LivornoMultilingual service ‘Oltrefrontiera’
What is inspiring?
Oltrefrontiera (in English “Beyond Border”) is a successful example of how municipalities can support migrant-led initiatives. The project is a public-private initiative serving the territories of the Municipality of Livorno and the neighbouring Municipality Collesalvetti. It offers a multifunctional and multilingual support system aimed at both foreign and local citizens to improve access to local services. This way, Oltrefrontiera ensures a smooth welcome process and provides bureaucratic support so that foreign and local citizens can enjoy city resources on equal terms. The desk is open to everyone, offering orientation free of charge as a complement to the private agencies that offer only paid services.
Contact
E-mail: oltrefrontiera@comune.livorno.it
How does it operate?
Oltrefrontiera is funded by municipal and regional authorities and managed by public and private actors. These include the women migrant-led association CeSDI and the Odissea cooperative (as part of the CO&SO Consortium for Cooperation and Solidarity), alongside Livorno’s Social Services Department. The services provided by the Oltrefrontiera centres are completely free of charge. Currently, there are two centres in the Municipalities of Livorno and Collesalvetti where local citizens and foreigners can access their services face-to-face after scheduling an appointment. Oltrefrontiera mediators (around 14 in total) have been active for years in the healthcare sector, prisons, schools and other public institutions as part of the CeSDI community. They can provide support in the most spoken languages among Livorno’s migrant communities (e.g., Arabic, Albanian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and others).
Together, they promote equal opportunities for migrants and local residents through closely interconnected services:
An information desk for open questions;
A front office providing support for newcomers and their inclusion process (including legal counselling regarding immigration, civil, criminal, and labour law);
A documentation centre with a library focused on themes of migration and intercultural exchange, along with an internet point.
Additionally, the facilities can be used as a meeting point for various cultural, training, educational initiatives for migrants and locals to promote mutual learning and peaceful coexistence in Livorno’s multiethnic society.
Who initiated the project? How?
Since 2001, Oltrefrontiera has been an initiative managed by the Centro Servizi Donne Immigrate (CeSDI) and the Odissea cooperative in cooperation with the Municipalities of Collesalvetti and Livorno. CeSDI is an association officially established in 1997 with the aim of offering services dedicated to the migrant community and promoting socio-cultural exchanges across the city. The Oltrefrontiera project is a result of the commitment of the CeSDI to provide first-hand information and assistance to newcomers and create a safe space for socio-cultural exchange between them and local residents. It is also a successful example of how municipalities can cooperate with migrant-led initiatives and contribute to the process of refugee integration into the host community, both individually and collectively.
What is the outcome?
With the aim of helping foreign residents better access public services, the Oltrefrontiera public-private project team partnered in 2019 with a network of local, regional, and national companies and non-profit organisations to create an easy-to-read and comprehensive guide and website available in eight languages. With the slogan "Livorno Facile," the guide and website present all services offered by the municipality to provide assistance free of charge (covering local civil services – including the Oltrefrontiera welcome centres, as well as corporate services from participating companies such as water, gas, transportation, waste management, and pharmacies).