Immigrant integration in ITI/SUD strategies: The case of Athens, Greece

Abstract

Foreign immigration from low-income countries to the Athens Functional Urban Area (FUA), started in earnest in the early 1990s. However, the first integrated territorial development instrument which covers immigrant integration (the Integrated Territorial Investments- ITI), was introduced in the mid-2010s as a result of adopting relevant EU Regulations.

In the Programming Period 2014-2020 there were 4 ITIs approved for funding in Athens FUA. They focus on innovation, economic growth and social cohesion but rarely mention immigrants and refugees per se. The paper argues that this approach, followed by all four Strategies, is a rather generic feature of the country’s governance modalities, in an ongoing process of Europeanization.

The paper explores the rationale behind the way ITIs were implemented in Athens’ FUA, and offers insights as to how immigrant issues could be further mainstreamed in Sustainable Urban Development strategies in the future.