From the Sea to the City

In order to give the stalled EU asylum and migration reform a new impetus, we are working on Europe-wide strategic partnerships between civil society initiatives and community actors who together think outside the box and advocate for a progressive, solidarity-based and pragmatically oriented EU migration policy in the European public sphere with the help of innovative solution proposals.

From The Sea To The City (FSTC) is a European civil society network consisting of several NGOs and grassroots political initiatives. FSTC was founded in late 2019 with the aim of joining forces and promoting fundamental change in EU migration policy that focuses on the human rights of refugees and welcoming communities. In addition to the Berlin Governance Platform, the work of the network is also facilitated by organizations such as Mediterranea, a sea rescue organization from Italy, and Europe Must Act. All participating organizations and initiatives are active in the field of migration and anti-racism and share a vision of European migration policy in which European cities and municipalities should play a key role as important governance stakeholders. From The Sea To The City provides an exchange space for knowledge, contacts and advocacy strategies to reach out to municipalities and support them to take an active role in EU decision-making on migration.

The network co-organized the European Conference of Progressive Municipalities in Palermo in June 2021, where the International Safe Haven Alliance (IASH) was founded. This is a pan-European municipal alliance that aims to advocate for a voice for European municipalities in decisions about the future direction of the EU migration system, for example on the issue of reception and relocation programs. From The Sea To The City actively accompanies this project from a civil society perspective.

DURATION

2019 – 2023

FUNDERS

Schöpflin Foundation, Fund Action

TEAM

Giulia Fellin, Alina Lyapina

WEBSITE
PUBLICATION
A screenshot of the cover page of the publication "From the Sea to the City - Ideas good practices and next steps for a welcoming Europe. This first joint publication of the civil society network From the Sea to the City, which was co-founded by the Berlin Governance Platform, collects recommendations and best practices on the topic of European refugee reception. The recommendations were developed as part of a digital discussion series in 2020 and are primarily aimed at EU representatives, mayors, representatives of local authorities and civil society.

Open positions

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