Recommendations to funders on closing the representation gap for people with lived migration experience in public and policy advocacy on migration issues

On 21 April 2021, the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) and the Diversity, Migration and Integration Thematic Network of the European Foundation Centre jointly organised a learning session on closing the representation gap for people with lived migration experience in public and policy advocacy on migration issues. During this event, more than 50 private funders and leaders with lived migration experience thoroughly unpacked and interrogated the following questions:

• Policy, advocacy and campaigning work on refugee and migration issues is not predominantly led by people with lived migration experience. Why?
• Where are the spaces where policy, advocacy and campaigning work take place? How open, how closed, are those spaces to people with lived migration experience?
• What are the opportunities and challenges to promote leadership by people with lived migration experience in policy and advocacy work on refugee and migration issues?
• What role can private funders play in promoting and supporting migrant-led policy and advocacy work?

The discussions have been summarised and turned into a set of set of recommendations with the hope that it stimulates further thoughts and joint action among funders. EPIM and DMI will continue to convene and facilitate a space for further discussions and collaboration among funders to close the gap in representation and leadership of people with lived experience in policy and advocacy work.