If we search for the definition of ‘migrant’, we may find something like, “a person that goes from one country, region, or place to another.” In many cases, this happens only once in a lifetime. So, for how long does someone remain a migrant?
Some migrants may feel rooted in their new environment after only a few years, while others or people with migrant backgrounds may retain a strong connection to their country of origin for a lifetime.
Especially in contexts of exclusion or disapproval, individuals are seen as migrants for generations, even when they are born in a new country. This speaks to issues of social inclusion, migrant integration and systemic barriers to belonging.
Changing narratives – the power of words
Belonging to a place generates a connection that shapes our identities. Should migrants integrate to belong to a place? What does integration truly mean?
The 11th Integrating Cities Conference, celebrated in Bologna as part of the UNITES project, featured thought-provoking debates on the power of language, raising ideas behind concepts such as ‘migration background’, ‘migration experience’, ‘expats’, or ‘third country nationals’, highlighting how these concepts shape perceptions and policies around migration and inclusion.
How we use our language reveals how we choose not only to reflect our assumptions but actively shape the societies we strive to create. There is a pressing need to rethink narratives around migration and integration as “the words our leaders choose are fundamental,” according to Fatemeh Jailani, COO at SINGA Global.
Faouzi Achbar, Deputy Mayor of Rotterdam, questioned the traditional notion of integration, asking, “Is it about migrants needing to do something to fit into society, or about both sides contributing to a shared future?”
“Migration is not about integrating people,” agrees Rutger Groot Wassink, Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Welcoming Cities, “but about integrating us together.” He suggested the term ‘integration’ often implies a one-sided effort by newcomers to conform to a pre-existing society. Inclusion, on the other hand, suggests a mutual process of adaptation and belonging, where diversity is embraced. The terminology we adopt shapes not only policies but also how migrants see themselves and how they are seen by society.
Shada Islam, journalist and founder of the New Horizons Project, criticised institutional racism embedded in European systems, lamenting that, “I thought the stigmatising narrative was going to reduce, but it hasn’t.” Citing her campaign #BrusselsSoWhite, which highlights the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in EU institutions, she added: “No decision about us without us.”
Knocking on cities’ doors
Truth is, despite obstacles and intrinsic bias integrated into public administrations, cities make an effort to steer policies for open and inclusive societies, make their services accessible, and drive inclusion in their roles as employers and contractors of people with migrant backgrounds. Not only that, but local governments also work with migrant-led organisations and migrant communities to include their needs in housing, employment, education, and social inclusion policies.
“The narrative around migration at the national and EU level is negative,” says Groot Wassink, while “it is constructive at the local level” as cities have no borders. Moreover, while national and EU institutions discuss welcoming, urban residents are already diverse and local governments are a step ahead, focusing on integration and promoting migration as an enriching force.
Groot Wassink’s words encapsulate a key message of the 11th Integrating Cities Conference: cities are not merely places where migrants settle but dynamic laboratories of inclusion, where communities co-create vibrant societies.
Cities are indeed indispensable in bridging the gap between national policies and local realities, from providing housing to developing tailored education and employment programmes.
Yves Pascouau, Vice-President of Nantes Métropole, emphasised that cities, despite facing challenges, consistently deliver innovative solutions and foster positive stories of inclusion, often achieving more than they are given credit for. “Migrants are knocking on our doors, not the EU’s,” says Pascouau.
Bolognese from day one
Bologna embodies its inclusive ethos with the motto “Bolognese from day one,” symbolically extending citizenship to newcomers to reaffirm its commitment to welcome and inclusion. Anna Lisa Boni, Deputy Mayor of Bologna, described cities as “places where people are welcome, integrated, and find refuge.”
Cities’ adaptability and direct engagement with communities in decision-making processes have been proven to be critical for efficient integration. “We cannot make decisions without migrant communities,” noted Simona Bieliūnė, Deputy Mayor of Vilnius and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Welcoming Cities.
Vilnius, for instance, employs psycho-traumatologists to support Ukrainian refugees. Nantes has initiated daily dialogues with integration stakeholders, engaging migrant-led associations and national representatives alike. Similarly, Fuenlabrada’s Conviviality Table brings together 40 migrant and non-migrant associations. “We have to work together,” said Javier Ayala Ortega, Mayor of Fuenlabrada.
The Conference has been a chance for all participants to engage and co-create an interactive activity in Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s most emblematic. square. The artistic organisation Cantieri Meticci brought a “city of fabric” to life by representing metaphorical challenges tied to discrimination on canvas. Participants were invited to co-create by drawing, crafting, and designing pieces on paper, which they then placed on the windows of the fabric city. This collective artistic expression turned the public space into a canvas for dialogue, highlighting how creativity can foster community and serve as a powerful tool to challenge oppression and racism while fostering integration.
Indeed, co-design is a hallmark of efficient urban integration. Cities across Europe have increasingly included people with a migration background in their efforts to foster inclusion and co-design. Many individuals have become key pillars in shaping innovative and participatory approaches to urban integration.
Bologna municipality works with Daro Sakho, one of the ‘Diversity Managers’ who works as an intermediary between associations in the city and the municipality to ensure the administration is more inclusive in its processes and includes a migrant perspective.
Kristie Angstmann has been an Elected Member of the Migrants Council since 2020 and the Women’s Commission of the Municipality of Freiburg. Within the Migrants Council, she brings the needs of the African community to the city, and she advocates for enhancing the education and empowerment of migrant women.
Timisoara supported Eugenia Rozbitskaya’s actions to inform those who arrived in the city from Ukraine. She also founded Faina UA, an association uniting Ukrainians for cultural, educational and social projects. Abd Alrhman Marae is one of the members of the AGORA, Grenoble Alpes Metropole’s participatory refugee body. He exemplifies the power of lived experience in fostering integration. As a self-advocate, he draws on his personal story as a refugee to champion the inclusion of migrants and refugees to co-design integration policies. These are just examples of how local authorities and migrants can co-design inclusive policies.
The European Commission is currently shaping the European Commission’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund call for 2025. From a legal perspective, it’s not possible to allocate a specific portion of funding exclusively to migrant-led organisations, says Aurélie Belzunces, Head of Sector of Integration & Resettlement at the European Commission. However, she adds, “Calls can be designed to encourage projects that actively include migrant-led organisations and provide them with a greater role within larger projects.”
Collaboration with migrants not only accelerates their inclusion but also enhances local communities’ receptiveness to diversity. As Jailani puts it, migration is a contribution to society. “Local [level] has so much to benefit from welcoming newcomers,” she says.
In an increasingly polarised world, cities are proving that inclusivity is not just possible—it is essential for building a shared future. “Thinking migration will stop is just not realistic,” Jailani stated, noting that humanity has always migrated and will continue to do so, with climate change and other global factors driving future movements.
Looking ahead
Held under the ‘UNITES’ project and co-funded by the European Commission’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the 11th Integrating Cities Conference highlighted cities’ essential role in shaping policies that bring people together.
The event, held in Bologna on 20–21 November, brought together local authorities, city officials, organisation leaders and migrant community representatives to exchange ideas for integration strategies. It also saw Eurocities launch two key resources: the 6th Integrating Cities Report and the massive open online course “Co-designing migrant integration in your city“. While the report provides a comprehensive look at how European cities foster inclusion and integrate migrants into their communities, the course guides developing integration policies for practitioners from the local level.
