This paper, produced by the Global Exchange on Migration and Diversity – the learning-exchange arm of the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford – aims to inform the discussions of the city working group of the Inclusive Cities project. Inclusive Cities supports five UK cities and their local partners to achieve a step-change in their approach towards the integration of newcomers locally. Providing space for shared learning and reflection, and drawing on ideas and innovative initiatives from within Europe and the United States, it aims to support the development of an approach which is:
- Strategic across the city administration
- Consistently using positive messaging to develop an inclusive narrative which informs and
drives practice - Local authority led, working in close partnership with business, public and voluntary sector
organisations – including those not usually actively involved in integration – to achieve
shared goals through the appointment of a dedicated Taskforce - Using an action plan to identify a number of priority areas which lead to practical initiatives
which broaden opportunities for inclusion of all residents across the economic, social and
civic life of the city, and - Recognises, in particular, the needs of children and young people
The project is a learning-exchange initiative which allows the participating cities to reflect upon and
develop their thinking in a number of ways:
- Peer learning between the cities
- Dedicated support from a project manager at the Global Exchange who informs the projects
with research evidence and analysis and provides ongoing support - Learning exchange with two US Cities, hosted by Welcoming America, an NGO which supports
the development of a shared narrative and inclusive practices amongst city administrations
and their partners
This paper aims, primarily, to be a resource for the participating cities, to support them to develop an action plan and narrative which will help them to achieve a change in how they approach the inclusion of newcomers. It aims to do this by providing an overview of the ideas and research base which underpin the project, both in terms of defining inclusion and inclusive practices and their application in the context of local government across the UK. It also provides examples of innovation from overseas against a number of thematic areas already identified by participating cities as being of interest in the formulation of their action plan and approach.
The paper is by no means exhaustive in its coverage of policy and analytical frameworks or in the examples of innovation from overseas, seeking only to provide an overview of the topics and how ideas about integration have been implemented by policy makers. It focusses in particular on the inclusion of newcomers and the role that host communities can play to support this.