Pilot Experience of Community Sponsorship in the reception and integration of persons benefiting from international protection

Community Sponsorship offers the opportunity for citizens to participate directly in the main tasks of reception and integration of refugees. Community Sponsors are committed to providing social, material and financial support to newcomers during their integration process into their new communities.

Community Sponsorship of Refugees and Migrants was implemented for the first time in Canada, and aims to be a global initiative. It has the endorsement and support of UNHCR and other entities that have launched the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative.

This strategy develops the materialization of a Reception and Integration System that is developed through individualized integration itineraries, whose purpose is to facilitate the progressive autonomy of the recipients and their social and labour integration into the host society.

The Agreement between the Regional Government and the organizations in charge has a stipulated duration of two years, although, at any time, before the end of the envisaged period, the signatories to the Agreement may unanimously agree to its extension for biennial periods up to a maximum of four additional years.

The main goals of this initiative are to:
• contribute to the improvement of shared responsibilities, by expanding the use of Community Sponsorship as an instrument for refugees in need of protection and solutions
• encourage the expansion of resettlement, strengthening the capacities of states, civil society actors, and citizens, to launch Community Sponsorship programs
• provide a mean that mobilizes citizens in direct support of refugees and encourage a broader political debate that supports the protection of refugees.

Beneficiaries: This practice is aimed at beneficiaries of international protection, who have been transferred to Spain within the framework of refugee resettlement programs or other initiatives aimed at opening legal ways of access to protection for refugees, at the proposal of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, through the Secretary of State for Migration.

This pilot experience in Valencia is carried out with five families, a total of twenty-three beneficiaries of international protection, within the framework of the National Resettlement Program 2018. The project is developed in five municipalities: Alaquàs, Almassora, Calp, Cocentaina and València.

The presentation shared at the Includ-EU workshop 1 is available under this link.

Webpage about this project: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/news/spain-pilot-programme-reception-and-integration-refugees_en.