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 30 While UNHCR recognizes that authorities continue to face vast challenges relating to reception and collective accommodation, as a brief focusing on integration and longer-term inclusion, information on medium and longterm housing strategies has been prioritized. EASO Guidance on reception conditions: operational standards and indicators can provide support to Member States in the implementation of the key provisions of the Reception Conditions Directive (2013/33/EU) to inform the planning and in running of reception facilities (along with complementary 2024 guidance). Due to the unprecedented expansion of collective government-run facilities following the escalation of the war in Ukraine, humanitarian agencies and national authorities developed Standards for Collective Centres and Communal Housing (example from Poland) based on national, European and international standards, to guide relevant authorities, stakeholders and partners in the management of collective centre accommodation assistance. 31 Autonomous or independent housing differs from accommodation provided in the context of temporary arrangements (i.e. private hosting) or material reception conditions (i.e. collective centres, flats, hotels or other premises adapted for housing applicants). Autonomous housing solutions include any housing within the private housing market for which refugees may receive financial or in-kind support, but not directly provided in the context of material reception conditions. Public housing (i.e. social housing) provided outside the context of material reception conditions (as part of mainstreaming policies for the general population) is included under the definition of autonomous housing. Based on: European Migration Network (EMN), ‘Access to autonomous housing in the context of international protection - EMN inform 32 By social housing we’re referring to residential rental accommodation provided at sub-market prices that is targeted and allocated according to specific rules, such as identified need or waiting lists. Also referred to as ‘’social’’, ‘’subsidised’’, ‘’public’’, ‘’council’’ or ‘’general’’ housing. For further reading see: Social housing: A key part of past and future housing policy (OECD/2020) 33 For recommendations on multistakeholder approaches to more efficient and climate-friendly use of urban space, including essential actions for municipal and regional governments (p. 51) and public and private capital holders (p. 53), see Efficient and balanced space use – shaping vibrant neighbourhoods and boosting climate progress in Europe. 34 The Austrian and German housing systems are often presented as among the best performing in Europe. See Lessons From a Renters’ Utopia (2023) and Housing of Ukrainian Refugees in Europe Options for Long-Term Solutions (2023). 35 Confronting Compassion Fatigue: Understanding the arc of public support for displaced populations in Turkey, Colombia, and Europe (migrationpolicy.org) 36 ‘Regular’ employment defined as working for an employer full- or part-time on a regular basis, as opposed to temporary work or self-employment Helping Hands - The Role of Housing Support and Employment Facilitation in Economic Vulnerability of Refugees from Ukraine, (2024) an Inter-Agency report by UNHCR, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF, and UN Women report based on data of the situation of refugees from Ukraine in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia. 37 Based on an analysis of 24 cities in 14 EU member states: Access to affordable and social housing and support to homeless people, Eurocities 2020. 38 See also the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) support for refugee housing solutions in Germany, and its investment in improving housing conditions for refugees in Southern Italy through a recently signed agreement with Banca Etica. 39 The European Federation of Public, Cooperative & Social Housing, with a network of 45 national and regional federations, as well as 16 partnering organisations in 31 countries in Europe. 40 Indicators of Immigrant Integration, Settling In. OECD 2023 (p. 56) 41 The future of work in Europe | McKinsey 42 Public-private cooperation for better local refugee inclusion: The case of Ukrainian Refugees 43 ICMC Europe (2022), Building Inclusive Territories: Refugee and migrant integration for rural revitalization, Share Network. & Another Story from the “Refugee Crisis”: Resettlement in Small Towns and Rural Areas in France (ifri. org) 44 Integrating refugees: Lessons from Germany (2023) and (The Struggle for) Refugee Integration into the Labour Market: Evidence from Europe (2022) are two sources referring to the counterproductive effect of dispersal policies on labour market integration. 34 UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024 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 45 An analysis of tendencies in findings on asylum seeker/refugee dispersal programs available in Analysis of the impact of refugees from Ukraine on the economy of Poland, Deloitte (2024), pp 24-25 46 The Pact of Free Cities, founded by the Mayors of the Visegrad Four capitals (Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava and Budapest) in 2019, is a global network of cities determined to stand up for progressive values and fight against nationalistic populism. 47 “Structures and competences” by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, provides a detailed comparative overview of how functions and competencies are assigned to regional and municipal governments in 42 European countries. The European Committee of the Region’s Division of Powers site also offers interactive tools/maps showing levels institutional and fiscal decentralization, systems of multilevel governance and subsidiarity mechanisms in EU countries, (potential) candidate and Eastern Partnership countries. 48 The challenges multi-level governance poses are characterized by the OECD as gaps – information, capacity, fiscal, administrative, policy, objective, accountability and participatory – which impact governance relationships and the effective delivery of public services and programs. A full definition is available on page 12 of Multi-level governance for migrant integration (europa.eu) 49 As an example, many of the game changing innovations on housing and integration by the city governments of Hamburg and Berlin during the refugee crisis were made possible in large part by frequent communication of parties within a ‘’direct vertical line of communication and collaboration from cities to states and from states to the federal government’’ that is innate to the workings of the state in Germany. From Cities and Refugees— The German Experience (Brookings, 2016) 50 Economic inclusion entails access to labour markets, land, secure housing tenancy, finance, entrepreneurship, services, the digital economy, and economic opportunities for all, on par with nationals, including non-citizens and vulnerable and under-served groups. It empowers people to meet their needs in a safe, sustainable, and dignified manner, and to avoid aid dependency and negative coping mechanisms. 51 Ideally, a national integration plan would set out programmatic priorities to incentivize implementation of local innovations and practices, and assign funding to municipalities that adopt them, and at a scale proportionate to the number of refugees whose integration they supported. 52 Model Framework for an Intercultural Integration Strategy at the National Level. Council of Europe, 2021, p. 12 53 That is, different categories are not distinguished in data systems, so data cannot be aggregated separately for a given status of protection (e.g., recognized refugee, person with subsidiary protection, temporary protection holder, person with humanitarian protection, stateless person). 54 Working together for local integration of migrants and refugees (oecd-ilibrary.org) / 142 55 The European Benchmark for Integration (NIEM) Pages 31 & 32 Working Together for Local Integration of Migrants and Refugees | OECD Regional Development Studies & Local inclusion of migrants and refugees - A gateway to existing ideas, resources and capacities for cities across the world (UN-HABITAT 2020) 56 This is modelled on the public health and criminal justice policy fields where, just as with integration, the real social value of the return on investment takes years or even generations to be fully felt. A Needed Evidence Revolution: Using Cost-Benefit Analysis to Improve Refugee Integration Programming (MPI, 2018) 57 Today, some 56% of the world’s population – 4.4 billion inhabitants – live in cities. This trend is expected to continue, with the urban population more than doubling its current size by 2050. (World Bank, April 2023). 58 Regional Inclusion Strategy - Ukraine refugee response | UNHCR Europe 59 Examples include the Metropolitan Area Vision of Gdańsk, Poland and the Jakobstad Region of Finland’s collective integration programme, coordinated across several municipalities. 60 The Council of Europe (CoE), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Local Government Initiative (LGI) of the Open Society published an Inter-municipal Cooperation Toolkit to provide detailed guidance on intermunicipal cooperation, based on concrete experiences. As well as outlining benefits and potential approaches, the toolkit provides information on complexities and potential risks involved. 61 See also ‘What Makes a City Inclusive?’ in Urban refuge: How cities are building inclusive communities | International Rescue Committee (IRC) (p. 15) UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024 35