Why are the voices of migration professionals important for integration policy change?
Current political, climate and economic factors influence unprecedented migration flows in Europe and beyond. In addressing the complexities of migration tendencies and realities, listening to the voices and insights of practitioners working with migrants becomes crucial. For this reason, the EU-funded project COST Action COREnet researchers in 2024 organized conversations among and with practitioners in the field of migration titled Reflective Cafés in Oslo, Rome, Tilburg and Zagreb.
Understanding Ground Realities
The conversations were organized as Reflective Cafés that brought together COST Action COREnet researchers from various EU countries and professionals from migration services. The migrants who use these services come from different backgrounds, including Ukraine, the Middle East, other European countries, and Africa. The services are often provided by NGOs, and many are faith-based. Therefore, the main aim of the Reflective Cafés was to identify good practices and challenges encountered by professionals working with religiously diverse migrant communities.
“The intense, open and knowledgeable discussions that the practitioners had with each other and shared with us, made a huge impression. It became obvious how day-to-day policy affects the work of migration services and can put practitioners into wicked ethical dilemmas. It is striking that many of low-threshold migrant services are provided by faith-based organizations in all four countries. Learning from the experiences of migrants and practitioners in these migrant services can help to find reasonable and human solutions for complicated situations. We hope to make a contribution to this with our research as well” expressed COREnet Vice-Chair Prof. Dr. Annette Leis-Peters (VID Specialized University, Norway).
Migration practitioners’ firsthand experiences provide invaluable insights into the challenges and needs faced by these populations. By listening to their voices, policymakers can gain a more nuanced understanding of issues such as legal and practical barriers, preconditions for social integration, and the psychological implications of migration. This, in turn, enables them to craft policies that are not only effective but also humane and responsive to the realities faced by migrants.
Advocating for Rights and Representation
During the discussions, the Reflective Cafés’ participants shared about various innovative practices they apply and challenges they face while working with religiously diverse migrant communities (migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs). This includes numerous personal encounters, activities, working models, services, professionals’ motivation and value bases, and the societal and legal frameworks affecting day-to-day work (with religious diversity).
NGOs working in the field of migration are also seen at the forefront of advocating for the rights of migrants. They highlight the vulnerabilities of these populations, particularly in the face of discrimination, exploitation, and violence. Moreover, engaging with these stakeholders fosters a sense of inclusion, allowing migrants to participate in discussions that directly impact their lives.
COREnet Working Group 3 leader PhD Candidate Goda Cicėnaitė (University of Iceland) said that Reflective Cafés served not only as a means to collect key data from practitioners working with migrant communities but also as an arena for reflections and knowledge exchange as well as a window to the realities that religiously diverse migrants face in these four countries: “Practitioners from different organisations shared their approaches, compared their methods used, and discussed what practices are innovative and effective, but very importantly, also to pointed out the gaps and obstacles migrants and migration practitioners encounter on a daily basis. Discussions during Reflective Cafés also created conditions for reflections on multiple positionalities-positionalities of researchers, practitioners and religiously diverse migrants”.
Fostering Collaboration and Building Trust
Practitioners in migration services can, together with faith-based organizations and NGOs, play a pivotal role in shaping policy and advocating for migrants’ rights. Their perspectives enrich the dialogue around migration and foster informed decision-making and sustainable solutions. More than ever, pragmatic and just migration and integration programmes and policies are needed to ensure the protection of migrants’ human rights and the successful integration and resolution of problems.
Currently, COREnet researchers are working with the data gathered during the Reflective Cafés. Key findings from the Reflective Cafés’ discussions will be presented in scientific publications and policy briefs and disseminated to the academic community, social partners, practitioners, users of migration services, and the general public.
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
