In the second part of the workshop, Ahmad Wali (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) focused on integration of immigrants at the local level in Belgium, which is one of the countries involved in the PISTE project. He presented the structure of local immigrant policymaking in the three Belgian Regions and analysed the outcome of local policies in Belgian municipalities. In particular, his analysis of immigrants’ participation in immigrant policy was highly relevant for our project: on one hand, he pointed out that immigrants’ participation is important because target beneficiaries can better know what they need from policies aimed at them, but, on the other hand, he also noted that policymakers should not assume that all immigrants are expert in migration governance. This workshop proved that integration-stakeholders can be crucial in participation and incorporation policies and that local policies can have an important role in shaping their role, that is exactly what we are doing in the PISTE project through the organisation of local and European policy platform for the creation of informed immigrant policies and the sharing of different experiences.
The role of local integration-stakeholders: the workshop “Rethinking Integration”
Flyer of EMBRACIN: Rethinking Integration on a European Level
On 19th May 2022, EMBRACIN, ECCAR and the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) organised the workshop Rethinking integration: Integration-stakeholders at the local level. The session was opened by Caroline Damia, presenting the experience of FAMSI (Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity) and its cooperation with 150 organisations in Southern Spain. The fund addresses a variety of issues related to immigrants’ incorporation in this area and, in particular, employment policies, fight against hate speech and the promotion of dialogue among stakeholders and citizens’ participation. Caroline Damia presented some insights in their experiences and suggests some tools that could be also useful for PISTE aims of immigrants’ participation and incorporation, such as the use of neighbourhood cards as a way to deal with the issue of administrative regularity and foster immigrants’ local participation.
- Asylum Seekers, Belgium, Citizenship, Civil Society, Cultures, Education, Europe, Germany, Greece, Integration Policy, Italy, Local Authorities, Migrant women, Migration, New Generations, Policy Analysis, Political Participation, Reception Centres, Small-Medium Towns, Social, Unaccompanied minors, Work
Check out the AMIF-funded EU-Belong project
PISTE may be ended, but other AMIF projects still work on similar topic. One of them is the EU-Belong project for an intercultural approach to migrant’s integration in EU regions.
Febbraio 7, 2024
The PISTE White Paper is out
The PISTE final event was a big success. After its ending, we are publishing in Open Access the White Paper of the project to continue disseminating our results.
Gennaio 27, 2024
The detailed program of the PISTE final event is out
Discover the final program of the PISTE final event Experimenting migrants’ participation in small and medium-sized towns. Don’t forget to register for joining us on the 25th January.
Gennaio 18, 2024