Oulu
Fuenlabrada
Oulu
Finland
Fuenlabrada
Spain

Applying co-design with migrants and other stakeholders in developing local integration strategies

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Applying co-design with migrants and other stakeholders in developing local integration strategies

About the project

An unprecedented number of refugees arrived in Oulu after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although the Finnish welfare system was prepared for refugee integration – and Oulu had already established a migrant integration strategy – the city became aware of an urgent need to improve civil society engagement. This included engaging diverse ethnic groups in meaningful dialogues, promoting integration and preventing polarisation.

Oulu set out to learn about migrant-led local development from Fuenlabrada, with a four-day study visit in each of the two cities. Capacity building exchanges were designed to help Oulu learn from Fuenlabrada’s experiences in developing a cross-sectoral, whole-of-society approach to migrant and refugee integration. Oulu also hoped to motivate politicians and policymakers to strengthen their leadership and commitment to migrant integration.

Urban practitioners took part alongside municipal directors responsible for strategic planning and policymaking in sectors such as education, culture, equality, non-discrimination, social welfare and wellbeing.

Oulu aimed to build on these learnings about community engagement strategies, sharing new insights horizontally across various sectors, in practice and at a strategic level. They also planned to update their integration strategy, and develop a focused strategy for Ukrainian migrants who had been unable to access the city's integration services due to their temporary status.
 

Challenges

  • Some 500 Ukrainian refugees live in Oulu, including children, significantly increasing the city's migrant population, and its vulnerability. 
     

  • Despite having a migrant integration strategy for 10 years, Oulu's integration seemed driven by duty and responsibility rather than a belief in cultural, societal or economic benefits.

  • The Finnish welfare system is experienced in refugee integration, but Oulu wanted better civil society engagement, enabling meaningful dialogues and preventing polarisation. 

  • Oulu was looking for ways to promote a migrant-led, whole-of-society approach to migrant and refugee integration policy, involving residents, administration and politicians.

Proposed solutions

Fuenlabrada’s particularly relevant experience includes:

  • Forging a joint approach to local migrant integration between city officials, political leadership and NGOs, based on joint objectives.

  • Engaging the community directly in the design of integration policies, through the annual policy lab organised by Fuenlabrada's ‘coexistence board’.