Local authorities and other key stakeholders for intercultural integration in Cyprus were introduced to the “‘Building structures for intercultural integration” project during meetings on 11-15 October. The project team and the regional intercultural coordinators met the Mayors of Deryneia, Limmasol, Nicosia, Paphos, Pegeia as well as the staff of Geroskipou, Larnaca, Paralimini municipalities to ensure the close coordination and involvement of the municipalities in the project. Meetings were also held with the Union of Cyprus Communities, the EU Representation and the UNHCR, the Alien and Immigration Office of Larnaca, as well as with volunteers and civil society organisations from all over Cyprus.

There are many people and projects actively working for the integration of migrants in Cyprus and the new intercultural networks will be the first opportunity for them to gather together with the local authorities to discuss the most pressing issues and discuss possible solutions to challenges in their district.

Five intercultural networks will be established in the districts surrounding the cities of Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos and Paralimni. The networks will include local authorities and officials, NGOs, public organisations and agencies (welfare, employment, education, culture, sport, safety, urbanism etc.), migrant groups and organisations, professionals, private organisations and community leaders.

The networks will conduct an overview and assessment of integration policies and community cohesion/social integration in each district, and develop an intercultural strategy outlining the vision, goals and future actions for each district.

Next year the project aims to create a multi-level coordination mechanism and the regional intercultural strategies will be used to inspire integration policies at the national level for Cyprus.

The "Building structures for intercultural integration in Cyprus" is a 2-year project (June 2021 to May 2023) being implemented by the Intercultural Cities Programme and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Structural Reform Support, in partnership with the Civil Registry and Migration Department of the Ministry of Interior of Cyprus.

The project aims to support the Republic of Cyprus in implementing its National Action Plan on the Integration of Third-Country Nationals 2020-2022, by empowering local authorities, NGOs, and migrant organisations to be part of the integration process. It will use the Intercultural Cities conceptual, analytical and policymaking tools to address the challenges of migrant integration, in particular related to building trust, fostering community cohesion and managing diversity as a resource.

The “Building structures for intercultural integration in Cyprus” project is being carried out with funding from the European Union, via its Structural Reform Support Programme, and in co-operation with the European Commission's DG Structural Reform Support.