Armed conflict, poor country conditions, and climate disasters have long forced people to leave their homes in search of safety and opportunity elsewhere. In recent years, global migrations patterns have increasingly captured headlines across the world. As these patterns continue to evolve, there is an urgent need for receiving countries and cities to adopt migrant inclusion policies that recognize migrants’ dignity and as contributors to their communities’ cultural, economic, and social fabric.
Rather than focusing on “migrant integration,” Somos Comunidad emphasizes “migrant inclusion.” While integration policies promote migrants’ social incorporation and participation in their new homes, they often place much of the burden to adapt on migrants themselves and tend to apply selectively to certain migrants. By contrast, inclusion recognizes the responsibility of elected and appointed officials to ensure that all persons, regardless of immigration status, have equitable access to services, rights, and opportunities for participation.
Around the world, many countries and local governments – many of them in the global south – implement innovative migrant inclusion policies, but their efforts are often been overlooked or not as widely documented. Somos Comunidad brings together practitioners, civil society, and public officials from different countries to discuss migrant inclusion, examine successful policies and strategies, and promote their adoption.
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Through a series of live virtual conversations, case-study presentations and round table discussions on topics such as language access, discrimination and xenophobia, child welfare, and sustainability, Somos Comunidad hopes to bring migrant inclusion to the forefront of the discourse on migration governance.
Deported migrant youth are a vulnerable group that requires a differentiated approach to their needs, which the country of origin must address to ensure their successful reintegration into the societies to which they return. In this virtual conversation, Amy Schaltegger Escoto, director of the Child Return and Reintegration Program at KIND, details the return process from the United States, while Yesenia Castillo, a psychologist at Asociación Pop Noj, analyzes the specific difficulties that indigenous, migrant youth face upon their return to Guatemala. Both experts highlight the importance of accompaniment during the return process, the need for mental and emotional health support, and linguistic and educational considerations for reintegration initiatives.
Brazil has demonstrated its commitment to implementing inclusive public policies for migrants, both at the local and national levels. However, despite the progress made and its reputation as a welcoming country, migrant inclusion policies face numerous challenges. In this virtual conversation, the panelists discuss how, in the city of São Paulo, the local government works with civil society organizations to implement structured policies that recognize migrants as rights holders. Despite this, much work remains to be done in terms of the full inclusion of migrants at different levels: there is still a lack of more inclusive policies that take into account the diversity of the migrant population, are sustainable across different administrations, and are truly universal.
Despite Costa Rica’s long history as a destination for Nicaraguans seeking refuge and opportunity, true inclusion remains limited. An estimated half a million Nicaraguans live in the country, many of whom face barriers to social, economic, and cultural integration. In this virtual conversation, Maris Stella Fernández, co-founder of Fundación SIFAIS, tells us how her organization began efforts to combat the social exclusion of La Carpio – an informal settlement on the outskirts of San José, home to many migrants in vulnerable conditions – by promoting the sporting and artistic talents of residents. Since its founding, SIFAIS has promoted the inclusion of migrants by connecting them with volunteer educators, encouraging learning and mutual exchange. Despite constant challenges, SIFAIS presents a replicable model rooted in four cardinal attitudes: trust, consistency, madness, and tenderness.
In the absence of national or local policies that provide access to healthcare to migrant populations, community clinics often serve as a refuge, providing access and care that can save lives and prevent chronic diseases. For this virtual conversation, Suyanna Linhales Barker and Dr. Sarahí Hernández Pacheco join us to discuss the work they do at their clinics in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City. They also share the many challenges faced by community clinics like theirs, including funding issues and resource shortages, as well as anti-immigrant policies. Their commitment to service and the support they receive from their networks is inspiring, and their work serving migrant communities continues despite the difficulties.
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