This action was submitted through the GFMD Mayors Mechanism Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees.
Since 2018, the City of Montreal and the Government of Quebec have been collaborating on the development of the "New Start Station". The Bureau d'intégration des nouveaux arrivants à Montréal (BINAM) developed the concept, inspired by the One Stop Shop in Lisbon, and mobilised governments. The New Beginnings Station will offer integrated services from the municipal and provincial governments for immigrants who arrived less than a year ago, under one roof in downtown Montreal. In addition to the City of Montreal, two ministries (employment and immigration) will offer services. The vision is that newcomers will be able to complete all their essential tasks in a single visit: obtain their health insurance card, a personalised integration plan, and support in finding employment and housing. There will also be support to help them take full advantage of the quality of life that Montreal has to offer. The City of Montreal will offer local services to ensure the inclusion of newcomers at the neighbourhood level (libraries, sports, culture, recreation, housing programs, knowledge of neighbourhoods and living environments, distribution of the identification and residence card, as part of the Fearless Access Policy, etc.).