Migration: Commission and Committee of the Regions agree a partnership on integration

Yesterday, the Commission and the Committee of the Regions agreed to join forces to develop a new partnership to increase support for the work on integration performed by EU cities and regions. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, announced yesterday the upcoming partnership at the plenary session of the Committee of the Regions. Commissioner Johansson said: “Integration happens in every village, city and region where migrants live, work, study and take part in activities such as sports. Local and regional authorities deliver essential services in healthcare, housing and education. They organise sport and cultural activities where newcomers meet people and make friends. I look forward to work more closely with the Committee of the Regions to support cities and regions in their integration efforts”. President Tzitzikostas said: “Local and regional authorities are in the frontline to provide integration and other services to newly arrived migrants as well as to support their inclusion. While local authorities have put in place many successful and innovative practices for integration and for promoting a positive narrative, they still face challenges in accessing funding, data and knowledge for their integration measures and programs, in particular in towns and rural areas”. The partnership will build on the well-established cooperation between the Commission and the European Committee of the Regions under the Cities and Regions for Integration initiative, which was launched by the European Committee of the Regions in 2019 to offer a political platform for European mayors and regional leaders to share information and showcase positive examples of integration of migrants and refugees. The statement is available online.