ENI – Experiment in Newcomer Integration

5C098

Marche Region
Via Gentile da Fabriano 9
60125 Ancona
Italy

Ms. Marina Maurizi
Tel.:	+390718063432
Fax:	+390718063002
Email:	marina.maurizi@regione.marche.it

1 - Spatial development approaches
1.4 - Spatial impact of immigration

(See here for a priorities and measures overview)

3rd Call

Newcomers to countries, for example immigrants or refugees, are often regarded as a burden to the social systems of the host communities. However, many of the newcomers have a great human potential which could be of mutual benefit to them and the communities if appropriate integration measures are implemented. The ENI project aims at fostering the successful integration of refugees and immigrants at community level. The initiative focuses on facilitating and enhancing the quality of relationships between refugees and immigrants and the organisations of the host community. By working directly with these organisations, which are as diverse as refugee mutual assistance associations, city planning departments and business associations, the ENI project plans to change long-established practices and to utilise the human potential of refugees and immigrants. The main needs of the newcomers are to overcome the lack of training activities, language courses and access to health services. These are considered as keys for successful integration, guaranteeing positive social and economic effects for the integrating community. The project partners come from Italy, Poland and Hungary. Assistance to local groups and associations of refugees and migration, especially in new EU Member States, are one of the main aspects of the project activities. Four principles and assumptions underlie the project's approach to integration: 1. Immigrants and refugees should be actively involved in decision-making processes; 2. Integration is regarded as a two-way process that implicates and benefits both newcomers as well as members of the host community; 3. Local coalitions can foster effective and meaningful collaboration in order to tackle the numerous challenges and opportunities associated with socio-economic, cultural and demographic change; 4. Resources should be devoted to integration-focused interventions, as well as to coalition building and training opportunities which lead to systemic changes.

Main results and effects of the project will be: - Setting up of local coalitions, such as local stakeholder committees also including immigrants, - Development of a method for measuring segregation and presence of newcomers in local communities, - Improved allocation of resources devoted to integration-focused interventions, community building and training opportunities, - Promotion of integration policies that acknowledge diversity as factor of development and not as a problem of social security, - Report and research of focus groups, - Didactical programme for teachers dealing with early education for children of newcomers, - Manual to assist newcomer entrepreneurs, - Service centres and a catalogue to help newcomers start their own activities.

Total budget (EUR):	865.745,84 EUR
ERDF:	438.532,58 EUR

Start:	10/2005
End:	10/2007

• Marche Region, Ancona, Italy
• Foundation Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw, Poland
• Foundation for Development of Democrativ Rights, Budapest, Hungary
• Regional Economic Development Agency for Sumadija and Pomoravlje, Ltd, Kragujevac, Yugoslavia
• Foundation for Support of Enterprises - ESA Ohrid, Ohrid, Macedonia
• Cospe, Not available, Italy
• CNA Federazione Regionale Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy
• Almamos Agency Novi SAD, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia
• Institute of Social Polivy, Tirana, Albania
• Link Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia herzegovina