Moving Cities
Inspiring Approaches

Valencia“Agermanament Comunitari Valencià” – an example of multilevel and multi-stakeholder cooperation on reception procedures

What is inspiring?

The Agermanament Comunitari Valencià is a pilot project carried out in five cities within the Valencia region, and the city of Valencia itself, which involves the local community accompanying refugees in their day-to-day lives. Activities range from learning the host society’s languages, to preparing a CV and finding a job.

How does it operate?

The UNHCR first initiated the project in 2016 in Canada. Before it was launched in Valencia it was also set up in the Basque Country. Two aspects of the programme in particular stand out. First, it is a truly participatory project as it involves international, regional and local administration, as well as NGOs and local individuals. Second, migration is conceived as a two-way process. Newcomers are offered the possibility of living with a host family and learning the culture, language and values of the host society. At the same time, the local population actively seeks a mutual exchange that allows them to find out more about the life stories of the new migrants.

Who initiated the project? How?

The regional government of Valencia initiated the project to host refugees and encouraged host families to get involved in the process. It is a collaboration between the Valencian Regional Ministry for Equality and Inclusive Policies, the Spanish Ministry for Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the social initiatives “Servei Jesuïta a Migrants Spain”,” Càritas Diocesana Segorbe-Castelló, Orihuela-Alacant and València”.

Related inspiring approaches

⟵All inspiring approaches