The Municipality of Levadia was designated as the most suitable municipality by the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (K.E.D.E.) for the implementation of the programme “IncluCities – Shaping inclusive cities for migrants (2020 – 2023)”. The long-term experience of the Municipality in the refugee-migration issue, its effective management through the strengthening of social solidarity and cohesion, as well as its continuous engagement with vulnerable groups of people to better serve its citizens, contributed to this.
The Municipality of Levadia has implemented various programmes for multifaceted support and complete integration of refugees and migrants into the local society.
The Municipality received an award in the category “Social Solidarity and Cohesion – Integration of Refugees and Migrants into the Local Society” for the successful implementation of the European Programme “IncluCities” (2020 – 2023) at the OTA Awards 2019 – 2023, held on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, in Zappeio Megaro, Athens.
“IncluCities” Programme details (2020 – 2023)
The Municipality of Levadia participated in the European programme “IncluCities” which is an initiative of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and is funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the European Union.
The participation of the Municipality of Levadia in the “IncluCities” programme, as a representative of the Greek Municipalities designated by K.E.D.E., strengthened the cooperation of the city with various European cities, as well as the exchange of know-how and good practices. The innovation of the programme is based on the fact that all the works that made up the action plan of the municipality were carried out under the guidance of experts in migration matters with the aim of strengthening the voice of migrants and enhancing their educational level in order to promote the well-being of the local community.
Local Framework of Implementation of the Programme “IncluCities”
The Municipality of Levadia undertook the implementation of the specific programme with the goal of responding to the needs of a vulnerable group – that of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) – who make up 2% of the total population of the Municipality with specific needs, which had not been recorded and with specific requests that had to be heard for a society with equal members and equal rights for everyone.
Challenges during the implementation of the «IncluCities»
There were a lot of challenges especially during the first phase of implementation of the programme “IncluCities” in Levadia. Specifically:
- The biggest challenge was the lack of an official migrant association in the Municipality, a fact that stood in the way of both informing them and recording their needs. Through the dissemination of the purpose of the programme, an informal group of migrants was created. Thus, their voice has been strengthened and the feeling of “belonging” has been enhanced.
- During the meetings with the migrants the issue of the lack of knowledge of the Greek language that posed a challenge in communication emerged. Aiming at Greek language proficiency and knowing the existence of a significant gap in formal education in providing Greek language courses to adult migrants, the project team connected with the Municipality’s lifelong learning department to approve and offer courses through INEDIVIM.
- Additionally, another challenge was the fact that the majority of migrants were unskilled workers. In cooperation with the Chamber of Viotia and the Employment Office of the Μunicipality, the jobs for which there was an offer were identified and the corresponding information was offered.
- When announcing the supporting documents they had to submit for their participation in various programmes, a double challenge came up. Migrants could not be served by the government’s online services for the issuance of the necessary documents themselves and had to constantly outsource it somewhere even by paying a fee. The Municipality of Levadia acted by delivering computer courses on a voluntary basis, in order to contribute to their independence and the improvement of their daily life.
- At the same time, identifying some small examples of xenophobia and for their elimination, the project team presented the different cultural identity, the different customs and traditions through beautiful events highlighting good examples, arts and talents.
Benefits of the programme
The implementation of the programme IncluCities had multiple benefits:
- Establishment of an informal group of migrants, giving them the opportunity to hold meetings and speak for themselves about their needs, thus participating in making corresponding decisions.
- Learning the Greek language as well as strengthening their professional skills to improve their educational level and facilitate their access to the labor market.
- Elimination of xenophobia and interaction of migrants with the local population through the implementation of cultural activities.
- Strengthening the cooperation of the Municipality with stakeholders (e.g. schools, civil society, associations…) to better serve the beneficiaries of the programme.
- Acquisition of valuable know-how for staff employed in the programme.
The Municipality of Levadia will continue the implementation of similar programmes to provide essential support to vulnerable groups and ensure social cohesion and well-being.
Here you can find the final report of the programme (in Greek and English)
More details about the programme: https://inclucities.eu/
