Many countries across the world have introduced community-led refugee sponsorship schemes, and together have supported newcomers to rebuild their lives and feel welcomed. To deliver this support actors have developed useful resources and learnt a lot of lessons.

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.

On 26-27 September, ICMC and the Canadian Embassy to the Holy See co-organized the hybrid workshop “Building the Future through Community Sponsorship of Refugees: comparing experiences and learning from each other”.

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.

ICMC Europe/Share Network and fifty civil society and Afghan diaspora organisations are co-signing a joint statement concerning Europe’s response to Afghans in need of protection and are urging Europe and its member states to respond appropriately and holistically to the crisis in Afghanistan.

Seven NGOs today launch a joint statement urging the EU and its member states to revive and scale up their refugee resettlement efforts, ensuring they are not rolled back or neglected as the international community shifts its focus onto the Ukraine crisis.

By allowing an innovative socio-professional integration project to be set up in his municipality, Alex Brichet-Billet has not only opened the way for a comprehensive response to the refugees' search for stability in terms of housing, employment, and social integration. He has also given the chance to find employment to locals and refugees alike, doing so paving the way to lively village life.

Ahead of the Extraordinary JHA Council Meeting on 28 March to discuss the EU’s support for people fleeing the crisis in Ukraine, Share and over 20 NGOs call on the EU and EU countries to put their commitments into practice.