Migrations Programme - [10/26/2007]

CIDOB collaborates with the Welcoming Congress

The coordinator of the CIDOB Foundation's Migrations Programme, Gemma Pinyol, has taken part in the International Congress on Welcoming Newcomers that was held between 24 and 26 October at the Conference Centre of the World Trade Center in Barcelona.

Pinyol acted as moderator for Welcoming models in the world II, a session that was attended by Inés Michalowski, a researcher from the University of Münster, and who explained the German model; Patrick Butor, Director of Population and Migration of the French Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development; and Inge Hellemans, Head of Municipal and Integration Policies for Flanders.

This congress, which coincided with the drafting of the Law on Welcoming people emigrating into and returning to Catalonia, currently being prepared by the Catalan government, was organised with the aim of presenting the various policies that different countries have developed in the field of welcoming newcomers. Welcoming models and instruments in the fields of linguistic, educational, health and labour welcoming are just some of the issues that were covered during the congress, which was attended by government experts and social agents from Catalonia.

Organised by the Generalitat of Catalonia's Department of Immigration, the Congress was also supported by Spain's Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, and in collaboration with the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMED) and the CIDOB Foundation.

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