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International Conference in The Hague, the Netherlands, November 12 – 13, 2018

 
Matching Needs and Potential: From National Policies to Local Integration

International Conference in The Hague, the Netherlands, November 12 – 13, 2018

 

Click here to download the conference concept note.

The conference, organised within the framework of the ICMC-led SHARE Network, will be held at the Humanity House in The Hague and will welcome approximately 40 experts from Member States of focus. Participation will be open to mixed delegations of central, regional and local government as well as civil society. 

Conference Focus

When refugees arrive to European countries by means of resettlement and other legal pathways, host communities have the opportunity to plan and prepare for their arrival in order to facilitate early integration in the short term, and ensure better outcomes for both refugees and host communities in the medium and long term. European countries employ a variety of placement systems to determine where newly-arrived refugees will be settled, with some relying initially on temporary reception centres, and others placing refugees directly in hosting municipalities. Placement that is sensitive to the needs and potential of refugees, as well as those of host communities, can influence future pathways to integration. The SHARE project is particularly looking into placement in smaller cities as many European countries have started to increasingly place refugees more equally over national territories, and more and more refugees are settled in smaller municipalities including in rural areas.

The key question of this conference will be: how can stakeholders best plan and cooperate for arrivals of refugees to ensure their inclusion in the local community? Topics for discussion include:

  • Structures for placement of resettled refugees & multi-level coordination

  • Mandatory vs. voluntary refugee placement systems, and the use of (mandatory) distribution keys

  • Criteria influencing placement decisions (housing, family, special needs, employment, etc.)

  • Matching refugees’ needs and potential with those of host communities

  • Smaller municipalities, including in rural areas, as places of welcome and inclusion

​Registration

Participation is limited to 40 spots and will be open to mixed delegations of central government (responsible for planning and implementing placement policies), civil society and local authority representatives. More information on conference fees and support for travel, as well as a form to register your interest can be found here; please register your interest to attend before 12 October 2018. A full programme as well as logistical details will follow shortly. For more information on the conference, as well as the SHARE project, please contact Programme Manager Magdalena Boehm: boehm@icmc.net.