On the occasion of the debate of the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg on 29 September, Jean-Claude Frécon, President of the Congress, underlined, in a written contribution, the role that small municipalities could play in dealing with the refugee crisis. “The ability of rural communities to take part in national efforts to integrate refugees and migrants is often underestimated. For example, in France we have a network of 36 000 municipalities; this is a wonderful coverage of French territory which should help to deal with the flow of refugees”, he explained. “We should seize this opportunity to embark on a broader discussion of the spatial planning of our territories, parts of which have been deserted. Welcoming refugees and seeing them as a positive force would be an effective strategy that could breathe life back into the vulnerable areas of France and at the same time give the refugees a proper welcome” he added. During the October plenary session (20-22 October 2015) the Congress, with the participation of local authority representatives, will hold a debate on this issue and will rapidly propose concrete initiatives aimed at contributing to the reception and integration of refugees.
Jean-Claude Frécon: “In the Congress we have the ability and the determination to activate networks of small, medium-sized and large local authorities to deal with the refugee crisis”
Congress President
Strasbourg
29 September 2015
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