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A woman and a young girl sit together on a doorstep. The woman wears a leopard print top and smiles at the camera. The girl, holding a red toy, looks to the side. They appear content, framed by an open door in a brick building.
Story 30 May 2022

Building bridges between locals and refugees

Believe, the wife of Junior and the mother of Mirabel found refuge in Parma, Italy. Both, Believe and Junior came to Italy from Nigeria. They left their homes as very fresh adults with a vision to leave all their bad memories behind and find a place where their kids can grow up in a stable society.
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Author
Dana Kascakova
Central Europe
A man in a sports jersey and cap walks hand in hand with a child in a colorful dress. A woman in a red shirt and pants walks beside them on a paved path in an urban area with trees and buildings.
In Parma, Italy, refugees like Believe and her family help local communities in exchange for housing, fostering integration and positive relations. This initiative is part of the Interreg SIforREF project, also tested in other European cities.

A new beginning in Parma

In Italy, they met open-minded people but to find a job without speaking the language was not possible in the beginning. Therefore, both of them subscribed to a language school and their journey is finally coming to a happy end in Parma. There, the city authorities, in cooperation with the Centre for Immigration, Asylum and International Cooperation, have tested a new initiative for building better relationships between locals and foreign citizens as part of the Interreg cooperation project SIforREF.

Life as neighbours and caregivers

Believe Taire from Nigeria lives in a municipal flat in Parma, Italy, and takes care of elderly neighbors.
Junior, Believe, and their children Mirabele and Kester live in a flat that the city authorities provided to them for free. In return, they take over social caretaking activities in the neighborhood and offer assistance especially to elderly people. Both sides benefit from this: local citizens come into contact with refugees, dispel prejudices against them, and can count on effective support in their neighborhood; and on the other hand, refugees build up social networks and expand their opportunities for successful socio-economic integration.

A brighter future for Believe and her family

'I feel accepted in the community,' Believe says and adds that 'taking care of others means you care about them and you love them too. This is what we are trying to do in our neighborhood.' Their plan for the future is to stay in Italy, as 'staying here means staying happy' she concludes.

Refugee integration across Central Europe

Junior and Mirabel managed to find a job and take better care of their family, thanks to a refugee welcoming culture in Parma. Other innovative approaches on refugee integration are tested by the project partners in four other central European cities: Vienna, Ljubljana, Bologna, and Berlin. Their transnational collection of knowledge and tested solutions are available for free to other regions that are facing similar challenges, which is especially valuable and helpful today, when the war in Ukraine forces many people to flee their homes and to find a secure and stable place to stay.

SIforREF project achievements for refugee integration

For more information about the project’s achievements in refugee integration, and to learn more about the positive impact it has had on local communities, check their website here. The website provides in-depth details on the innovative approaches tested in cities across Central Europe, showcasing successful methods for fostering inclusion, cooperation, and long-term integration of refugees into local societies.

Support for refugees and migrants

The Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme has gathered many tools and helpful initiatives from its funded projects aimed at helping cities and regions better welcome refugees and migrants. These free and transferrable solutions can be found at www.interreg-central/refugeesupport.