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Who is welcome project
Who is Welcome

After a series of successful online events which explored the intersections of different identities with migration status, we have expanded this work into a wider campaign.

Building on the themes explored in the Who is Welcome event series, which included the relationship of racism, Islamophobia and queerness with migration, we are pleased to launch the Who is Welcome campaign alongside our Words Matter campaign.

Migration is often looked at as a siloed issue. Campaigning and policy work rarely looks at the construction of migrants through an intersectional lens or how racism shapes our idea of who is welcome in the West. At the Migrants’ Rights Network, understanding the role intersections of identity play in shaping migration, including refugee, policies is central to our campaigning work. We must understand and be honest about who harmful migration, including asylum, policies are aimed at, and why.

The language of ‘welcome’ also has hidden meaning. A ‘welcome’ places the destination country as a hospitable ‘host’ that welcomes ‘guests’ (in this case migrants) who in turn are expected to be grateful. This rhetoric reinforces the problematic ideas that migrants, including refugees, must contribute, integrate and exhibit gratitude thus creating a hierarchy and the notion of conditional belonging. By calling this campaign ‘Who Is Welcome”, we are also questioning the inherent nature of migration and belonging that creates the host/guest relationship.

Who is Welcome events

The recording for the first event can be accessed here.

Our reflections on our second event can be accessed here.

The recording for the third event can be accessed here.

The recording for the fourth event can be accessed here.

Podcast

Episode 1: Patriotism and Migration

Episode 2: Queerness and Migration

Episode 3: Masculinity and Migration

In this project:

Updates

Our latest articles about WHO IS WELCOME?

  • The Burden of Proof

    As part of our Who is Welcome: Gender, Queerness and Migration campaign, we explore how the burden of proof harms queer, trans and GNC people in the asylum system.

  • Zine-Making Workshop: Queerness, Migration and Belonging

    To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, we invite you to join us for Migrants’ Rights Network’s first zine making workshop, on Thursday 22 February, 4pm! This year, we are spotlighting our Who is Welcome: Gender, Queerness and Migration campaign in order to disrupt harmful assumptions and policies impacting queer migrants and migratised people.  That’s why for…

  • “Queering” migration: LGBTQ+ History Month

    LGBTQ+ History Month is about increasing the visibility of queer people and their history. It’s also an opportunity to explore and raise awareness of the issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community. At a time where marginalised people, including migrants and queer people, are under increasing attack, talking about the experiences of queer racialised and migrant people…

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