Share’s new policy brief builds on the research and work carried out within the Share SIRA project, which piloted place-based, innovative integration actions in small and rural areas. It provides an overview of existing EU funding mechanisms, challenges to accessing these, and advocates for improved access to funding for better integration of migrants and refugees in rural areas.

The Share Network and Entraide Pierre Valdo organised a Look & Learn visit in Notre-Dame de l’Osier and Grenoble (Isère, France) on 27 and 28 September 2022 to exchange best practices and bottom-up approaches for the reception and integration of newcomers in rural areas.

A leading example of regional engagement is the Auzolana (Basque for ‘Welcome’) pilot community sponsorship initiative that was launched in March 2019 to welcome five Syrian families in Basque municipalities: Bilbao, Arrigorriaga, Portugalete, Andoain and Vitoria-Gasteiz. The initiative is the first community sponsorship programme, organized and led by a regional government.

On the 6th of October ICMC Europe and the Share Network hosted the second of a series of meetings of its Refugee Sponsorship Mobilisation Platform. As the name indicates, this inclusive platform brings together a wide variety of stakeholders including civil society organisations, faith communities, volunteers, cities and regions, migrant-led organisations, universities, private actors and refugees - to exchange practices and develop strategies and advocacy initiatives to improve and expand community sponsorships under resettlement and complementary pathways in Europe.

Share’s new policy brief builds on the momentum of recent EU policy commitments and approaches for integration and participation in rural territories. It presents examples of inspiring participation practices and advocates for mainstreaming of participation for integration across the EU.

The Multifaith and wider community engagement in refugee sponsorship conference took place in Cologne on May 25, 2022. Organised in partnership with DiCV Caritas Cologne, it provided the opportunity for relevant multi-stakeholder actors to exchange and share best practices on broadening engagement beyond Christian faith-based groups, across different faith groups as well as secular actors.

The Share Refugee Advisor Workshop for Community Sponsorship took place on Zoom on the 25th of January and provided a platform to exchange and discuss best practices for meaningful participation of refugees. This preliminary workshop was organised under the umbrella of Share’s Refugee Sponsorship Mobilisation Platform which among its objectives, seeks to ensure that refugee voices are represented in advocacy at the local, national and EU level through the development of a Refugee Advisor Programme for Community Sponsorship.

In June 2021, the European Commission published its Rural Vision which provides a long term framework to revitalize rural territories in the aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic. Following up on the SHARE Expert Group Meeting on integration in rural territories, ICMC Europe and the SHARE Network co-hosted an event on September 17th to discuss the role of migration in the Rural Vision.

The SHARE Network, as partner to the CoR and a member of the Cities and Regions for Integration Initiative took part in the 9th CIVEX Commission Meeting on 28th September, 2021. ICMC Europe Director Petra Hueck highlighted the need for further multistakeholder partnerships, between regions, cities and local communities, under the horizontal priorities of the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF 2021-2027).

The first edition of the SHARE QSN Magazine