Experimenting Migrant Participation in Small and Medium-Sized Towns: White Paper of the PISTE Project.

The volume represents the final policy and research output of the AMIF-funded project PISTE, focused on the participation of people from a migration background in Small and Medium-Sized Towns (SMSTs). It addresses the main findings and experiences developed during the project, targeting an audience of both researchers and policymakers. To this aim, after a set of foreword contributions from policymakers and experts and an introduction of the issues at stake, the first part addresses four key aspects of migrant participation in SMSTs: bridging figures, spaces of visibility, local capacity building, and preconditions for participation. These central articles combine PISTE research results with “lessons learned”, that are easy to check and useful for policymakers. Then, PISTE policy experiments in the four partner municipalities are presented, highlighting strengths, weaknesses and potential for replicability. Finally, the volume includes a Policy Brief, collecting all relevant recommendations tailored for policymakers of SMSTs willing to foster the civic and political participation of people from a migration background.