A/HRC/41/44/Add.2 he had the opportunity to visit, meeting with the volunteers and one of the grantees in residence. 77. This project was established in 2012 at the request of a network of international human rights defenders. After the first Shelter City in The Hague, Middelburg joined in 2014, followed by Nijmegen, Maastricht, Utrecht and Amsterdam in 2015, Tilburg and Groningen in 2016 and Zwolle and Haarlem in 2017. In 2018 international cities such as Tbilisi, Dar es Salaam and San José joined the network as International Shelter City Hubs. The expectation is that other cities (in or outside the Netherlands) will join in the future. The growing number of applications from human rights defenders under threat shows that new Shelter Cities are developing. 78. In every Shelter City the municipality, local organizations, universities and local Justice and Peace branches provide shelter and take care of the selected human rights defender. Together they organize meetings and workshops that contribute to the raising of awareness about human rights issues among the inhabitants of the Shelter Cities. 79. Human rights defenders who are being threatened because of their work qualify for a stay of three months in one of the Dutch Shelter Cities. During their stay in the Netherlands they continue their work in safety. They also expand their network with civil society organizations and political contacts. They can also follow trainings at different universities or other institutions to improve their skills. They are also able to meet other city residents. 80. The Independent Expert considers this project, which provides safe spaces for human rights defenders, as an example of best practice that should be replicated by other local governments. VI. Challenges and areas of concern manifested during the visit 81. The Independent Expert was also informed of the challenges faced by persons of migrant or minority ethnic descent, especially with regards to discrimination in employment, social life and politics, as well as regarding their ill-treatment by the police. These challenges stand in the way of social cohesion and solidarity. This is particularly the case for persons of African descent and migrant women, who highlighted the challenges of integration into Dutch society even after generations of presence in the country. Too many of these migrant or ethnic minority families and groups do not feel that they have been socially and politically included to an adequate extent in Dutch society even after living in the Netherlands for generations. 82. The Independent Expert was also informed about the rise of xenophobic and populist discourses against migrants and refugees in the context of the latest political campaign, and the increased success enjoyed by some populist political parties in the latest election. Migrants and persons of African descent have stressed the negative consequences of these discourses as they feel marginalized and sometimes threatened and not welcome to integrate into the Dutch society. 83. The Independent Expert was also made aware of the shrinking of civic space as the Government has allegedly reduced funding to civil society organizations, which has resulted in their competing against each other for fewer resources and funds. He also heard allegations that only organizations that did not openly criticize official government policies were able to secure public funds for their work. This is said to have had a disproportionate impact on some immigrant and/or minority civil society groups that have criticized government policies on migration and discrimination. 84. The Independent Expert was also informed about the issue of poverty in the Netherlands, which has affected many people in the country. Structural poverty has also been an issue, with a significant number of persons affected being in paid work but unable to make ends meet. The number of homeless persons has also been on the increase. The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights has estimated that about 30,000 persons are homeless, and that 18 per cent of tenants struggle to pay their rent due to lack of sufficient 14