#CitiesMustAct was a bold civic-led campaign echoing our initial Europe Must Act petition, asking the citizens, councils, and mayors of European towns and cities to pledge their support for the relocation of asylum seekers and refugees from Europe’s borders. The petition and campaign directly challenged mainstream narratives across Europe to show politicians and policymakers that their citizens and communities believe in welcoming and supporting refugee relocation in their cities.

The campaign led to the creation of over 40 city and national decentralised EMA chapters, elevating the petition’s calls to action and later focussing on local refugee rights welcoming initiatives and advocacy.

Today, Italy Must Act is a not-for-profit organisation, and many of our current volunteers began their EMA volunteering in one of our local chapters, now consolidated into one central team.