Cross-border movements of people, driven by refugees fleeing persecution, victims of trafficking, and individuals in search of better opportunities, have spurred city authorities and development stakeholders into action. These actors have intensified their research efforts and fundraising initiatives to support migration programs that promote protection and seek sustainable solutions for refugees and migrants. At the forefront of these endeavors stands the City Diplomacy Lab, a pivotal actor in orchestrating comprehensive strategies to address mixed migration concerns.
To set the ball rolling, the Lab designed the Migration and City Diplomacy: Empowering Cities on the Central Mediterranean Route course, which it offered in collaboration with the Mixed Migration Centre, UNHCR, Columbia Global Centers | Nairobi, and Columbia Global Centers | Tunis. During a week-long training, it led sessions for various city actors from December 13 to 19 on how cities situated along migration routes can respond to mixed migration challenges. Particularly, the training underscored the various initiatives and activities cities can undertake and proposed diverse tools, partnerships, and other resources city actors can utilize to manage mixed migration distresses.
At the end of the training, the city actors and trainers discussed the participating cities’ action plans. Their similarities pointed out that they aim to empower urban communities and foster sustainable development by involving migrants, residents, and local actors in impactful international cooperation activities. The discussions on these cities’ plans inspired the need for institutional innovation to address the challenges cities and local governments face in managing mixed migration components, such as humanitarian assistance and socio-economic and political issues.
