HomeMigration
The Trust’s interest in migration derives from urgent and emerging needs identified by the local voluntary and community organisations it supports. The impact of recent large-scale immigration and unprecedented population mobility upon both migrants and established disadvantaged communities in the UK has not been fully explored or understood.
The result is that many migrants are marginalised, at risk of exploitation and often face barriers to integration and negative media coverage. To make matters worse, migrant voices are often excluded from the public arena. This has led to a situation in which migration policy and public perceptions are often based on assumptions rather than realities.
A core aspect of Barrow Cadbury Trust’s work in this area involves supporting grassroots organisations working with the most vulnerable groups of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. This includes undocumented migrants, who often face considerable hardship and discrimination. We support a variety of organisations working in diverse areas, particularly in the West Midlands, including the Refugee and Migrant Centre in Wolverhampton.
In addition, we seek to support projects that provide a platform for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants to speak out at local, national or international level. For example, in 2006 the Barrow Cadbury Trust launched the Migrant Rights Network which provides a forum for migrant and refugee groups to contribute to the policy debate. Moreover, as an independent, non-partisan body the Trust facilitates dialogue between policy makers and grassroots campaigners.
The Trust is also committed to promoting a constructive and evidence-based debate on asylum and migration. For this reason we work with key think tanks, academics and policy-makers to explore ways in which immigration policy can be managed in a socially just and equitable manner. Recent examples include our research projects with Policy Network, the French Institute for International Relations and our involvement in Transatlantic Trends: Immigration with the German Marshall Fund of the United States..
Although our work is principally UK-focused, it is clear that national developments can only be accurately understood in a wider European or even global context. Hence we have also developed partnerships with organisations and counterparts in Europe and North America in order to share good practices at policy and grassroots level. In this context, the Trust is a partner in the Cities of Migration project, an international initiative led by the Maytree Foundation in Canada that showcases good practice and innovative ideas in the integration of urban migrants. Other partners include Bertelsmann Stiftung in Germany and the Tindall Foundation in New Zealand. Barrow Cadbury also currently chairs the Diversity Migration and Integration Interest Group within the European Foundation Centre..
