Intercultural Cities (ICC) expert visits are organised for ICC members following the publication of their results in the Intercultural Cities Index. They represent opportunities to exchange with local actors with a view to assess more in detail the city's intercultural policies and practices.

On January 18 and 19, 2023, a representative of the ICC programme and an independent expert visited Jonava as part of the first ICC expert visit to the city.

During these two days, different meetings were organised with a wide range of local actors active in different fields related to intercultural integration. The intercultural approach to integration and the ICC programme were first presented during a meeting with the mayor and deputy mayor, as well as representatives of various structures of the municipality and of the UN Refugee agency in Lithuania. The discussion on the city's strengths and needs in terms of intercultural policies and governance was then deepened through a series of targeted visits around the municipality. In particular, the actions undertaken by facilities such as the Jonava District Social Services Centre, the Refugee Reception Centre in Rukla, the Lithuanian Employment Service branch in Rukla and the Jonava Public Library were discussed in depth. ICC experts also had the opportunity to talk with representatives of migrant and refugee communities, the municipal Social Support Department and the Education Support service, the Jonava Cultural Centre and the Šilų eldership.

We warmly thank all stakeholders for their warm welcome and for the constructive and varied exchanges These will feed into the preparation of an analytical report drawing the "intercultural profile" of the city and providing targeted recommendations identified during the visit. These will serve as a basis for the city's further work in the framework of its intercultural journey and its participation in the ICC programme. This report will be published in spring 2023.