PRO M OTING R E FU G E E I NT E G RAT I O N A ND I NC LU SI ON : E M P OW E R I N G M U N I C I PA L I T I E S AC R OSS E U R OP E and forums allow municipalities and other local partners to exchange experiences and best practices, however mechanisms to support their implementation from one country context to another tend to be weak and often lack followthrough. Municipal administrations require a period of sustained technical support to facilitate the transfer or scaling up of practices on to their P R O MOT IN G R E FUGE E IN T EG R ATIO N AN D IN C LUSIO N : EMP OWE R IN G MUN IC IPAL ITIES ACROS S EUROPE own local contexts. The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has documented the value that can emerge out of town twinning beyond the exchange of best practices to the joint development of concrete activities between partners, tackling specific challenges faced by local and regional governments. Conclusion Municipalities lead the ‘sprint’ of refugee reception, and the ensuing ‘marathon’ of integration.84 Those with long-standing experience in hosting and integrating refugees (as well as migrants) have consistently built upon existing mechanisms to scale up their responses to be better prepared should their need to integrate a larger population increase. Based on UNHCR’s experience, municipal administrations with multi-linguistic staff bases (that include refugees among their personnel), wellestablished mechanisms of co-ordination with NGOs on provision of language classes, existing agreements with housing associations, and strong mechanisms of dialogue with the private sector to swiftly introduce newcomers to local job market opportunities, tend to experience success with refugee integration.85 The sooner a city starts with a strong investment to build its integration ecosystem and adopt a collaborative approach, the more a self-reinforcing effect can commence86, and a municipality can 24 increase its preparedness for future arrivals and large population movements, while also contributing to local development and refugee empowerment.87 While refugees will continue to concentrate in large urban centres, which are home to longstanding diaspora communities able to support socioeconomic inclusion, the effective inclusion of a refugee household is in many cases more rapidly achievable in less densely populated municipalities where services are less saturated, and local governments are supported by closely-knit communities, civil society organizations and an engaged business community facing acute hiring needs – all of whom are increasingly willing to collaborate on integration efforts. Tapping into the proven capacities of European countries to coordinate and operationalize effective responses, they could centre part of their efforts toward how to incrementally harness the potential of medium and smaller urban centres – and put in place the necessary support systems so refugee communities are among the groups who opt to set down roots there. UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024 May 2023, Greece: Candidates meet companies’ representatives during the annual Job Fair organized by ACCMR in collaboration with IOM Greece and UNHCR Greece. More than 2.500 job interviews have taken place in 2023. © ITHACA / Marilena Bakouril PROMISING PRACTICES IN EUROPE UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024 25