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City Spotlight: Žilina, Slovakia

Žilina is a city in northern Slovakia with a population of approximately 81,000. The city’s rich cultural heritage and strategic location make it an important link between Slovakia and its neighbouring countries, Poland and the Czech Republic. The city has experienced a recent rise in hate crimes and extremist activities targeting Ukrainian refugees and minority groups, including Roma and the LGBTI+ and Jewish communities.

Žilina has engaged with Strong Cities Network since October 2022, when Strong Cities mapped the city’s threat landscape and prevention needs. Representatives from Žilina have also participated in several Strong Cities events, including a transatlantic dialogue in Bratislava in March 2024, which has helped the City align its prevention efforts with international good practices and strengthen its local frameworks for addressing hate and extremism.

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What is the local government concerned about?

Žilina faces significant challenges with hate directed towards Ukrainian refugees, fuelled by disinformation campaigns and conspiracy narratives on social media. The City’s efforts to integrate and provide the necessary care for these refugees have been hampered by false narratives and hate propagated through social media, exacerbating local tensions. Other key targets of hate include Roma, the LGBTI+ community, as well as the city’s Jewish residents. Most recently, city officials are particularly concerned about rising levels of antisemitism.

Žilina officials also see the presence and activities of extremist groups and football hooligans within the city as a key threat to the city’s community safety and cohesion.

Equally important, there is a concern about the lack of practical coordination between national and local authorities, which impedes the City’s ability to effectively address and mitigate these threats. The local government recognises the need for both improved national-local cooperation and support from international partners to build resilience against these threats and safeguard social cohesion.

How is the local government responding?

The City of Žilina has taken several concrete steps to address the challenges posed by hate and extremism within the city, including through the establishment of a multi-actor local prevention network that consists of representatives from various sectors, such as the municipal government, police, schools and civil society organisations. The network focuses on strengthening social cohesion, inclusivity and community resilience to radicalisation. For example, it has implemented school-based projects that engage students and teachers in discussions about tolerance and inclusivity. These projects include raising awareness about the impacts of hate speech and providing tools for teachers to identify and address early signs of radicalisation among students.

The City also actively works to support the integration of the local Roma population and other minority groups into the broader community, including by providing them access to housing, education and other administrative support. There are two community centres that lead much of this work, providing social services for marginalised and disadvantaged for marginalised and disadvantaged communities in coordination with municipal departments, social workers, local police and national police.

Similarly, the City also continues to support the short and long-term integration needs of Ukrainian refugees which fled to Žilina. In collaboration with UNHRC, the City is making final preparations to launch the Žilina Lighthouse centre to address healthcare, housing, (advanced) language courses and community activities. Additionally, the local government’s foundation helps fund Camp Žilina, a civil society initiative that provides refugees with food, humanitarian aid and information and advice in the Ukrainian language.

Furthermore, Žilina, in cooperation with civil society organisations, organises community events, such as cultural festivals (e.g. Staromestské slávnosti and Žilinské kultúrne leto) that promote understanding and integration among different ethnic and social groups. These events seek to build trust and foster positive interactions between the local population and minority communities, including Ukrainian refugees. By creating spaces for dialogue and mutual learning, the local government aims to mitigate the effects of mis- disinformation about different ethnic and religious groups and xenophobia that have been exacerbated by social media.

What’s next?

Moving forward, the local government of Žilina aims to enhance its strategic approach to addressing extremism and hate by focusing on capacity-building of municipal practitioners and developing comprehensive action plans. One of the primary goals is to establish a modus operandi for the local prevention network, which includes clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each member. A key component in this regard will be identifying approaches that will strengthen the cooperation between the local government and law enforcement. This will ensure that the network operates efficiently and effectively in responding to emerging threats. Additionally, there is a need for specialised training on secondary prevention, which involves identifying individuals at greater risk of radicalisation to violence and addressing their needs and vulnerabilities before they commit to violence.

Furthermore, the local government plans to improve engagement with youth as partners in prevention efforts. This includes through implementing programmes that provide young people with the knowledge and tools needed to recognise and counteract extremist narratives, promoting civic education and fostering inter-cultural dialogue in schools to build a more resilient and inclusive community. Additionally, Žilina aims to strengthen its cooperation with international partners, such as the Strong Cities Network, to gain access to good practices from other cities and resources that can help refine its local strategies.

Additionally, Žilina’s next steps include leveraging findings from recent workshops under the Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative, which emphasised the importance of cities in maintaining social cohesion during global crises. This includes adopting a data-driven approach to manage the arrival of new refugees and migrants, ensuring their integration is handled comprehensively while maintaining community harmony. The local government is also looking to strengthen trust-based relationships with community actors to enhance their ability to respond rapidly and effectively in times of crisis. By focusing on these strategic areas, Žilina aims to fortify its community resilience and prevent the spread of hate and extremism within its jurisdiction.

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City Spotlight: Žilina, Slovakia

What is the local government concerned about?

How is the local government responding?

What’s next?

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