Participation: Refugees & local actors
We advocate for the inclusion of newcomers and local actors in creating, implementing and evaluating welcome and integration policies and projects at local, national and EU level
How we enable participation
Partnership
We develop and pilot participatory approaches for newcomer integration in partnership with actors in smaller and rural communities.
Advocacy
We advocate for the inclusion of participatory approaches for integration in EU policies and funding instruments.
Capacity-building
We champion co-creation approaches for integration through training and capacity development throughout the network.
Participation: A triple win
Refugees & migrants
Participation gives refugees and migrants opportunities to share their expertise and bring attention to difficulties they face, and equips them with new skills and learning opportunities.
Organisations & authorities
Participation improves the effectiveness and efficiency of integration programmes, and promotes engaged citizenship for newcomers.
Policy & decision-makers
Participation aids the development of policy and funding frameworks that better respond to the actual needs and aspirations of refugees, migrants and receiving communities.
Share Refugee Advisor Programme for Community Sponsorship
The Share sponsorship programme uses a multistakeholder, grassroots and bottom-up strategy to build strong and sustainable sponsorship programmes that foster refugee participation, and ensures the voices, experiences and learning of grassroots sponsorship stakeholders are present at the national and EU level. While community sponsorship schemes have only been around for a few years in Europe, we see that the voices of refugees and local communities are rarely represented in the design, development, implementation and evaluation of the programmes.
To further develop community and multi-stakeholder engagement in sponsorship, the Share Network has developed a Refugee Sponsorship Mobilisation Platform which gathers a wide variety of stakeholders. As part of the Refugee sponsorship mobilisation platform activities, the Share Network has set up a Refugee Advisor Programme for Community Sponsorship to ensure refugee voices are represented in advocacy at the local, national and EU level.
Mayors in the spotlight
Local mayors are key and vital leaders in ensuring workable solutions for new arrivals and their host communities. Historically, big cities as Berlin, Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam played pioneering roles in this field. However: many middle-sized European municipalities, often in rural areas, also have longstanding experience.
Our series “Mayors in the Spotlight” aims to celebrate and showcase the leadership of local Mayors in smaller and rural municipalities across Europe, paving the way to a more welcoming Europe.
Integration happens locally, where people live. However, in Europe, wide disparities exist in migrant populations, available integration services, frameworks and community touchpoints.Migrant and refugee participation in remote territories is still relatively underdeveloped compared to larger cities, and faces specific challenges. At Share, we build partnerships across territories as a strategy to guide the involvement of smaller and rural communities in receiving refugees and migrants. Participation is a crucial part of ensuring more robust cooperation frameworks that meaningfully engage actors and stakeholders - particularly refugees, migrants and receiving communities, and regional and local authorities.
Small places, Great hearts
Meet the wide range of actors in small and medium-sized cities and towns who are using their own experience to promote and celebrate the benefits of receiving refugees, not only for refugees but also for receiving communities.
Ladder of Participation
Our ladder of participation provides:
A framework to situate current work on participation and assess the type and level of engagement and involvement it is producing.
A reference tool to guide the development of new participatory and co-creation activities.
Practical approaches that facilitate different types and levels of refugee and migrant participation.
Not sure where to start?
Read our 10 principles for Refugee & Migrant Participation
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Refugees and migrants are ‘experts of their own experience’, with unique knowledge and perspectives to improve integration programmes and policies.
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Ensure sustained and not ad-hoc involvement, wherever possible with all parties involved.
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Policymakers and authorities/organisations need to work directly with refugees and migrants to clearly understand their needs.
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Skills development and professional orientation will provide great support for migrants and refugees ahead of participation.
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Interpretation and translation support tailored to the language needs of participating refugees and migrants will help reduce barriers.
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Take a gender-sensitive approach to ensure the inclusion of refugee women and girls in participatory activities.
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Refugees and migrants are encouraged and motivated to facilitate training for professionals and volunteers.
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Be sure to provide support for refugees and migrants engaging in participatory work.
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Refugee/migrant participation as a core evaluation criteria for all activities, programmes and policymaking designed especially for them.
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Compensate refugees and migrants engaging in participatory work as sufficiently as possible while acknowledging the value of volunteering (especially for vulnerable groups and those without legal permission to work).
Taking action in participation
ICMC Europe Joins Global Pledge to Amplify Refugee Voices
ICMC Europe is proud to announce our commitment to the Multi-stakeholder Pledge on Meaningful Refugee Participation, an initiative launched following the 2023 Global Refugee Forum.
Expert Group Meeting on Participation (Dec 2021)
Topic: Participation of migrants & refugees in orientation and integration actions in rural areas and governance.
Rural ambassadors for inclusive territories in France
Our ambassadors are refugees, migrants and elected representatives from small and medium communities with first hand experience of inclusion and integration for newcomers in rural areas of France.
Webinar on Participation & co-creation for refugee & migrant integration in the EU (Dec 2020)
The webinar formed the first step of a renewed Share programme of work for 2020-23 focused on refugee and migrant participation.
Are you a refugee or migrant, and would like to get involved?
Curious about participation?
Contact us!