Presentation by JospehTixier, OECD Consultant, at the round table discussion on "Local responses to refugee crisis - From initial reception to longer term integration", 26 Nov 2016, Paris, France

1. LOCAL RESPONSES
TO REFUGEE
CRISIS
Results from the call for initiatives
Joseph Tixier
Local Economic and Employment Development Programme
Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development
26 November 2015

2. Timeline of information collection
• Call for initiative launched the 16th October
• In parallel, 14 interviews conducted with initiative
managers and experts
• Objectives:
– Collect information on what is currently implemented
– Understand the main success factors of initiatives
– Understand the main challenges faced by the initiatives
– What are the main policy actions needed to facilitate the
reception and integration of refugees ?
 ROUND TABLE

3. PARTICIPATION TO THE
CALL

4. Initiatives received
Cities / local
governments /
Public authority
Education
providers
Not-for-Profit /
NGOs / Social
Enterprises
Victoria – Australia
Arlington – USA

5. Types of initiatives
2
3
2
9
8
8
1
3
1
3
4
5
2
5
8
Integrated services
Raising awareness and public participation
Business start-up support
Housing and access to health services
Education and training
Labour market integration
Cities / local governments / Public authority Education providers
Not-for-Profit / NGOs / Social Enterprises

6. SELECTED EXAMPLE OF
INITIATIVES

7. Labour Market Integration and
Education – « Swedish for imigrants »
• Free swedish courses for imigrants
– Open to all migrants and refugees
– 15-20 hours a week for day courses 6 hours a week for
evening courses
• Additional specialised language training in Stockholm
for:
– Swedish for Engineers (SFINX)
– Swedish for Qualified Healthcare Workers
– Swedish for Educators (SFP)
– Swedish for Entrepreneurs
– Etc.
• Mutualisation of courses in the county of Gävleborg

8. Housing and access to health services
– SPRAR and CINFORMI
• System for the Protection of Asylum Seekers and
Refugees (SPAR)
– Network of local authorities which set up and run reception projects for refugees
and asylum seekers
– Dispersed reception programme
• A central service provides
– monitoring of the presence of asylum seekers and refugees in Italy
– creation of a databank with information on local actions for asylum seekers and
refugees
– support for the dissemination of information and communication activities
– technical assistance to local authorities, also in setting up services
• CINFORMI (Trento Autonomous Province) coordinates
the reception projects for all municipalities of the
province

9. Raising awareness – Barcelona « Anti-
Rumour strategy »
• Objectives
– Identify and analyse the main stereotypes and false
rumours
– Build a network of social actors committed to implement
a long-term strategy against stereotypes
– Design, implement and evaluate an education
strategy with the aim of consolidating the strategy’s effect
• Main outputs:
– Training of anti-rumours agents (12 hours)
– Catalogue of anti-rumours activities.
– Handbook for fighting against rumours and stereotypes
– Wide array of communication material (videos, leaflets,
posters, comic books, etc.)

10. Integrated Services - CNAI
• CNAI gathers all state services related to immigration under
the same roof:
– Foreigners and Borders Services (SEF)
– Social Security (SS)
– Authority to the Work Conditions (ACT)
– Central Registry Office CRC)
– Ministry of Education (ME)
– Ministry of Health (MS)
– High Commission for the Migrations (ACM)
• Cultural mediators guide migrants through the services
• Common processes between the different services are created
• All workers still belong to their respective institution

11. Next steps for the initiatives
Extension of the deadline to the 15th December
Selection of inspiring practices
Dissemination:
• OECD webpage
• Follow-up publications
Knowledge exchange