Embrace and Integrate Newcomers: Promote initiatives that foster regular interactions between new and existing populations to strengthen communal bonds and mitigate the effects of false stereotypes
For most cities, integration efforts rely on social policies normally under the auspices of national, state or regional governments, such as public education, healthcare, and economic integration. But social inclusion depends heavily on the quality of the numerous interactions that occur among the individuals, social groups, and institutions that coexist in the urban environment. Because cities regulate the places where most of these interactions and daily activities take place — schools, places of worship, public squares, workplaces, etc. — local governments have the opportunity to develop effective initiatives to manage diversity and reduce social isolation.
Cities have several points of entry for interventions that foster meaningful interactions between newcomers and long-established residents: orientation and civic education programs, police services, urban land-use planning and housing, transportation and accessibility, economic development initiatives that engage local entrepreneurs, participatory governance, and many others.
To ensure the success of these interventions, it is critical to leverage the skills, expertise, and social or political capital of local actors. Community involvement is a powerful tool for breaking down barriers caused by prejudices and stereotypes on new arrivals. Platforms that allow community members to contribute what they can (time, accommodation, donations, support) and promote integration are an essential piece of this strategy. By engaging with new partners and stakeholders, cities can enhance this work of promoting inclusion and social cohesion. Community leaders such clergy, hospital administrators, business associations, law enforcement, etc. can bring in community members who normally would not participate in engagement with newcomers.
Examples from the 100RC Network
Los Angeles — Path to Citizenship Program
Of Los Angeles’s 3,800,000 residents, more than 700,000 are permanent residents eligible for citizenship. However, cost, paperwork, and language barriers, often prevent eligible individuals from applying, or make them vulnerable to agencies that charge high fees to help process the paperwork. While the city does have multiple non-profit organizations working with immigrant communities, there is no centralized place to consolidate citizenship services. To address this gap, the City of Los Angeles has entered into a partnership with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and experienced non-profit organizations, to provide citizenship outreach services via the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL). Thanks to this partnership, the City was able to establish “Citizenship Corners” in 73 library locations throughout Los Angeles. Each location provides information and resources, meeting room space, and access to study materials, supplemented by a robust and resource-rich website, establishing the LAPL as the starting point on a person’s personal path to citizenship.
By making citizenship education part of LAPL’s regular services, the city achieves several goals at once: help eligible immigrants apply for citizenship while reducing their vulnerability to unscrupulous agencies; attract new library users and expose immigrants to additional services provided by LAPL, including language training and other cultural programs; educate an array of native residents on the needs of potential citizens while making them personally invested in the program; and establish a framework for collaboration with federal agencies and local nonprofits that can be leveraged for other initiatives. The leadership and innovation showcased by Los Angeles have also given the federal government, and USCIS in particular, a framework for establishing library partnerships and scale the program in other U.S. cities.
Paris — The CALM Initiative
In response to the refugee crisis, private companies and public officials in France have prepared a number of temporary and permanent housing solutions that also encouraging engagement with the host community. Through its participation in ‘Social Experiment’[ii] — a government program for placing refugees in private homes to help them integrate into society — the Parisian organization Singa has launched the CALM initiative, short for “Comme à la Maison”, or “Just Like Home”. Via an online platform, the project aims to connect families offering hospitality to refugees who have been granted asylum. This and similar practices can sustain and complement the city’s efforts to meet refugees’ housing needs, and foster interactions and mutual understanding among residents. This program also aims to integrate newcomers in the local economy, as refugees who live with a family, and not in a reception center, tend to find a job more easily through their adoptive family.
Visit the portal at: http://calm.singa.fr/en/
Practitioner Resources
U.S. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and Vera Institute of Justice
Engaging Police in Immigrant Communities: Promising Practices from the FieldThis guidebook highlights 10 law enforcement agencies that have demonstrated success in building relationships with immigrant communities in the neighborhoods where they serve. This resource, along with companion podcasts, can provide law enforcement agencies with innovative ideas and strategies for engagement. These relationships help cultivate trust and understanding between the police and the community, which in turn leads to more effective law enforcement.
Visit the featured website offering supplemental materials: https://www.vera.org/projects/engaging-police-in-immigrant-communities-epic
Cities of Migration
“Good Ideas in Integration” DatabaseGood Ideas in Integration is a collection of city-level practices that provides innovative and practical approaches to the integration of urban migrants. Each profile includes tips, contact information, further reading, and city data, to help practitioners use and adapt these practices locally, wherever they live and work.
Access the database at: http://citiesofmigration.ca/good-ideas-in-integration/
