Tyre and Zurich Partner to Improve Local Services for Migrants, Refugees, and Locals
City of Tyre - City of Zürich
Mayors
Hassan Dbouk (Tyre)
Corine Mauch (Zürich, Mayor till March 2026)
Start of Project
01/01/2019
End of Project
To be confirmed
Overview
The City of Tyre commits to partner with the City of Zürich to improve services for migrants, refugees and locals in Tyre.
This partnership aims to increase municipal staffing and expertise, conduct technical knowledge and best practices exchanges, while jointly implementing inclusive projects for Tyre’s inhabitants, including Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
Building on earlier successful projects, Tyre is now designing two projects as part of the partnership. First, a “park and ride” service with a parking lot and bus shuttle system to provide refugees, migrant workers, and local communities with cheap and reliable public transportation to access the city’s facilities and commuting zones, while contributing to the city’s green transition.
Second, a new digital hub and co-working space will seek to break down employment barriers for refugees, while helping to address Lebanon’s economic challenges. The hub will provide skilled youth, including refugees and marginalized groups, with access to digital opportunities, while the co-working space will enhance social interaction and networking between investors and job seekers.
This city-to-city cooperation (C2CC) will foster social cohesion, economic inclusion, and a more sustainable and accessible urban environment for all residents of Tyre. The C2CC aims at improving the city’s performance and strengthening the city's capacities to deal with the challenges occurring due to the Syrian refugee influx, in addition to the Palestinian refugees who have been living in refugee camps in the city for decades.
Realised Impact (As of June 2022)
Increased personnel of the RTO-staff:
Two engineers and a municipal coordinator were recruited from 2019-2021.
Enhanced capacities through city-to-city exchanges and technical visits:
In October 2019 and April 2020, refugee reception experts from Zurich visited Tyre to better understand how Tyre city is coping with the influx of Syrian refugees. The areas covered were housing, work, education, and social life. In turn, a delegation from Tyre city, comprising 8 practitioners from the field of refugee reception, visited Zurich in June 2022 for a peer-to-peer exchange.
Implementation of the first ‘Bike Rental Station’ project:
Following a July 2019 workshop among the project’s partners in Zurich to finalise the projects to be implemented, urban mobility and traffic congestion in Tyre city were identified as key issues to address. Consequently, the first tangible project was successfully implemented: two bike rental stations were installed in April 2021, one located in Al Masaken and the other in Tyre city, with 30 bicycles in total, providing inhabitants with an environmentally-friendly and low-cost means of transportation. The Al Masaken bike station is located in a highly dense area housing a rich diversity of inhabitants, including Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian refugees. It is also close to the Burj Chmali and El-buss Palestinian camps, thereby enhancing refugees’ accessibility to the service and a space for host- and refugee-community interactions, fostering a sense of equality. The significance of the project lies in encouraging physical activity, improving health, and reducing diseases resulting from low physical activity. The project also provides a cost-effective alternative to fossil-fuel vehicles, reducing carbon emissions and motorized transport costs. Furthermore, it helps in alleviating the volume of traffic, resulting in fewer traffic jams, increased safety, and quieter city centres.
Park and Ride Project is being implemented:
This project consists of constructing a parking lot and establishing a bus shuttle system to cover the city’s main facilities. The project is located in the central city of Tyre, accessible to all, and therefore, it will provide an alternative, viable transport means for all city inhabitants, including refugees, migrant workers, and tourists. Refugees and migrant workers often rely on public transportation, and this project provides them with a reliable and efficient means of commuting to the city's main facilities. Improved public transportation options can reduce the financial burden on refugees who may face economic challenges and limited resources.
Digital hub and co-working space being planned:
Over the past years, Lebanon has been facing a financial and economic crisis that has deteriorated the living conditions for both refugees and Lebanese. Both populations face increased unemployment rates coupled with a high risk of poverty. In particular, refugees suffer from limited access to the Lebanese labor markets as a result of labour-restrictive regulations. Therefore, the project highlights the global digital economy as the main driver of enhancing innovation, economic growth, and job creation for skilled youth, including refugees and marginalized populations. The digital hub co-working space would serve as a platform to enhance social interactions and networking between investors and job seekers, particularly advantageous for refugees seeking job opportunities in the host country.
By highlighting these aspects, the projects not only address the specific needs of migrants and refugees but also promote social cohesion, economic inclusion, and a more sustainable and accessible urban environment for all residents of Tyre.
Priority Objectives
Engaging in regional and multilateral partnerships and increasing city-to-city cooperation
Providing access to urban infrastructure, social services, and education,
regardless of status
Supporting reception and advancing community sponsorship initiatives
“The right to a life in dignity is a sacred right for all people, regardless of their status.”