The Working Package 4 (WP4) of REFUFAM has one main function to detect and develop common threads in the data collected by researchers form the other WPs. By collaborating with the rest of the consortium, researchers and supervisors involved in this group elaborate common analytical frameworks allowing to explore and disentangle the complex array of diverse data gathered by researchers. By confronting the experiences of the several refugee families, but also practitioners and policymakers who participated to REFUFAM, this WP is also charged with analysing instances of discrimination experienced as refugees and their families interact with different state and non-state actors present in Belgium.

What is more, this WP does also develop a comparative stream of REFUFAM to confront the data and experiences gathered in Belgium, with those relative to another European context. In particular, the postdoctoral researcher part of this WP and coordinator of REFUFAM, studies selected policy gaps and support services operating in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia. Focusing on this specific case study allows to untangle how local administrations, civil society organizations and refugee families interact in a (mal)functioning and complex policy environment. Alike Belgium, also in Italy competences in the field of so-called “integration” are dispersed among the same or different governance layers. Importantly, most policies are implemented by local administrations through the work of a constellation of civil society organizations. This dispersed governance model combines with quite centralized policymaking and the general neglect of authorities for this policy compartment, thus explaining the centrality of non-institutional support initiatives. Within this national context, the mid-sized town of Reggio Emilia is renowned for its innovative practices and local approaches to the “integration” of newcomers. Thanks to a field study conducted in Reggio Emilia, the scope is to confront the Italian and Belgian data to spot the main similarities and differences, also to explore the possibility to adapt and transfer good practices among these two contexts.