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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?

  • Pride is bittersweet.

    “Coming from a conservative cultural background in a small city, the concept of Pride Month was a distant dream for me. In my home country and especially my hometown, where conservative values dominate, the queer communities rarely had an opportunity or a special occasion to celebrate our identities openly, because LGBTQ+ is believed to be…

  • Find us at Queer Migrant Pride Fest!

    Key info Date- 23 June 2024 Time- 12-9pm Location- St. Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Rd, E2 9PL Description We are so excited to announce that we have a stall at Queer Migrant Pride Fest, an amazing one day festival celebrating Pride Month and Refugee Week. Come find us at St Margaret’s House from 12pm…

  • Let’s Talk About Queer Migrants

    Let’s Talk About Queer Migrants is a conversation with Migrants’ Rights Network and Dr Fabio Fasoli from the University of Surrey. Key info 18 June, 2-3pm, online. Event description Reflecting on the unique struggles that queer migrants face is a necessary step in our fight for a society without oppression. We are delighted to have…

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