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 Overview Integration & Inclusion in Municipalities throughout Europe – Regional & country snapshots12 By the end of 2023, Europe, including Türkiye, hosted about one-third (some 30 per cent) of all refugees globally.5 The number of refugees in European countries rose from 12.4 million at the end of 2022 to 13 million at the end of 2023, as more refugees from Ukraine continued to seek safety in nearby countries. Additionally, there are also 493 000 stateless people and people of undetermined nationality in Europe. Their denial of a nationality often hinders their access to basic rights such as education, health care, work, financial services, and freedom of movement.6 refugee populations. The scale and pace of the influx from Ukraine placed a demand on many cities never witnessed in Europe, while the activation of the European Union’s Temporary Protection Directive afforded rapid access to rights and services which removed otherwise lengthy administrative hurdles that could normally take years to overcome, and which were resolved in a matter of weeks and months. Unprecedented also was the degree of support from everyday citizens and local communities, the private sector and business organizations. Large-scale arrivals in 2015 – 2016 highlighted the limits of conventional approaches to refugee integration and called for more coordinated responses across different stakeholders and levels of government. This led to the creation of innovative urban agendas on refugee inclusion,7 a forging of stronger alliances between mayors, increased city-to-city cooperation, participation of city leaders in global fora,8 and unprecedented levels of investment by many major refugee-hosting countries on integration programs and related municipal support programs and services. There are nevertheless historic commonalities that link the experiences of refugees and asylum-seekers of all nationalities in Europe, namely that most seek out economically dynamic and socially inclusive destination cities, tending to settle in territories with favourable employment prospects and strong social infrastructure, or capital regions/large urban centres where they can find job opportunities and rely on pre-existing communities providing social connections and support.9 All of this has taken on renewed significance since February 2022, which saw one of the largest human displacement crises globally and the largest refugee influx in Europe in decades. It also led to the swiftest, most ambitious, and agile response to a large-scale refugee movement in Europe’s history. This time, cities, and towns throughout Central and Eastern Europe have shouldered the greatest responsibility for integrating and providing services to new Regardless of the time or place, the bulk of integration services tend to be provided by municipal authorities, many of which struggle to meet existing demands of their local population, particularly following an unprecedented period of public spending during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within national territories, metropolitan areas tend to be the most overstretched10, while smaller cities and rural towns contend with their own diverse challenges and often under-acknowledged dilemmas related to refugee integration.11 CATEGORIZING URBAN AREAS 4 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 AREA SIZE NUMBER OF INHABITANTS VERY SMALL 50 000 and below SMALL URBAN 50 000 – 200 000 MEDIUM SIZE 200 000 – 500 000 METROPOLITAN 500 000 - 1.5 million LARGE METROPOLITAN 1.5 million + CATEGORY This category proposed by CEMR (2023) Urban areas in OECD countries. According to the OECD, the classification of urban population by city size is determined by population density and commuting patterns. (Population by region - Urban population by city size - OECD Data) UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024 Prior to February 2022, municipal governments in Czechia, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, received relatively small numbers of asylum-seekers, refugees and subsidiary protection holders that tended to settle in a handful of capital and/or other larger cities where reception centres were located, and to varying degrees were working toward tailor-made municipal services in support of refugee integration.13 This completely transformed after the escalation of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, where along with other neighbouring countries, they made extraordinary efforts to accommodate new arrivals and include them in local services. Now, these countries join with Romania, Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova, Slovakia, and Baltic states as emerging major refugee hosting countries increasingly in need of support as they shift their focus to longer-term arrangements for housing, decent work, and community inclusion. This also includes support for advanced local language learning, mental health and psycho-social support, skills recognition, up- and reskilling, early childhood, primary, secondary, and higher education. France has trialled a program offering job search, housing and settling in support for both locals and refugee and migrant households willing to relocate away from major metropolitan districts, to smaller municipalities, where employment and affordable housing is more readily available.14 Conversations on national-subnational coordination on these kind of measures are becoming increasingly topical throughout Western and Southern Europe, as housing shortages and the cost of living crisis stoke tensions in major cities, while many smaller and medium-size municipalities with negative net migration, shrinking labour forces and ageing populations undergo a process of decline. In Georgia, efforts are underway to address obstacles to integration and promote decentralization from expensive city centres and the generation of opportunities in the municipalities of Kutaisi, Rustavi and Poti, aligned with local municipal development plans. UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024 Western Balkans15 countries are at different stages in the development and implementation of their integration strategies and related action plans, their municipalities in search of good practices and innovation that can be adapted and built upon to support the integration efforts of temporary protection holders, or those granted refugee status or subsidiary protection in situ. Effective local integration support systems are seen as increasingly necessary with the rise in number of positive decisions on asylum applications in several countries throughout the region and labour gaps. Local government agencies in municipalities or key provinces of the Republic of Türkiye have proven to be strong supporters of refugees’ employment and economic opportunities, supporting social cohesion with the host community. The city government of Istanbul hosts one million foreigners – half of which are Syrian refugees. In Gaziantep, over 25% of the local population are refugees. Armenia is pursuing a multifaceted development strategy that includes enhancing the capacities of municipal entities to support the long-term integration of its refugee and stateless populations. Through employment programs for refugee teachers and health professionals, the Government encourages settlement of qualified refugees in regions with labor shortages, particularly in remote and bordering areas not otherwise attractive, including due to security concerns, limited infrastructure, and labor opportunities.16 Once a city of 15,000 residents, the city of Dunaivtsi, Ukraine has received over 10,000 internally displaced people (IDPs).17 The war has impacted the city’s financial resources, with disruption of local businesses and the additional costs associated with the needs of returned army personnel. Despite these challenges, its City Council has made a concerted effort to welcome and provide for the needs of arriving IDPs.18 5