Integrating Territories Workshop: Strengthening the capacities of local governments for the protection and socioeconomic integration of refugees, migrants, returnees and the host community in Peru

In the last five years, Peru has undergone an important transformation regarding migratory flows, going from being a predominantly country of origin, with 3.3 million Peruvians living abroad (INEI 2022), to also being one of transit and destination, with 1.71 million foreign people living in Peru (SNM, September 2022).

In this context, the Peruvian government has been managing the migratory transformation, making significant progress. However, significant challenges remain to meet the needs and effectively protect the rights of refugees, migrants and returnees in the country. There are significant gaps in access to decent work, social protection, health, housing, education and other basic services, which mainly affect the most vulnerable populations, including the refugee, migrant and returnee population.

Migrant populations face several challenges for their socioeconomic integration, from xenophobia and intersectional discrimination, to the lack of livelihoods, limited financial inclusion mechanisms, barriers to effective social cohesion, and insufficient social protection. This is amplified by structural barriers such as poverty, informality, state fragility, and gender-based violence, which have deepened as a result of the pandemic.

Although migration management in the country is governed by national policies, regional and local governments play a key role, not only because they constitute the “front line” of access to public programs and services, but also because they have institutional powers that They allow them to design and implement responses with a territorial approach, even when they do not always have the financial resources to do so effectively.

The response to migration with a territorial approach requires, in addition to financial resources, the strengthening of the capacities of local actors, particularly the public, to improve the level of knowledge about the contributions of migration, regulations and policies related to migration. protection and guarantee of rights for refugees and migrants. In addition, they require improving the design and implementation of policies, programs and services that facilitate the social and economic inclusion of migrants in local life that allows them to contribute to the growth and development of the territory in harmony with the host population.