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Uruguay to Help Immigrants Integrate with IDB Support

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $5 million grant to complement Uruguay’s Neighborhood Improvement Program, which helps immigrants integrate and strengthen their ties to local communities.

Part of the resources will be used to open a Migrant Gathering Center in Montevideo to streamline this group’s process of integrating into society. The funds will also be used for a program piloting temporary solutions for migrants in vulnerable situations, as well as for a provisional rent subsidy that targets low-income, single-parent households and is also designed to ensure gender equality and diversity.

The project will also focus on simplifying processes and paperwork for immigrants. For instance, it will create a single processing system that centralizes information on the different steps for applying for residency. Also, the Migrant Gathering Center will have a comprehensive information service that immigrants can use to complete a wide range of processes and procedures.

Since 2016 in particular, immigration has been on the rise in Uruguay. From 2016 to 2019, 21,673 immigrants arrived in the city of Montevideo, swelling the city’s population by 1.57%. In 2021, immigrants opened 14,933 applications for residency, and the country received over 10,000 petitions for asylum and refugee claims.

The IDB has been supporting Uruguay’s work on urban affairs for several years. In 2018, it approved a $70 million loan for improving neighborhoods that is currently being implemented. This grant reinforces that project.

About the IDB

The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region.

 

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