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Connecting Theory and Practical Issues of Migration and Religious Diversity (COREnet) is an interdisciplinary network that aims to produce, exchange and build knowledge and collaborations across Europe on the topic of migration and religious diversity. COREnet seeks to better explain, understand and analyse the pertinent issues and challenges, and, moreover, to forward viable solutions and ways forward to support migrants, migration and religious diversity in an inclusive Europe.
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, in 2024 researchers from our EU-funded COST Action COREnet 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 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.”
COREnet Vice-Chair Prof. Dr. Annette Leis-Peters (VID Specialized University, Norway).
Advocating for rights and representation
During the discussions, the Reflective Café 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”.
COREnet Working Group leader Goda Cicėnaitė
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. 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 these 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.
Further information
Read more about the Reflective Café held in Tilburg, the Netherlands, in October 2024
Discover the previous blog by COREnet on Narrative Café, a space to understand migration stories and amplify the voices of migrants
COREnet will soon be launching a webinar series on participatory and practiced-based methods (like the Reflective and Narrative Cafés). These unique techniques enhance community engagement, address common challenges, and help discuss tangible results and successful case studies. Learn more about the webinar series.
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Author
Dr Gintarė Pocė
Vytautas Magnus University
CORENET Science Communication Coordinator