EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Integration Service (Antwerp Integratiedienst)

Integration Service (Antwerp Integratiedienst)

Introduction

The Integration Service was created by the combination of the Reception Office, the Interpreters Service and the Integration Officer. It want to combine the diversity management and the equal opportunity policy. Diversity management is considered as an inclusive task for all city services, with the Integration Service as supporting element. The IS and in particular the IS diversity consultants developed intensive contacts with some other services such as the Urban Poverty Department.

Description

The mission of the Integration Service is “promoting living in diversity by investing in social cohesion, equal opportunities and active citizenship”. The mission was split in four key concepts: diversity, social cohesion, equal opportunities and citizenship.

They are the four poles of the vision of the IS on living in diversity:

Antwerp is a city where there is a room for differences;
Antwerp is a city where we live not next to each other but with each other;
Antwerp is a city where all inhabitants have the same opportunities and
Antwerp is a city whith active citizens that assume their responsibilities.

The IS starts from the idea that diversity and equal opportunities go hand in hand. In despite of the adjustment of the human ressources policy since 1999 with the support of diversity consultants, the city could not reach its objective of recruiting persons with migration background in a proportion that would reflect its share of the city working population.

Approach

The IS coordinate all city actions with respect to diversity and equal opportunities. The IS diversity consultants support the city services in their way of dealing with diversity.For example, the IS diversity consultants developed intensive contacts with some other services such as the Urban Poverty Department. They have also organized a two-hour training around ‘systematic diversity management in the city’ for the city’s management team. They have also lots of contracts with private companies.

Contact info

Integratiedienst Antwerpen of the City of Antwerp
dienst.integratie@stad.antwerpen.be
Kris Cleiren, tel. 00 32 (0)3/222.37.00

Project start date

Links

Visit the City of Antwerp website

Download the CLIP study on Antwerp Housing (PDF, Eng, 425 KB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Keywords

Integration of social groups