ODIHR launches Local Authorities’ Migrant Integration Guide in Prague

Innovative approaches, good practices and viable models of engaging diverse actors in the integration of migrants at the local level were the focus of the conference Cities, Migration and Integration: Challenges, Responsibilities and Inspiration co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Consortium of Migrant Assisting Organisations, the Association for Integration and Migration, and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, under the patronage of Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib, on 14 May 2019 in Prague.

Experts from the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Poland, Germany joined colleagues from the Czech Republic to discuss the role of local government in the process of migrant integration and participate in the launch of ODIHR’s latest publication, the Local Authorities' Migrant Integration Guide. The guide was developed specifically to assist local authorities. It offers an overview of key aspects of migrant integration relevant to local authorities, with the aim of enhancing knowledge of the issues involved and encouraging the development of more targeted policies.

“The successful integration of migrants is key to maximising the strength, vitality and innovation that migrants bring to local communities, thus benefiting society at large,” said Meaghan Fitzgerald, Deputy Head of ODIHR’s Democratization Department. “As much of the migrant integration process occurs at the local level, ODIHR's aim is to bring local authorities and civil society together to build partnerships.”

Other topics discussed at the conference included the use of participatory approaches to ensure the inclusion of migrants in the development of integration policy, multilevel governance aspects of migrant integration, and fostering co-operation between municipalities and employers for the purpose of labour market integration. Participants explored these issues in a series of panel discussions and thematic workshops.

Jan Braat, Senior Policy Advisor on Migration and Integration for the City of Utrecht said: “The conference was a great opportunity to exchange good practices on the integration of migrants and to understand how other municipalities overcome their challenges in specific areas. I was particularly interested to share our experience and hear how other cities plan and develop the evaluation of their integration measures and how they address the challenges faced.”