INTEGRA project partners had their third meeting in Sofia on February 13-15, 2019. The meeting was attended by all six project partners from five countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia - and their stakeholders. The topic of the meeting was Advocacy and information campaign for better integration of third country nationals. Partners shared the results of their City Integration Audit and Agendas, the goals of their local efforts and their achievements so far. Interesting testimonies were shared:“A Ukrainian student expressed his astonishment that someone would ask him how to improve services for TCN and would take his…

Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality, Assoc. Prof. Todor Chobanov, met with the Mayor of Rubano, Italy, Mrs. Sabrina Doni, and Deputy Mayor of Rubano, Mrs. Stefania Donega. The heads of the two municipalities exchanged experience on how they work for the full integration of third-country nationals. Although different in size and geography, Sofia and Rubano face similar challenges in facilitating the access to the labour market, education and housing of legally residing non-EU citizens. The meeting took place within the framework of the INTEGRA project, funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.    ._KzlwM38p { position: relative; }…

On the 8th of February 2019, Integration Centre Prague started a series of INTEGRA campaign events by organizing a Czech-Arabian intercultural afternoon in a retirement home in Chodov, Prague. In the centre of attention was an Iraqi director Ahmed Al-Sabaiei, who introduced to the audience his documentary The Voices Come from Afar, which he made after he came as a refugee to the Czech Republic from Iraqi Baghdad. In the documentary, he presented an honest testimony of three significant representatives of the Czech cultural scene of Arabic origin, who have fallen in love with Prague that has become their new…

Sofia Development Association presented and distributed the INTEGRA project infographic posters to the members of the national Working Group on Integration on January 28, 2018. The Working Group on Integration consists of representatives of national institutions like the State Agency for Refugees, the Agency for Social Assistance, the Agency for Social Assistance, the Employment Agency; international organisations like UNHCR, IOM, the Red Cross; municipalities; NGOs actively working in the area of integration. Sofia Development Association has joined forces with many third country nationals, experts and academics to design posters that aim to change the attitudes and demonstrate that migrants are…