Fiscal and public investment expenditure strengthening program for municipalities Strategies for rapid socio-urban integration of migrants in Colombian cities

Introduction

As of December 2019, at least 1.7 million migrants from Venezuela had settled in Colombia, mainly concentrated in the country's metropolitan areas and border cities. This situation increased the demand for public goods and services, putting pressure on host cities that already had pre-existing urban deficits. 

Objectives

This project  will improve the infrastructure and institutional capability of municipalities to help both migrants and their host communities through the implementation of performance-based management systems.  It complements efforts being undertaken by the government of Colombia that target exclusively local populations.

The operation focuses at this initial phase on the cities and metropolitan areas of Cúcuta and Villa del Rosario; Riohacha and Maicao; Barranquilla; Medellín and Rionegro due to the magnitude of the migration inflows to those areas. Other cities whose immigrant population  is as high as at least 2 percent of their composition could also be eventually incorporated, subject to the dynamics of Colombia’s immigration flows.

Project activities

The action finances the consolidation of single-window systems for qualifying cities to promote migrants’ integration and regularisation processes and to facilitate user access to urban services.

It also assesses urban social integration progress indicators in selected cities, which help quantify the effects of migration on local economic development.

Furthermore, it promotes economic integration in these communities through the creation or enhancement of workshop schools and increased access to affordable home renting. Five workshop schools are being constructed or renovated, and salary-based grants are provided to some 1 500 local and migrant beneficiaries between 16 and 39 years of age, offering theoretical-practical training to apprentices in trades with good income-generation prospects.

Lastly, a new Rent Guarantee Fund helps vulnerable families meet the conditions required to rent decent housing. This component helps some 13 500 migrants access housing by subsidising their rental payments over a six-month period.

Results

The project shall achieve the following results:

• Subnational governments and other relevant actors learn how to use a sustainable and integrated approach to immigration
• Immigrants and local communities are better integrated into the economy, earning better and sustainable income, strengthening local economic development
• Increased supply of affordable housing for immigrants and other vulnerable groups,  reducing the prevalence of diseases associated with overcrowded, unsanitary, and precarious housing conditions
• Urban areas with increased planning and investment capacity to absorb immigrants and stem the occupation of informal neighbourhoods and public spaces
• The potential to scale this pilot project to other regions to spread the population of immigrants and avoid oversaturation in a few select areas

Implementing partner

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

Co-implementing partner

Korean Poverty Reduction Fund