A delegation of officials from the Finnish municipalities of Hämeenlinna, Kuopio, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa and Vantaa were welcomed by their counterparts from Lisbon, Loures and Cascais during a study visit in Portugal on 10-11 April 2024, aiming to share practical know-how and draw from the experience of the Portuguese authorities in implementing multi-level governance and intercultural integration. The Finnish delegation also included officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment of Finland.

Amongst the numerous exchanges held during the study visit, participants had the opportunity to learn from the experience and practice of representatives of the Portuguese Migration and Asylum Agency (AIMA) and the cities of Lisbon, Loures and Cascais. Feedback provided by all parties was very positive, as the visit fostered common thinking about shared challenges while it also allowed to draw insights from specific challenges linked to local contexts and potential solutions.

The Study Visit was organised in the framework of the EU/CoE joint project “Building an inclusive integration approach in Finland”. The participating cities of Lisbon, Loures and Cascais in Portugal are all members of the Intercultural Cities (ICC) network of the Council of Europe.