Rethinking leadership development in the Migration Sector

3rd July 2019 by ficheb

Migrant Action and Migration Exchange jointly held a consultation workshop in Leeds attended by a host of agencies to explore leadership development in the migration sector. The workshop formed part of a wider national consultation to evaluate the current state of leadership development in the sector and based on its findings, set out a new model for leadership development.

Participants recognized the importance and urgency to develop leadership capacity for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds who have lived experience of migration system. Participants critiqued the acute lack of diversity and inclusion in leadership in the migration sector which they attributed fundamentally to an entrenched ‘systemic problem’ underpinned by the undervaluing and devaluing of leadership abilities and potential of individuals from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

Participants recognized the positive ‘shift’ over the last decade as more people with lived experience of migration take up management and leadership positions in the sector. However, these were largely individualistic rather than systemic. To ensure greater and sustainable progress requires a step-change brought about through systematically growing leadership and management capacity and increasing access to leadership opportunities for people with lived experience of migration. Embedding leadership development within the communities would ensure sustainability and a shift the mind-set from deficit to asset based communities.

Migrant Action strongly believes that in order to achieve such a step-change, leadership development model must produce ‘whole leaders’ who fully grasp the relevance of synchronizing the intellect, body, mind and soul to provide effective leadership in increasingly diverse and inclusive societies. As an organization, we are committed to developing leadership capacity amongst migrants.

Migrant Action was established in 2016 as an Advocacy and Rights based organisation providing information, guidance, advocacy support and direct practical assistance to ‘vulnerable’ migrants. Migrant Action works with migrants who have fallen through the cracks of the immigration system including (but not restricted to) stateless people, those who have been unable to regularise their status and those on temporary visas. We work to ensure equity of rights and justice for migrants, and although the primary focus of our work is not with asylum seekers and refugees, we do signpost them to appropriate … Read more ..

Happy New Year from Migrant Action

Dear friends of Migrant Action,

In a few hours, we will be saying ‘good-bye’ to 2021 and ‘welcome’ to 2022. Thank you for your solidarity and support helping to strengthen Migrant Action’s advocacy and pursuit for migrants’ rights & justice in an increasingly challenging and complex environment. The essence of our work is even more relevant now!

Context

BREXIT, the ‘New immigration bill which reinforces the ‘hostile environment’ policy targeting migrants, the Climate crisis, Covid-19, Systemic racism, negative press narratives fuelling anti-migrant sentiments by sections of the media, protracted conflicts, political violence, human rights violations, economic exploitation, and political marginalisation of the global south.

These developments constitute a disturbing environment for migrant’s rights & justice. Firstly, it engineers and sustains vulnerability and the precarious conditions that trigger more mobility of migrants across and within countries. Secondly, it entrenches and exacerbates an infrastructure that undermine migrants’ capacity to access justice, deepen inequality, racial & social injustice and routinely negate migrant rights and dignity. In essence, such an environment poses an existential threat to the dignity and humanity of migrants.

Our Response

Migrant Action is adapting and responding to this changing and complex context. We have expanded provision and adapted service delivery model to proactively support vulnerable migrants during the pandemic and beyond. We enhanced our delivery of crisis interventions to prevent homelessness & destitution, increased access to immigration advice for people with insecure immigration, increased integration support for new migrants, assisted more EU migrants to regularise their immigration status in the UK after Brexit. Our advocacy work continues to promote equity of rights and justice for migrants. Essentially, Migrant Action continues to a lifeline and safety net for vulnerable migrants in this challenging environment.

Migrant Action has also strengthened its capacity and resilience in pursuit of transformational social change. The current context demands more urgency to challenge anti-migrant sentiments and policies, tackle structural inequalities, climate change, systemic racism, and social injustice. To this vein, our strategic advocacy through ‘Strengthening Hands’ partnerships to grow migrant ‘voice’, as well as our collaborative research, capacity building and campaign-based activities have been impactful.

Looking to the future

Migrant Action anticipates operating in an even more challenging context as it grapples with the issues undermining rights and justice. However, we have emerged from 2020/21 with more capacity and resilience to respond to present and future challenges working as a team with staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, funders and of course, those we serve- migrants. Therefore, we look forward to 2022 with greater hope and fierceness commitment to rights and justice for migrants, a fair and humane immigration system and for a more equal, just, and peaceful society in which everyone including migrants can realize their full potential.

Dear friends, your solidarity remains invaluable and integral to our success, even more so, now!

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Fidelis Chebe

Director