Flagship project
Supporting the socio-economic integration of refugees, migrants and host communities in Bogotá D.C.
Improve the socio-economic integration of refugees, migrants, internally displaced people and vulnerable host communities in two Bogotá localities by strengthening public services, social cohesion, legal and health support, and access to decent employment and income.
The challenge
Bogotá hosts around 400,000 refugees and migrants from Venezuela, alongside returned Colombians and internally displaced people. Public and civil society services operate under strain, while COVID-19 deepened barriers to employment, legal protection, health care and social inclusion for displaced people and vulnerable host communities.
Our goal
Improve the socio-economic integration of refugees, migrants, internally displaced people and vulnerable host populations in two Bogotá localities, particularly in the context of the social and economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our approach
The project strengthened Bogotá’s public institutions and service coordination, including through a database of social interventions and training for district staff. It expanded social, legal, psychosocial and health services, promoted social cohesion and inclusion, including for LGBTI people, and supported civil society-led innovation. It also improved access to decent work and income generation through labour market analysis, entrepreneurship support, financial inclusion, job-search assistance and training for companies and target groups.
Impact in numbers
The project also strengthened local capacity to respond to displacement, improve service quality and promote peaceful coexistence between newcomers and host communities.
Key highlights
- A new database of public social interventions to improve service coordination for refugees, migrants, internally displaced people and host communities
- 13 projects to reinforce Bogotá's care and integration models, including two initiatives on conflict transformation
- Training for district officials and contractors on project design, workshop facilitation, communication with target groups, migration law and international protection
- Participatory processes bringing together communities, civil society, the private sector and local authorities to agree on three social cohesion measures each year
- Four multi-module training concepts for the social integration of refugees
- An inclusion and integration strategy for LGBTQI+ migrants and refugees, developed with Bogotá-based LGBTQI+ organisations
- Labour market analysis, entrepreneurship support, financial inclusion activities and employability training to strengthen access to decent work
- Civil society-led initiatives addressing urgent needs in areas such as social integration, reproductive health and sexual self-determination
Success story
Not available
Impressions
