The Road Ahead

As Europe’s longest-standing philanthropic collaborative fund, the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) has played a significant role in influencing how migration and integration have been conceived, responded to, and addressed over the past two decades. In this process, we have also played a role in reinforcing the status quo of their separation from the other aspects of society, governance, and policy in Europe.

Today, at the dawn of a new chapter as the European Philanthropic Initiative for Migration, we are deploying a new approach and framing to our work – one that no longer views migration and integration as standalone phenomena and subjects. Instead, our renewed framing underlines their inter-connection to a broader set of societal challenges like addressing inequalities, strengthening civic infrastructure and the rule of law, combatting polarisation and othering, and creating spaces for belonging – challenges that fundamentally impact all of us and all our democracies in Europe today, for how we treat migrants is a precursor to how we will treat each other in the years to come.

We explain why, below.

On Democracy

Healthy democracies hinge on the rule of law, civic engagement, and representation. Yet, migration is often the flashpoint at which these principles are tested. Recent public responses to migrants and migration are challenging and altering our democratic principles. Continued human rights violations at Europe’s borders seas and the increasing use of digital technologies for surveillance, ultimately impact us all. Similarly, increasing limitations on CSOs’ ability to support migrants threaten the rule of law, as do the marginalisation of migrant voices and organisations in decision-making processes and restrictions on access to essential services. Upholding democracy requires safeguarding the rights of migrants and ensuring their inclusion in political discourse. As the example of Hungary has shown us, a failure to do so, puts the entirety of Europe on a slippery slope of descent into illiberal democracy.

Unequal People

Successive economic crises and the periods of austerity that followed have exacerbated structural inequalities and have exaggerated the effects of overburdened healthcare systems, inadequate housing infrastructure and chronically underfunded education systems, on the lives of migrants and other marginalised groups. Discrimination continues to hinder migrants’ and other racialised Europeans’ access to employment, housing, and education, perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage and economic exclusion. And the legal and policy measures that some governments have proposed to protect native populations will further these disparities and jeopardise the very social fabric of Europe and the safety nets that have ensured the prosperity of the continent. This is a cycle that goes far beyond migrants and those who are already at the margins of society and will impact us all.

Rhetoric that Impacts

Far-right rhetoric and polarisation are the subtext of the societal fallouts of escalating inequality and the browbeating of democratic institutions and principles. Migrants bear the brunt of these narratives and alongside other gendered and racialised groups have to come face an almost perfect storm of othering, as the far-right has successfully leveraged public dissatisfaction with the climate transformation, the post-pandemic eco-nomic downturn, high inflation, and a housing crisis, into a rejection of Europe’s ideals and vision. This will eventually, through a process of general normalisation and desensitisation, open the door to exclusionary policies that affect everyone, and will dilute the very essence of the democratic rights we enjoy today.

Reframing Belonging

Migration and inclusion should thus be reframed as multifaceted issues which will allow us to develop holistic solutions that address root causes and promote social cohesion. To do this we need to go beyond mere inclusion. We need to work alongside migrants to shape their communities and participate in decision-making processes, so they feel that they truly belong. Belonging entails not just having access but also having the agency to co-create societal structures. We need to foster a sense of belonging that transcends borders and empowers migrants to contribute meaningfully.

Our Call to Action

As we see it, we now stand at an inflection point. We are faced with two opposing questions that have repeatedly emerged from the conversations we have had with partners across the continent, as things have gotten worse, not better: do we want to build a Europe where all individuals, regardless of their origin, have equal access to opportunity and can meaningfully participate in shaping their lives? Or will we continue to watch migrants take the brunt of the impact of escalating inequality, rapid polarisation, weakened civic and societal structures, and the loss of belonging, as Europe’s democracies start to fade?

Our choice is made, and we see this is a call to action, not just for EPIM and its partners but for all of us who are concerned with this. We must work together to build a Europe that lives up to its ideals of inclusivity, justice, and human dignity. For us, this means:

We will work with broader ecosystems by strengthening our relationships with civil society and philanthropy and building stronger ties with those under-represented in the migration ecosystem – migrant leaders, the private sector, trade unions, etc. To do this, EPIM will open up its governance, extending invitations to up to 16 new individuals to join its new board, the Forum, as members. We will also transform our existing funding committees into ones comprised of individuals with diverse lived experiences and perspectives to shape sensemaking processes for its priorities.

We need to foster systemic change by addressing the underlying challenges of othering, undemocratic decision-making, and the absence of trust and genuine dialogue and a shared big picture for the migration ecosystem. These challenges influence the way migration is currently being addressed. By activating and stewarding the ecosystem, we aim not only to transform migration policies and practices but also the fabric of interactions, relationships, and mental models that govern them.

We need a collective narrative centred upon democracy and belonging. It never was and never will be solely about migration. Migration has become the leitmotif for Europe’s deep-seated structural challenges – addressing deep inequalities, repairing colonialism, preventing climate collapse, and combatting polarisation and othering. Thus, the logical way to address this is through a collective narrative in which the very notion of Europeanness is broadened, to create a space for belonging for all and to address these challenges collectively for the cost of failure will ultimately lead to the unravelling of Europe’s greatest invention – democracy.

Transforming Together

This transformation will necessitate forging alliances and cultivating practices of deep collaboration. Alliances within philanthropy, with government, with civil society, with academia, with business, and everyone else with whom these thoughts resonate. We call on those who work on civic space, climate, technology, social justice, gender to break down these siloes and work with us an intersectional manner to strengthen the very roots of our democracies, whether this is at the local, national, or European level. This should be a collective response that will require philanthropic funding to make bolder choices, similarly brave bottom-up civil movements that can prioritise the common good over single issues, businesses that can put people and planet before profit, and a reinvigorated political process and class that can offer a legitimacy that has been sorely lacking.

We acknowledge that our path ahead is uncertain and filled with the possibilities that bold experimentation can offer. There will be both successes and failures along the way and where we eventually land is yet to be determined. Yet, it is hope that carries us and the opportunity to learn from all the brave souls who are willing to try something different, that serves as inspiration.

Sound interesting? Let us know. We’re eager to build community on this journey.

Sophie Ngo-Diep and Hrishabh Sandilya

February 2024

Read the rest of EPIM's 2023 Annual Report which we'll be sharing on LinkedIn next week.