This working group works to influence EU policies in migrant integration as well as share experiences between cities on integration governance

Our working group on migrant integration consists of practitioners from more than 30 cities. It works both horizontally, providing an environment for mutual learning on integration governance, and vertically, influencing EU policy on migration and integration from a city perspective.

Most migrants settle in cities, so it is important to involve cities in shaping and implementing immigration and integration policies.

Our working group aims to put into practice the objective of the new European agenda on integration, that ‘integration policies should be developed with a genuine bottom-up approach’ and to ensure that local experiences play a more considerable role in EU policies. 

Our Integrating Cities Charter provides an important framework for the working group. 

The charter sets out the duties and responsibilities of European cities to embrace the diversity of their population and ensure equal opportunities in their roles as policy makers, service providers, employers and buyers of goods and services.

It was launched in 2010 and has since been signed by more than 30 of our member cities.

Working group members have been involved in four projects on integration governance, with the most current, ImpleMentoring, running from 2012.

The working group also organises the Integrating Cities conferences, the last of which took place in Tampere on 9-10 September 2013.

Objectives:

• raising awareness of the importance of involving the local level, especially cities, when developing migration/integration policies at national and European levels

• supporting cities in improving their integration strategies, in particular in relation to our Integrating Cities Charter

• ensuring innovation in city policies on integration and non-discrimination through the exchange of experiences and best practice and through mutual learning on innovative methods

• influencing European and national policy making