Barcelona, Refuge City

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

From the late 1990s until today, the municipality of Barcelona has followed an intercultural strategy to implement inclusive measures for local migrant integration. These measures were reinforced to welcome asylum seekers as the population tripled between 2015 and 2017, through a range of measures, including:

Referral and Assistance Centre for Immigrants

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

São Paulo developed a Referral and Assistance Centre for Immigrants, a specialized public service that provides, among other services, guidance on the regularization of documental status, legal counseling, social assistance, as well as referral to Portuguese classes in public schools, job intermediation services, and short-term shelter. 

Regularization campaigns

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

In 2014 and 2017, Morocco implemented two regularization campaigns, which benefitted, among others, migrants with serious illnesses, women and their children, and unaccompanied children.

From 1 January 2014 to 31 January 2014 Morocco implemented the first regularization of migrants on an exceptional basis. The categories of migrants in an irregular situation who could benefit from the regularization were the following:

Migrant Worker Resource Centres

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

The ILO has supported the establishment of Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs) in multiple countries. The MRCs are run by government, trade unions and civil society organizations, and provide information and support services (including legal support and dispute resolution). The ILO has also developed an operations manual for the establishment and operation of MRCs.

Access to health care guaranteed and free for all children under 18

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

In Sweden, the law was changed in 2012 so that access to health care is now guaranteed and free for all children under 18, and for all adults in case of emergency, without any requirement to provide documents. Strong rules on confidentiality apply to citizens and non-citizens, both for access to health care and education, creating a robust firewall in the sphere of health, hence patient confidentiality includes undocumented migrants. 

Programs encourage links between schools and communities to foster social inclusion of children and their families

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

Numerous programs encourage links between schools and communities to foster social inclusion of children and their families. For instance, in the Netherlands for second-generation Turks and Moroccans; in Pakistan for Hazara girls; in Canada among African and Caribbean-born immigrants; and in the US for Latin America and Vietnamese communities.

Effective management of health workers migration

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

Programmes promoting effective management of health workers' migration, health system capacity building, and skill/knowledge transfer from the diaspora are underway in Somalia, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Ghana. 

In Somalia, IOM’s "Migration for Development in Africa" (MIDA) is an ongoing capacity-building programme, which helps to mobilize competencies acquired by African nationals abroad for the benefit of Africa's development. 

Option to buy into national insurance schemes

Submitted by Mr. Camille Saadé on

The Republic of Moldova gives migrants the option to buy into national insurance schemes. Both migrants and refugees benefit from medical services through the mandatory health insurance system and also benefit from preventive and disease prevention services (e.g. immunization, communication/information, screening, prophylactic treatment for infectious diseases).

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