Migrant and refugee integration: Training for local authorities in Romania and Moldova

Access to education, employment, housing and health care helps migrants and refugees build their lives and participate in their local communities. Local authorities play an important role in making these services and opportunities accessible.

ODIHR, the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities Programme and UNHCR are bringing together local authority representatives from Romania and Moldova for a two-day pilot training on migrant and refugee integration.

Building on the partners’ Inter-Agency Academy on the Integration of Migrants and Refugees in Polish and Baltic cities, the training will combine case studies, practical exercises and exchanges of experience. Participants will explore approaches from other countries and develop action plans suited to the needs and resources of their own communities.

Participants will discuss:

• Identifying local integration needs and mapping available resources
• Supporting civic, cultural and linguistic integration, including accessible municipal information and opportunities to participate in community life
• Facilitating access to education for migrant and refugee children and young people
• Improving access to employment and supporting entrepreneurship
• Helping migrants and refugees access decent and affordable housing
• Addressing barriers to health care, including mental health care
• Strengthening co-ordination and referrals between institutions and services supporting integration

The programme will also introduce the Council of Europe’s intercultural inclusion approach and practical tools for developing inclusive local policies. A session led by UNHCR will examine how international protection connects with local integration support.

The training is designed for representatives of local authorities in Romania and Moldova. Participants will draw on their professional experience, share local practices and identify approaches they can apply in their work.

For further information, please contact Ella Dodd, ODIHR's Migration and Freedom of Movement Adviser at Ella.Dodd@odihr.pl.