“Local and regional authorities are on the frontline when it comes to the reception and integration of migrants and refugees. They manage and oversee the provision of vital services like housing, healthcare, and education and so are the backbone of cohesive and resilient communities,” said Congress Deputy Thematic Spokesperson for Migration and Integration, Kristoffer Tamsons (Sweden, EPP/CCE), during an exchange of views with the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees, and Displaced Persons on 20 October 2025 in London, United Kingdom.

Highlighting the 13 million refugees and nearly 5 million internally displaced people in Europe in recent years, Mr Tamsons added that: “Europe has been affected by unprecedented levels of refugees, exacerbated by the war against Ukraine. These figures are not just statistics, but represent real people in need of safety, belonging, and opportunity.”

Calling for stronger co-operation between national and local authorities, he also underlined the need for “coherent legal frameworks, integration policies, and funding, but also solidarity, data-sharing, and community engagement” and the pursuit of “dialogue between national parliaments and local governments. Only by working together across levels of governance can we truly support local communities and the migrants and refugees who now call them home.”