Strasbourg’s hospitality policy is a partnership-based approach to migrant reception and inclusion, developed as a local complement to national-level policy and grounded in a strong commitment to social cohesion. Formalised through a Manifesto, the policy emphasises civic engagement and multi-level collaboration, combining concrete service provision with sustained stakeholder mobilisation. The policy has delivered tangible outcomes, including expanded accommodation and innovative initiatives such as La T’Rêve, a day-time intercultural space for vulnerable population to rest and access resources.
Welcoming migrants through the hospitality policy in Strasbourg
Abstract
The Strasbourg “Welcoming City” (“ville hospitalière”) policy originates in the 2019 adoption of the Manifesto for the Dignified Reception of Vulnerable Migrants, co-produced with over 36 civic, academic, and institutional partners. The rationale reflects a specific governance configuration in France: while the national government retains primary responsibility for asylum and integration policies, municipalities are responsible for maintaining social cohesion at the local level. Faced with visible situations of vulnerability, such as people living in public spaces and informal camps, the city of Strasbourg sought to complement state action through locally-grounded measures.
The overall aim of the policy is to build a coordinated, proactive, and inclusive local approach to welcoming migrants. The Manifesto establishes a shared framework for unconditional first-level reception, referral, and pathways toward social, educational, and professional inclusion. It aims to strengthen local cooperation among a wide ecosystem of actors, encourage civic engagement and foster a welcoming society, and connect local action with national and European networks. More broadly, the policy seeks to move beyond emergency responses toward a long-term, partnership-based model of inclusion, contributing to inclusive growth by facilitating migrants’ access to services, skills, and employment, and strengthening social cohesion at the local level.
Policy title: Policy on Welcoming Migrants / Hospitality Policy
Country: France
City: Strasbourg
EU member state: Yes
Geographic scale: City
City size: Large size (300 000 for the city and 864 000 residents in the Strasbourg FUA)
Date launched: 2019 (Adoption of the Manifesto for the Dignified Reception of Vulnerable Migrants)
Current status: Ongoing
Date of conclusion (if applicable): N/A
Policy pillar(s): Labour Markets, Housing and the Built Environment, Public Services
Target group(s): Children, Women, Older People, People with a Migrant Background, People at Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion, LGBTQI+ Community, People experiencing homelessness, Low-income households, Families, Unemployment or underemployment.
Funding and budget:
Total budget: EUR 500 000 for the programme, on top of the operating budget of involved departments (social department, health department, sports department, etc.)
Funding sources: Local funding
EU funds/programmes: N/A
Stage 1 – Diagnose
The city led a collective diagnostic process, developed through multiple meetings bringing together around 40 local stakeholders, including associations, public institutions, and the university, to analyse the needs of newcomers and identify appropriate responses. This collaborative approach ensured that the diagnosis reflected both institutional perspectives and frontline experience.
Stage 2 – Prioritise
Based on this diagnosis, the city of Strasbourg prioritised the development of a coordinated and proactive local reception framework, focusing on first-level welcome, orientation, and inclusion pathways. Key priorities include strengthening cooperation across actors, improving access to services, and fostering a more welcoming social environment. The policy also emphasises multi-level engagement, working with local, national, and European networks to enhance coherence and leverage resources.
Stage 3 – Design and mobilise
The policy is designed as a collective governance framework, formalised through the Manifesto and sustained through ongoing stakeholder mobilisation. It brings together a wide range of actors (local government, NGOs, academic institutions, citizens, and private partners) through structured cooperation methods, including joint meetings, workshops, and training activities. A dedicated “Welcoming City” mission within the municipality supports coordination and network facilitation. This design ensures that the policy remains anchored in the local stakeholder ecosystem and responds to evolving needs.
Stage 4 – Implement
The city of Strasbourg has developed a range of initiatives, including the creation of 600 accommodation places, the reinforcement of social support services, and the establishment of specialised facilities such as welcome centres and intercultural spaces (e.g. La T’Rêve).
Stage 5 – Monitor, learn and adapt
While no structured monitoring framework is in place, the policy regularly integrates new projects to answer evolving needs or identified gaps. For instance, the creation of La T’Rêve in 2022, a municipally supported intercultural space, emerged as a response to identified gaps in daytime support for vulnerable populations.
1. Formulate and validate a shared diagnosis: Strasbourg’s approach demonstrates the value of exploring different dimensions of an issue with a wide range of local actors.
2. Design integrated intervention packages: The combination of accommodation, social services, and intercultural initiatives allows to ensure that immediate needs are answered while longer-term integration is also addressed. Such integrated approaches to reception and inclusion allow to move beyond emergency responses to foster inclusive growth in the longer term.
Manifesto for the Dignified Reception of Vulnerable Migrants [Manifeste pour un accueil digne des personnes migrantes vulnérables] (PDF) : https://www.strasbourg.eu/strasbourg-ville-hospitaliere-accueil-digne-personnes-migrantes-vulnerables
The T’Rêve has opened again [La T’Rêve a rouvert] (Webpage) : https://www.strasbourg.eu/-/la-t-reve-a-rouvert
La T’Rêve, an intercultural space for respite, reception, and resources [La T’Rêve, un lieu interculturel de répit, d’accueil et de ressources] (Webpage) https://www.coe.int/fr/web/interculturalcities/-/la-t-r%C3%AAve-an-intercultural-place-of-respite-welcome-and-resources.
With La T’Rêve, a hospitable city is being imagined at the Coop [Avec la T’rêve, la ville hospitalière s’invente à la Coop] (Webpage): https://strasbourgdeuxrives.eu/fr/avec-la-treve-la-ville-hospitaliere-sinvente-a-la-coop/
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