ROMA – One refugee in 5 welcomed into the SAI (the reception and integration system) is in the territory of the cities adhering to the Charter for integration. The second begins today in Rome City to city visitthe two-day meeting between Italian municipalities which, together withUNHCR, UN Refugee Agencyhave drawn up and signed the Carta for the Integration of Refugees and on the occasion of which the first report from the Charter for integration. The refugee population in Italy is growing and consolidating, increasing attention and awareness on the importance of integration.
Three million new residence permits between 2011 and 2022. According to i official data updated to the first half of 2024, almost 487,000 people in Italy have been forcibly displaced from their country. According to the report, out of a total of just over 3 million new residence permits issued between 2011 and 2022, 23.4% would be for reasons related to asylum or other forms of protection. The Municipalities adhering to the Charter provide 18% of the reception places in the SAI (Reception and Integration System) at national level, demonstrating the important role of the cities adhering to the Charter which, by guaranteeing access to local services, education and to job opportunities, promote full social inclusion, laying the foundations for building a better future for refugees.
Shared experiences of inclusion. The annual City to city event represents a laboratory that allows the participating Municipalities to promote, share and exchange positive experiences on inclusion which concern – among others – the services and tools developed in the territories, housing solutions, access to local welfare, job placement, the acquisition of documents, the promotion of health and participation of refugees, social cohesion and the sustainability of projects.
The participating cities. In addition to Bari, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Rome and Turin which together with the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, have developed and adopted the Charter for the integration of refugees, are participating in the second City to city Bologna, Brescia, Genoa, Padua and Ravenna, five new cities that joined the Charter this year. In 2024, the signing of a protocol with the ANCI – National Association of Italian Municipalities – represented a strong driving force for the adhesion of these and future new municipalities to the Integration Charter.
The enrichment factors. “The Municipalities that adhere to the Charter for Integration highlight how the inclusion of refugees in their territories represents not only a challenge to be taken up, but also a factor of enrichment and harmonious development, a basic value in which to invest collective energy and efforts. ” Declares Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR Representative for Italy, the Holy See and San Marino. “Cooperation between institutions, associations and citizens is fundamental to transform the challenges of integration into growth opportunities for entire communities. Only by following together a humane, pragmatic and balanced approach can we adopt effective and lasting solutions that respect the rights and dignity of refugees and the needs of host communities.”
The day of the beginning. The City to City visit opened in the Sala del Carroccio in Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome at 11.30 am today, Wednesday 6 November, with the presentation of the first Report of the Charter for Integration and the signing of the memorandum of understanding between UNHCR and Roma Capitale. At 3 pm, a visit to the city’s Common Space, One-Stop Shop for Migrant Reception (SUAM), in Via GM Crescimbeni 25 with a round table with councillors, managers and ANCI on the topic of local governance starting from the experience of the Common Space and the hub for integration. The following day, the City to City moves to the UNHCR headquarters where a Workshop will be held with Councilors and Managers of the Cities of the Charter for Integration and ANCI.
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