The role of the territory
for the reception and management
of asylum seekers and migrants
Ugo Poli – CEI Focal Point Migrations - Project Manager
INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES FOR INTER-MUNICIPAL COOPERATION
by initiative of the Council of Europe, ISIG & Friuli Venezia Giulia Region
Trieste, 13 December 2016
Membership and Geopolitical Context 1
 18 Member States with total population of over 250 million
 Established in November 1989
by initiative of Italy, Austria, Hungary and former FRY
 Today different status versus the European Union:
• 10 EU members
• 4 candidates (Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia)
• 1 potential candidate (Bosnia & Herzegovina, current CiO)
• 3 Eastern partner countries (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine)
 Main EU Policies within the CEI constituency:
• Enlargement Policy (Western Balkans)
• European Neighbourhood Policy (Eastern Europe)
• Regional/Cohesion Policy (ETC goal)
2
Membership and Geopolitical context 2
 EU Macro-regional Strategies (MRS) involving CEI MS
> Baltic (2)
> Danube (13)
> Adriatic-Ionian (7)
> Alpine (3)
The CEI is in a special position
to support MRS implementation and stock-tacking.
The CEI vision and action plan for the support of MRS
approved in November 2014 envisages action at three
possible levels:
• Level 1 > Bridging Macro-regions
• Level 2 > Focus WB Enlargement
• Level 3 > MRS connected implementation
2
Mission and
methodology
 Main institutional mission:
> regional cooperation
for European integration
 Methodology:
> multilateral diplomacy
and project generation support
The support to the multilateral dialogue is enhanced
by a strong project-oriented approach
both as a donor and as a beneficiary
> funding and fund-raising
> projects elaboration and management
3
Mission and
methodology
The sample of the CEI Focal Point Migrations (FPM)
> June 2015 – Mandate of the CEI MFA meeting in Ohrid
> August 2015 – CEI Cooperation Fund Extraordinary Call
> November 2015 – Beneficiaries selection
> December 2015 – CEI co-financed campaign starting
Fifteen initiatives rallying together stakeholders dealing with
migration challenges, who never spoke together in advance.
Events taking place in Macedonia, Ukraine, Italy, Albania,
Slovenia, Serbia, Moldova, Austria and Sweden, the latter
organized by CBSS & CEI ES in the framework of MoU.
A new transnational network is promoted by the CEI FPM.
3
CEI Governing Structure
Governmental Dimension
Summit of the Prime Ministers
Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting
Committee of the National Coordinators (6 in a year)
National Focal Points (by sector)
Parliamentary Dimension
Business Dimension
CEI of the Regions (going to be established)
Executive Secretariat in Trieste
Office for the CEI Fund at the EBRD
6
CEI Plan of Action 2014 – 2016
Strategic Objectives
 Support CEI Member States on their path towards European integration
 Promote alignment of CEI Member States to EU standards
 Implement small and medium-sized projects
 Convert constructive ideas into innovative results
Measures
 Structural strengthening
 Reinforce institutional links with the EU and other international and
regional organisations
 Attract public and private funds
 Enhance CEI visibility and capitalisation on achievements
7
CEI Instruments
The CEI is both a donor (of its own resources mostly provided by
Italy) and a beneficiary (of EU funds).
Cooperation Fund
Donor
CEI Fund at the EBRD
CEI
Know-how Exchange
Progranmme
Benefiary
EU Projects
Science and
Technology
Network
Networking
Universities
Networks of Focal
Points
Other sectoral
networks
8
The CEI Cooperation Fund
Financed by all Member States, CEI CF supports seminars,
workshops, conferences, training courses thus promoting the
transnational mobility of CEI stakeholders and international
organizations, bringing together people from the CEI MS.
Since its inception in 2002 the Cooperation Fund means:
• over 900 cooperation activities co-financed
• about € 10 million for an overall value of about € 60 million
• every year 5,000 estimated participants taking part in the
events co-financed by the CEI Cooperation Fund
To apply http://www.cei.int/content/cooperation-activities
9
Local Authorities
and Migrations 1
The role of the territory
for the reception & management of asylum seekers & migrants
Managing migration and displacement effectively
is important in poverty alleviation, gender empowerment,
education and livelihoods
thus providing service delivery for all,
including for migrants, returnees and refugees.
Resilient municipal planning
and long-term development solutions
depends from local governance,
active citizens participation
inclusive of women & vulnerable groups.
10
Local Authorities
and Migrations 2
The role of the territory
The recent migration crisis and population flows
provide an opportunity to evaluate the resilience
of involved municipalities and communities.
Migration and displacement are not new phenomena.
The arrival of vulnerable people to already under-resourced municipalities
has further tested the capacity of local authorities
to provide efficient public services,
maintain community security and cohesion,
and create conditions for people to pursue better lives and livelihoods.
What matters more than the number of displaced people
is the receiving communities’ relative capacity to respond.
11
Local Authorities
and Migrations 3
The role of the territory
As outlined by UNDP’s 2009 Human Development Report,
well-managed migration can have significant positive impacts
for human and economic development
Migration can increase household incomes,
improve access to services,
and empower traditionally disadvantaged groups,
in particular women.
Targeted services to migrants and displaced people
increase their contribute to resilience, growth and development
of the communities involved.
12
Local Authorities
and Migrations 4
The role of the territory
International Conference
“Acting together in migration management
Enhancing coordination among central and local level”
17th March 2016, Skopje, Macedonia
In the framework of the CEI campaign promoted since fall 2015
a meaningful event was organized
by the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI),
whose participating bodies are the Ministries of Interior
of the countries of the Western Balkans,
and the Network of Associations of Local Authorities
of South-East Europe (NALAS)
13
Local Authorities
and Migrations 5
The Conference recommendations for migration management were:
• to strengthen capacities of Central & Local Governments to establish
mechanisms to prevent, respond to & recover from emergency;
• national policy to consider needs / capacities of Local Authorities;
• to share information, best practices, knowledge, resources at all levels;
• local and regional strategies to be aligned with the national strategies;
• to jointly plan funding from national and EU resources in general aid;
• solidarity must be shown to the more affected municipalities and regions;
• local and national governments from SEE and EU countries to intensify CBC;
• in regards to communication, a concept of quality information is due;
• enhancing existing and establishing new regional coordination mechanisms,
entangling central and local authorities by networking, consultations in
defining government policies, needs assessments;
• international organizations to support Central but also Local level;
• necessity of structured multi-annual support of the donors community.
14
Local Authorities
and Migrations 6
The conference focused on
the good practice of the spread reception of migrants
represented by the Italian model known as SPRAR
A follow-up action (MIGRALONA project) has been funded
by the Region of FVG and appointed to CEI implementation.
Along one year time-span the needs pointed out during the MARRI-NALAS
conference are addressed with the aim of shifting from emergency to longterm organized management of the migration flows by:
 upgrading the legal framework for the cooperation between
LO/NA administrations;
 developing a multi-level collaboration resulting in a “joint plan of
action” of LO/NA measures;
 featuring the “curricula” for training and updating LO/NA public
officials on migration management issues.
15
Local Authorities
and Migrations 7
SPRAR – The Italian Asylum Seekers and Refugees Protection System
The right to asylum in Italy is enshrined in article 10.4 of the Constitution,
granting protection to “the foreigner who is denied in his country
the effective exercise of the democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution”
SPRAR, what is it?
It is a network of local authorities and their consortia running reception projects
for people forced to migrate (asylum seekers and refugees)
The Main Objectives of SPRAR are
 to take “on the field” responsibility for those individuals deserving
humanitarian protection
 to provide personalized programmes to help them reacquire self-autonomy
and integrate into the Italian society by housing, finding jobs, accessing local
services, social life and children education.
16
Local Authorities
and Migrations 8
A Central Unit at the Ministry of the Interiors
coordinates the SPRAR system.
In particular this Unit:
 Assists local authorities in organizing “integrated reception”
services;
 Collects data on local services provided to asylum seekers and
refugees, related procedures and disseminate information;
 Promotes local networks and projects to strengthen the
system;
 Supports and advices local authorities with technical, legal,
health and social assistance;
 Issues studies, reports, guidelines and handbooks for the
operators.
17
Local Authorities
and Migrations 9
The Principal Features of the SPRAR are:
The public nature of the available resources and the bodies
responsible for the refugees and asylum seekers, the Ministry of
Interior and the Municipalities
The synergy at the local level with the «managing bodies» of the
third sector (associations, NGOs, cooperatives) essential to the
decentralized delivery of the “integrated reception” services
The development of local networks involving actors and
stakeholders of the territorial system contributing to reception,
protection and integration of asylum seekers / refugees
The temporary reception, which pursues to recover independent
life-style of recipients.
18
Local Authorities
and Migrations10
Strongholds of the SPRAR system are
Voluntary involvement of the Local Authorities
Integrated reception model to create post-hospitality processes
Language teaching as vital part of the migrants ability
to play “here and now”
Health, psychological and legal protection
to recover individual wellness broken by forced migration
Specialized mediation delivery to accompany the people
in the access to services
Reception contract where awareness of rights and duties
of the beneficiaries is set-up
Access to training centres and professional skills development
19
Local Authorities
and Migrations 11
Migration offers development opportunities
to communities of destination and of origin.
An inclusive approach not only meets
immediate humanitarian needs of people on the move,
but also upholds their dignity,
reduces their vulnerability and improves
their self-reliance and protection.
In the long term, collaborative efforts can result
in greater social cohesion in the affected communities,
and an increased contribution to local economies.
20
Thank you
[email protected]