Identification of stakeholders that made an identification of the practice: Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR).
Contact
Cristina Sirur – Head of the Incidence and Social Participation area of CEAR Madrid. cristina.sirur@cear.es (Tlf: 915550698 Ext. 7803) Avda. Asturias, 33. Local CP.: 28029
Project
Coexistence, promotion of intercultural and neighborhood relations, improvement of community welfare.
CEAR Madrid has a presence of offices and work teams in Getafe, Leganés, Rivas, Móstoles, Fuenlabrada and Madrid (Carabanchel and Arganzuela).
Application setting: context
Beneficiaries are migrants and refugees users of CEAR Madrid and residents in the municipalities where the actions are carried out, as well as neighbours of those same places (indigenous and migrant)
These working groups actively collaborate with local authorities, especially in the area of social or health services. To a lesser extent, social integration techniques also link with the associative communities of municipalities.
When people access the second phase of inclusion, after a first reception from the described scenario, a work authorization is obtained and the need to leave CEAR hostage, generating residential autonomy. Generally the person does not manage to remain in the municipality because of the abusive price and impossible conditions to rent (last 6 payrolls, indefinite contract), and the refugee is pushing to move to cheaper places.
Objectives
General Objective: Promote the processes of inclusion of applicants for international protection in the municipalities of the Community of Madrid, improving access to housing, social rights and general services in equal opportunities.
Specific Objective 1: Promote citizen participation in the improvement of coexistence in diversity and in the processes of access to rights and services of applicants for international protection.
Specific Objective 2: Promote neighborhood volunteering to support the processes of reception and inclusion of applicants for international protection
Specific Objective 3: Activate joint proposals for participation in which an open dialogue between citizens is promoted around the reality of migration.
Length
Annual project executed since 2017
Requirements/ accessibility issues
This project is developed from the participation of applicants or beneficiaries of international protection and migrants who participate for vulnerable sub-Saharan population. We have worked with the reception and social inclusion teams in the dissemination of the project and from professionals with direct contact with these people, they have been invited to open participation.
It has been more difficult to access neighborhood NGOs (in the first phase of the project it is usual to face prejudices and stereotypes about migration and access to rental housing) Not so much in the second phase of the project, where when leaving of focusing actions on access to housing, resistance has dropped.
Performance procedures. The project is structured in successive phases:
- First phase: Boosting participation: promoting citizen participation in the improvement of coexistence in diversity and in the processes of access to rights and services of applicants for international protection, especially access to housing
- Second stage: Promotion of local meetings in the citizenship: promoting neighborhood volunteering to support the reception and inclusion processes through group sessions to receive training and design, in a cooperative manner, the actions that each team will undertake
- Third phase: Participation actions from the municipality, for the municipality: improve the performance of the technical reception teams in the design and implementation of proposals for social participation in the municipalities where the program is developed through the execution of citizenship projects
- Fourth phase: Impact assessment and continuity: teams value actions, analyze results and promote commitments for the next phase. Thus, it is intended to activate joint proposals for participation in which an open dialogue between citizens is promoted around the reality of migration
Difficulties or constrains for its implementation
The project is subject to public financing, with the risk associated with the non-provision of funds for its continuity
Results
The neighbourhood teams have activated proposals for the benefit of the communities and have received training in social participation. These teams have been made up of residents in the municipalities, with a diversity of personal situations and origins, favouring the encounter and mutual knowledge.
The project has meant a subsequent relationship between neighbours and residents of Leganés, Carabanchel or Getafe and the professional reception teams have come to consider this project as a common resource very useful for the people we work with.