Purpose:
A transversal approach to managing intercultural issues on a municipality
Stimulus/Rationale:
The City Council, for more than a decade, has been working on the integration of immigrants, politically assuming interculturality as a way of managing diversity - namely through the creation, in June 2004, of the Office of Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities (GIME). Through the Office for Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities (GIME), and its open office called SEI - Setúbal, Ethnicity and Migration, the municipality of Setubal has developed an inclusive and transversal approach to diversity and migration.
Mission - intervention in the context of migratory phenomena and multiculturalism in the municipality of Setúbal;
Vision – integration of immigrants and ethnic-cultural communities in the and promotion of interculturality in the Municipality of Setúbal.
Concepts involved:
Multiculturalism – coexistence, in the same territory, of several groups with different cultural identities; · Integration – ensuring rights and duties, eliminating discrimination on the basis of nationality or cultural origin;
Interculturality – democratic coexistence between cultures, without eliminating specific traits, and enhancing the innovative and creative aspects resulting from cultural contact and exchanges.
Process:
This office handles a great variety and number of issues, for example, it acts as the bridge between migrant associations and the rest of the municipal structure. Through Setúbal Ethnicities and Immigration (SEI), the GIME provides a number of services to migrants, connecting them with a number of public and private entities and the functions they perform. These include Border Control (SEF), Education and Health services, employment office, ombudsman, Caritas, OIM etc. This office also helps with consular acts and electoral procedures for foreigners in their home countries.
The GIME also implements a number of ACM (High Commission for migration) programmes in the Setúbal County, including the Escolhas programme and mediation services.
The team involved in this service is composed of two collaborators (one of Russian origin and one of Brazilian origin), resulting from an agreement with migrant associations, which constitutes an advantage for users. In this office, public service can be carried out in Portuguese, Russian or Cape Verdean Creole, relevant and up-to-date information is provided on legislation and procedures in the field of immigration, human rights, employment, health, education, housing, associations, culture and leisure.
All services provided by Setúbal, Ethnicities and Immigration are free and confidential, and the working group includes representatives of different immigrant communities in the Municipality.
Impact: SEI - Setúbal, Ethnicities and Immigration, office of the Municipality of Setúbal, was distinguished with an honourable mention, in the category of Local Governance, in the National Competition of Good Practices for Sustainable Development.
By taking advantage of the privileged contact with public and private institutions, in addition, of course, to other services of the Municipality of Setúbal, the SEI is able to directly forward the cases presented by users to the most appropriate offices.
By paying particular attention to community participation, namely through the creation and development of associative movements, the City Council, through the SEI, supports technically, logistically and financially the activities of formally constituted immigrant groups.
Another added value presented by this municipal service is the network of partnerships developed with public and private entities that work with migrant communities both at local and central level.
Key reference documents: https://www.mun-setubal.pt/gabinete-do-imigrante-e-minorias-etnicas/
