Integrated Service Provision at the National Immigrant Support Centre in Lisbon Athens June 08

High Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue Organisation created in 1996, with alterations in 2002 and 2007; Inter-departmental Government support structure on the subject of integration; 2007 law transforms the High Commission into a Public Institute (IP), allocates new competences and changes its name to High Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue;

History of the CNAI Project (Centros Nacionais de Apoio ao Imigrante = National Immigrant Support Centres) –Dispersion of Government services; –Little coordination between services; –Inadequacy of services to clients; Lived reality of Immigrant Citizens in 2002 :

Success of the project of the “Citizens’ Shops”: –Resolution of the problems of dispersion; Specificity of immigrants’ problems: –Cultural and communication problems that were not resolved in the Citizens’ Shops;

Opening of the CNAIs -Lisbon - 16 March 2004; -Porto – 23 March 2004;

Objectives of the CNAI Provide an integrated response to problems experienced by immigrant citizens: –Investment in a real partnership, with various services in the same place, with information- sharing, on the basis of the same computer system; To be an institution attentive to innovation, very flexible and with the capacity to provide a rapid response;

With a total focus on the needs of immigrant citizens: –Organisation of services according to the needs of our clients; –Choice of institutions according to the needs of the clients; –Creation of specialised and motivated multicultural teams; –Constant optimisation of processes, with a resultant reduction in waiting times; –Creation of a pleasant and human space;

Public Administration closer to immigrant citizens Guaranteed by socio- cultural mediators, representing 10 different nationalities: Linguistic facility; Cultural proximity; Proximity to problems;

Government Agencies at the CNAI Ministry of the Interior – Foreigners and Borders Service; Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity- Working Conditions Authority and Social Security; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Justice- Central Registry Office;

Support Offices (ACIDI) Immigrant Legal Support Office; Family Reunification Support Office; Employment Support Office: Job Centre and Entrepreneurship; Social Support Office; Housing Support Office; Nationality Support Office;

Other Services - Children’s Room; - Pre-Sorting; - Information Counter;

CNAI Functioning From 8am, a team of socio-cultural mediators conduct a rapid pre-sorting of the issues that have brought immigrant citizens to the CNAI, distributing the first service ticket.

CNAI Functioning The Welcoming and Sorting Office is the first step within the CNAI. Here, documents are identified and a digital casefile is created or updated. The clients, when necessary, are directed on to one of the institutions or support offices of the CNAI, receiving here another service ticket.

Added Value for Clients / Immigrant Citizens Integration of Services : –Resolution of problems that involve various Government agencies; –Facilitation of access to various institutions; Response to a large number of questions: –Legalisation; Health; Education; Nationality; Employment; Family Reunification; Social Support... Personalised service : –Cultural and linguistic proximity; –Deep knowledge of the subject;

Benefits of the CNAI for Government Agencies Interaction between agencies permits a greater speed in the resolution of processes; Optimisation of the processes and mutual support between agencies; Circulation of information between agencies is facilitated – Increased Security; Sharing of worries and the creation of more efficient processes; Common working atmosphere;

Lisbon CNAI , , , ,212

External IOM Evaluation of the CNAI Opening Hours Very adequate or adequate: 82.6%; Not very adequate or not adequate at all: 17.4%; Organisation, Cleanliness and Decoration of the space Very pleasant or pleasant: 80,7%; Not very pleasant or not at all:19.3%; Degree of satisfaction in relation to the kindness of the service Very satisfied or satisfied: 96%; Not very satisfied or not at all satisfied: 4%; Relationship of the mediators with the person surveyed Very close or close: 97.4%; Distant or very distant: 3.6%;

CNAI One Mission, one Team

One Mission The CNAI was created to serve PEOPLE: -Contribute to improving their lives; -Helping to simplify bureaucracy; -Working to ensure that they experience real and full integration in Portugal;

One Team - Motivated; - Available; - Hard-working; - Professional; - Creative; - Multicultural;

At the CNAI- WE WELCOME AND INTEGRATE AND We provide reasons for hope for those who come to us;... We reunite parents and children who have been far away from each other for too long;... We learn to gain motivation with the smiles that are offered;... We are lucky to be able to help, to be welcoming and professional;...We are lucky in receiving the whole world at our workplace...

For all of these reasons... We are an example to be followed

National Recognition 1st Prize for Best Practices in the category of serving clients (2004/05) Organised by the National Administration Institute, Diário Económico, Deloitte

International Recognition CNAI highlighted by the European Commission as one of the 12 Best Practices in relation to integration policies in the 25 EU Member States (2005).

At the CNAI, we always seek to WELCOME and to INTEGRATE.. In a BETTER and more EFFECTIVE way... Thank you for listening!