With 160 different nationalities and almost 70% of the population coming from outside of Luxembourg, the country is exemplary when it comes to integration and living together in a respectful and tolerant manner. However, it is not enough to simply issue a decree that people should integrate and encouragement needs to be provided. Firstly, Luxembourg City is developing a municipal integration plan in partnership with the CEFIS in order to identify future integration priorities. A survey of staff employed by Luxembourg City was carried out in order to find out more about the way different services interact with non-Luxembourgers based on in-depth questionnaires and interviews relating to 54 services.
Secondly, 
evenings inviting participants to reflect on the subject of integration took place in November 2015 to discuss a range of topics including work and housing, education and the integration of migrant children in schools, the reception of new arrivals and social welfare, facilitating integration through sport, culture and leisure, as well as the socio-political participation of immigrant populations. The aim was to better understand how people from diverse backgrounds integrate and define the needs of citizens and associations with project proposals.
To formulate a communal integration plan, interviews with a dozen key associations and institutions representing various communities will be held and Luxembourg City’s Service Intégration et Besoins Spécifiques (integration and special needs service) is always open to new ideas and suggestions.
The festival of migration, culture and citizenship has taken place every March for the past 33 years. Luxembourg City subsidises the event annually to the tune of €50,000. Among the event’s 400 stands, Luxembourg City’s kiosk showcases the measures it has implemented to facilitate integration.
LYDIE POLFER
Mayor of the Ville de Luxembourg