MILE

Migrant Integration Trough Locally Deisgned Experiences

MILE is about empowering the local community as a whole, including newcomers, migrants and refugees. It is based on the idea that policy-making, especially at the local level, should be a co-creation process that reflects the diverse population and gives all citizens a say.

MILE includes partners in six European countries: Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK. By involving municipalities, migrant groups, and research teams from these countries, MILE aims to promote migrants’ and refugees’ engagement in decision-making while working towards creating sustainable ecosystems of exchange between local governments and migrant groups. At the same time, MILE aims to connect cities through their work on inclusion and diversity policies as well as local migrant groups across Europe, to promote more inclusive policies and enhance collaboration.

outcome of the project

Achieve a better understanding of the needs of municipalities and migrant and refugee communities in their local context in different areas of society;
Boost the political participation and leadership of migrants and refugees through trainings;
Promote the management of inclusive policy-making in municipalities through trainings;
Turn the experiences into recommendations for better integration policies;
Set up consultative bodies in each partnering municipality for migrants and refugees to be part of local policy- and decision-making in a structured way
Create a Network of Exchange and Collaboration among municipalities and set up a Peer-to-Peer Exchange Platform for migrant-led organizations that will constitute the backbone of future collaborations.

You can access a PDF version of the brochure and download it here

Approach and tools

MILE’s main outputs - the training for municipalities and migrants groups, the consultative bodies in each municipality, and the exchange platforms - are supported by a science for policy approach, that takes into account the local context and uses an intersectional lens to better understand needs and priorities of local migrant and refugee groups. The participation tools developed by partnering research teams, municipalities, and migrant-led organizations aim to serve as a springboard for deeper social, economic, and political inclusion and long term. Local and European events and campaigns are made to raise awareness around the issues and the project’s activities.

New women connectors role

New Women Connectors has the responsibility for designing the training component of the MILE project. The training component adopts a meaningful participation approach. Its primary objective is to foster a deeper understanding among participants and to explore approaches that place citizens at the core of a city's services and local policy-making.

The trainings are for both local migrant-led organizations and the municipalities, and focus on leadership skills and diverse management, with the guarantee of a multiplier effect to reach inside the migrant communities and in the municipalities as well.

During the design phase of the training, New Women Connectors collaborates closely with members of migrant communities and municipalities to create a platform for dialogue and mutual understanding. The training sessions cater to both migrant communities and municipalities, including local service designers, advisors, and colleagues from the municipality's outreach department, each offering their unique perspectives.

Read more about our training on meaningful participation in this interview of our Project Lead Seyran Khalili

Are you interested in this project or have questions about it? Please reach out to our Project Lead Seyran Khalili, our Project Assistant Angeline Green or to our Communication Officer Julz Natri.

MILE is a project running from 2021 to the end of 2023. It is co-funded through the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and involves partners in six European countries: Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK.