Did you miss the chance to register for the world’s largest conference on migration and integration in Europe’s cities, The Integrating Cities Conference? Don’t fret – you can still enjoy some of the sessions live online on 16 and 17 October, right here on this page.

We’ll gather politicians and experts from cities, member states, and the European Parliament and European Commission, as well as NGOs, migrant groups, activists and academics.

During the event’s first day we officially launched the “5th Integrating Cities report: Creating opportunities from challenges” providing insights into the measures cities put in place to integrate migrants and refugees in Europe and North America, covering the period from mid-2020 to mid-2022.

You can download the report here.

16 November

Watch live online:

Agenda

Conference opning & welcome speeches

• Rachel Streefland, Deputy Mayor, Asylum and Integration, Utrecht & Chair of Eurocities Social Affairs Forum
• Rutger Groot Wassink, Deputy Mayor, Amsterdam & Chair of Eurocities Working Group Migration & Integration

Panel debate I – Cities welcoming refugees: exploring opportunities for multi-level cooperation and funding

• Giuliana Benedetto
  Policy Officer for Integration, Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
• Michał Olszewski
  Deputy Mayor, Warsaw (new signatory of the Integrating Cities Charter)
• Birgit Zoerner
  Deputy Mayor in Charge of Labour, Health, Social Affairs, Sports and Recreation, Dortmund
• Yves Pascouau
  Municipal Councillor in charge of European Affairs, Migrants and Travellers, Nantes & Vice Chair of Nantes Métropole in charge of European Affairs
• Hans Uneken
  Director of the Department of Social Development, Utrecht

17 November

Watch live online:

Panel debate II – The gender dimension of integration policies: How to include and identify migrant women’s needs when looking at migrant integration?

• Asher Craig
  Deputy Mayor, Children’s Services, Education and Equalities, Bristol
• Thomas Fabian
  Deputy Mayor, Leipzig
• Signe Grūbe
  Political Advisor to the Mayor on Municipal and Social issues, Riga
• Halleh Ghorashi
  Professor of Diversity and Integration at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Anila Noor
  Founder and Managing Director, New Women Connectors

The conference

This 10th edition focuses on vulnerable migrants. Aren’t all migrants vulnerable? Certainly, but factors like gender, sexuality, and legal status can make some people moving to a new country far more vulnerable than others.

As cities are the primary destination for migrants coming to Europe, it is city administrations that are most directly involved in ensuring that they can be empowered to integrate socially and economically into our societies. The large numbers of Ukrainian refugees arriving in the EU once again highlighted the essential role that cities play in receiving vulnerable people in need of protection.

Are you someone working in a city, or any level of government, who wants to see the integration of vulnerable migrants carried out in a more effective, humane and coordinated manner? Does your work in an NGO, academia, civil society or activism concern migration? Are you part of a group representing migrants? Join us in Utrecht on 16-17 November at the live link above.

Integrating Cities X, ‘Inclusion for all, Empowering vulnerable migrants in cities’ is organised within the framework of the Eurocities project CONNECTION (CONNEcting Cities Towards Integration action), funded by the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

The Conference will include high-level panel debates and interactive workshops, with experts providing guidance about vulnerable situations that migrants can find themselves in. Specifically for cities that take part, the conference will feature hands-on training by Integration Champions, experienced city officials working as ‘integration ambassadors’ and helping other municipalities to develop policies in integration strategies, migrant women, integration into the labour market and one-stop-shops, the four themes explored by CONNECTION.

Alongside the publication of the 5th Integrating Cities Report (previous report available here), the event will also be a chance to celebrate the new signatory municipalities of the Integrating Cities Charter, a commitment to hosting migrants with respect and care. They will join 42 other signatories who have already pledged to provide equal opportunities for all residents, integrate migrants, and embrace diversity.

If your city is interested in joining the Integrating Cities Charter and participating in the signing ceremony, you can learn more about the procedure by clicking here. By contributing to the initiative, you will be able to provide visibility to the integration policies, good practices and projects of your city not just among Eurocities members but also at national and EU level.

Ready? Then save the date and join us live online at the link above for the 10th Integrating Cities Conference in Utrecht!

For any further information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with alexandra.weerts@eurocities.eu or carolina.picot@eurocities.eu.