A municipality worker clears the area around Victoria square, which has become a de facto migrant camp in Athens. PAimages/Thanassis Stavrakis. All rights reserved.The plight of refugees poses a serious challenge not only for those fleeing conflict but also to European society as a whole. Europe's inability to agree on a joint solution in order to provide a humane response to those seeking asylum puts the continent in peril of growing disintegration and social and political turmoil.
As demonstrated in the EUROCITIES report “Reception and integration of refugees in cities”, the role of cities as first points of arrival, transit hubs and ultimate destinations of refugees is well-established and widely-acknowledged by institutions and stakeholders at national and European level. EUROCITIES members across Europe are now home to tens of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers.
Against the backdrop of a debate over quotas and borders, cities have to manage the urgent challenges presented by the daily arrival of refugees and asylum seekers. And on the other hand, they need to establish the necessary infrastructure to prepare for the considerable long term challenge of integrating newcomers into our societies and ensuring social cohesion over the years to come. Cities are taking the lead in openly welcoming refugees and demonstrating that pragmatic solutions can be taken to effectively tackle this humanitarian crisis.
