“Cities must strive to implement politics which aim to include migrants, foster dialogue and combat prejudice and discrimination” stated Yoomi Renström (Sweden, SOC), co-rapporteur of the Congress on Refugees and Immigration, at the session “Immigration to Cities – Redesigning the Urban Web, Social Integration” at the KEDE conference, on 3 June 2016 in Samos. She stressed the importance of the role played by local authorities in developing programmes which modify the urban space to allow for better social integration and inclusion. She urged local authorities to provide access for all their inhabitants, including migrants, to social services in order to improve their integration and recalled, in this context, the European Urban Charter, adopted by the Congress in 1992, which addressed the phenomenon of urbanisation and its social consequences. In 2008, the Congress adopted a second Charter, the “Manifesto for a new urbanity”. “In this Manifesto, we reaffirm that cities belong to their inhabitants and that all citizens must be included in decision-making processes” she explained. She concluded by calling for more coordination, cooperation and exchange of good practice between local authorities to promote better governance.     

   Speech by Yoomi Renström
Programme of the Conference