Purpose:
The Barcelona Municipal Immigration Council (Consell Municipal d'Immigració de Barcelona, CMIB) is an advisory and participatory body of the Barcelona City Council and was established in 1997 with the aim of contributing to the achievement of equal rights and opportunities for people with a migratory background, regardless of their legal status.
Stimulus/Rationale:
Process:
Council composition and functioning
The members of the council are organisations that deal with the reception of asylum seekers and refugees, political groups, municipal staff from different areas, observers, and people with a migration background. All members participate on a voluntary basis.
Each mandate the CMIB draws up its work plan in a participatory manner and monitors it in a transparent way.
Based on the objectives of the Work Plan, and at the proposal of the Permanent Commission or the Presidency, working groups or commissions are set up to work on specific issues. The following working groups and commissions currently exist:
WG for the BCN Ciutat Diversa Encounter: Prepares the annual meeting, monitors and evaluates it. It is made up of all the participating organisations.
WG for the dignification of domestic work – 2018: It was set up in 2017 to prepare a document of proposals for the 2017 theme, the Dignification of domestic and care work. In 2018, a group to follow up on the implementation of the proposals is initiated.
CMIB Training Commission and Training and Strengthening Plan: For years, CMIB has made a Training and Strengthening Plan available to entities, which offers individualised and group support. In 018, a Training Commission was set up to extend the training proposals to all member entities, and training sessions have been started.
Communication Commission: This is constituted as a space in which the organisations can define the priorities, lines and criteria to be followed in the field of communication, especially around their own activities such as the Trobada, the Award, etc.
Other working groups or commissions : Diverse participation WG (2016); World Refugee Day WG (2016); Women, gender violence, sexism WG (2015); health issues WG (2010); Families Associations and entities WG (2010); Interculturality Plan WG (2009); Family reunification WG (2008).
Initiatives
The CMIB aims to raise awareness on the issues of combating discrimination and the advantage of diversity in the social, cultural, and political context, in order to obtain the exercise of full citizenship of foreign residents and build a more cohesive and just city.
The main activities carried out by the CMIB include:
- The Barcelona Municipal Immigration Council Award, which aims to recognise outstanding work or projects of special interest in the field of integration and the achievement of full citizenship for immigrants, as well as to promote diversity, coexistence and social cohesion, in accordance with the general rules approved by Barcelona City Council in 2009. It is dedicated annually to the theme chosen by the CMIB for that year.The 2023 call focused on 'Young people of diverse origin in Barcelona'.
- The BCN Diverse City Encounter is a participative and vindicative festival organised annually by the Municipal Immigration Council with the aim of contributing to building a plural and cohesive city based on the recognition of diversity, coexistence and interaction between organisations and citizens, breaking down stereotypes and promoting equal rights and opportunities. It has been held for years, with a great deal of participation from organisations and citizens, has been evolving and growing, and has now become a benchmark event in the city's autumn calendar. It aims to show the diversity and interculturality of the citizens, making visible the enrichment that immigration and its entities represent. At the same time, it aims to raise awareness and deepen the specific theme chosen annually by the CMIB.
- Disseminating press releases, posters and institutional declarations on the conditions and needs of migrants and refugees in the city.
- Research activities carried out by thematic working groups which often continue the development of the annual themes.
- Annual monitoring of the operation of the work plans.
Impact:
Key reference documents:
