the engagement and welcoming of communities. As Marion Eckhardt, President of the European LEADER Association for Rural Development & Manager of Local Action Group in Sweden, stated: “It is people, not instruments or mechanisms that welcome newcomers”.
Then, ICMC Europe/Share Network and our SIRA partners – the Development Agency of Karditsa (ANKA), Entraide Pierre Valdo, Fundación Cepaim, IOM Poland, IOM Spain – presented the main outcomes and recommendations of the AMIF-funded Share SIRA project that was implemented in 2021-2022. The project has promoted participatory and multi-stakeholder approaches, and has piloted 10 actions for welcome and integration of newcomers.
Some of the highlighted recommendations for building inclusive rural territories were as follows:
1. Settlement in rural areas must be an informed choice.
2. The participation of newcomers and rural communities must be systematised and institutionalized at all stages (design, implementation, evaluation) of policies and programmes
Photo credit © Delmi Alvarez
3. Synergies between rural development and integration policies should be further promoted.
4. We must involve, support and resource rural communities at the forefront of integration efforts.
5. In order to foster social innovation and scalability, it is crucial to pilot, evaluate and disseminate place-based approaches for integration.
The afternoon sessions focused on concrete conditions and solutions for the long-term social and economic inclusion of newcomers in rural territories. The floor was given to grassroots stakeholders, as we believe that integration action and policymaking should be guided by experiences, knowledge and evidence from local communities. At Share, we strive to make sure that the local voices of those at the forefront of migrant integration, are heard.
The first panel brought two mayors from France and Spain, friends of Share Network, into the spotlight. They shared different reception and integration models in rural territories and positive experiences of how migration boosted the local economy, stimulated the provision of public services and revitalized their communities. As one of them, Vicente Gonzalvo, former mayor of Camañas, noted: “Each newcomer brought something positive to the community, making it possible for the rest of us to stay and live in our village, instead of being forced to move to the city.” They called for stronger frameworks to co-design solutions, provide equal opportunities to all rural residents and address considerable challenges in accessing flexible funding and investments to upgrade their deteriorating housing stock. They insisted that living in a rural area must be a choice and that there must be a change in the narrative of rural areas, to allow more positive perceptions.
Another important point made during the day was the great need for peer learning and practice, for increased political will to include integration policy, and to improve interactions among rural areas and other levels of government. The second panel of the session looked at ways to promote participation, networking and peer learning for rural integration. A key insight was that the isolation of small municipalities from national or transnational frameworks and networks hinders the transferability of practices and their access to knowledge. Peer-to-peer exchanges and participatory mechanisms that directly capture the needs, aspirations and recommendations of those affected by the local policies are crucial to this. Horizon2020 research results and promising practices such as city networks and local integration councils involving migrant/refugee communities were presented. The need for tailor-made solutions adapted to both newcomers and the territory was emphasised, as well as the value of hospitality and neighbourly relations, characteristic of rural areas, which are key to successful integration (access to housing, the labour market, etc.).
The conference concluded with a roundtable with representatives from the European Commission and the private sector on policy coherence and responsive financing mechanisms for integration in rural areas. Although rural areas are at the forefront of reception and integration, access to funding for small municipalities and local integration actors remains a challenge, as our recent research shows. Enhancing synergies between funding instruments is one way to address this issue; as Mátyás Szabó, Policy Officer in the field of Social Inclusion in DG AGRI at the European Commission, said “there is funding for social inclusion, but there is a need for stronger synergies and complementarities”.
Participants discussed tools and opportunities to boost integration action further, among which the tools offered by the new EU rural agenda (Long-term vision on rural areas and the Rural Pact) and the AMIF work programme for 2023-2025. The panel also highlighted the complementary role of the private sector in promoting social inclusion in rural areas and the continued importance of collaboration among the European Commission, Member States and the private sector.
Photo credit © Delmi Alvarez
Overall, the one-day conference, packed with interesting reflections, allowed policymakers, practitioners and researchers to engage in fruitful discussions, network, and exchange views and experiences with their peers from across Europe.
Participants exchanged promising practices to ensure that local views and expertise guide local action in a participatory way, which is the best way to share responsibility and cooperate among different integration actors: the EU authorities, the national authorities and local authorities, the private sector and civil society.
This is the very essence of the Share Network: to provide a platform for exchange and mutual learning for local, regional, national and European actors working on migrant and refugee inclusion. We connect local initiatives, share best practices and raise the voice of communities to inspire action and policy change. As one of our partners stressed during the conference, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.
Event Resources
Event Recordings
Opening Remarks
High-level Panel Discussion-Setting the scene: Promoting the inclusion of newcomers in rural areas in a changing EU migration landscape
Afternoon sessions – Building inclusive rural territories: exploring the conditions for long-term social and economic inclusion of newcomers in rural areas:
1. Mayors in the Spotlight: Developing bottom-up strategies for rural revitalization
2. Panel Discussion: Promoting communities of practice, networking and peer learning for rural integration
Presentation of the Share SIRA project outcomes and lessons learned by ICMC Europe/Share Network and our SIRA partners
Panel Discussion: Enhancing policy coherence and responsive funding mechanisms for integration in rural areas
Concluding Remarks