Today, Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced the award of €13 million of emergency funding to Italy and Spain to improve social cohesion in local communities that have recently received a significant number of people.
She made the announcement at the conference Go local: Supporting regions, cities and rural areas in migrants' integration organised by the European Commission together with the Committee of the Regions. The Conference was an opportunity for over 350 representatives from European towns, cities and regions to come together and discuss effective local strategies that facilitate migrants’ inclusion and integration.
Commissioner Johansson said: “Integration is everyone’s responsibility. It concerns host communities and new arrivals alike, and local, regional and national governments have a key role in promoting and maintaining social cohesion. As Commissioner for Home Affairs, I will ensure that integration is a priority for this Commission as a key element of successful management of migration.”
In Italy, €10.3 million of funding will support the project LGNet - a Local Government Network for Rapid Response and Fast Track Inclusion Services in Disadvantaged Urban Areas. This funding will support migrant communities facing precarious situations in 18 Italian municipalities by supporting local civic engagement projects, housing inclusion measures and emergency services such as access to medical and psychosocial care and basic assistance services. In Spain, over €3 million of funding will support AMIGO 2019 - Activities in Response to the Immigration Situation in the South of Spain. These funds will go towards reinforcing the capacities of the Civil Guard of the Spanish Ministry of Interior to organise external border/coastal surveillance, and providing basic assistance to migrants.
Details
- Publication date
- 2 December 2019