UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF AFRICA (UCLGA)

Capacity Building (CB) and Development 

Ref: CB8  Peace, Social Integration and Reconstruction

Purpose and Description

The lack of a comprehensive policy framework at the local government level addressing refugee / immigrant’s management has compounded refugee problems in African local authorities. Many refugees and immigrants in Africa settle themselves in towns and cities, and this normally causes conflict that manifests itself in a variety of ways: among refugees, between refugees and local citizens, and between refugees, citizens and local government. Such conflict can revolve around resources, identities and social inequalities. In both South Africa and Kenya, this has been a flashpoint of violence between local residence and the refugees. Often, local government capacity to provide services and deal with conflicts that arise between residents and refugees is very weak. Therefore, understanding and dealing with refugee-related conflicts on the ground includes understanding the overall context of vulnerability and need, as well as the context of weak local government and the challenge of making local government service provision effective efficient, and inclusive.

Local governments have a crucial role to play in refugee/ immigrants management and that active role is in turn crucial to the effective provision of services hence, the need to have policies that can harmonise refugee management at the local level becomes important. With refugee management we do not mean refugee control e.g. policies and practices which focus on regulating who is allowed to move into an area and who is not. Management refers to the active consideration of refugees and migrants in all aspect of local government planning and service provision. In effect it means recognising migration as an integral, rather than exceptional, aspect of local communities; understanding the various mechanisms through which different kinds of migrants relate to service provision; and planning for these impacts.

Through this project, the UCLGA seeks to establish the root causes of conflict between local residence and the immigrants/refugees, promote social integration, conduct a study to establish available management systems used by municipalities in the management of immigrants/refugees and service provision, develop strategies, principles and values for the humane treatment of immigrants/refugees.

The UCLGA will undertake the following

The specific project objectives are:

1. Undertake a study to understand the underlying causes of conflict between the immigrants, refugees and residence. 
2. Develop a holistic and proactive programme of action, in conflict resolution, including partnership with central governments, capacity building, as well as the provision of basic services and infrastructural development.
3. To develop a draft immigrants and refugee management policy framework for African local governance. 
4. Awareness raising on the plight of immigrants/refugees
5. Promote programmes to address tendencies of racism, tribalism and xenophobia against other groups in local communities and reassert the organisation’s commitment to an Africa without borders.
6. Facilitate skills training for councilors on conflict management and resolution
7. Facilitate dialogue among key actors in local development including ministers of central governments responsible for local governments, councilors,  civil society and traditional leaders in order to foster understanding and minimize antagonism
8. To support national associations of local governments to create harmony between local governments, local residence and immigrants/refugees through structured intervention programmes.
9. Host an international conference on social cohesion with a view to helping member municipalities develop strategies to promote and implement measures to achieve social cohesion in their communities.