About Migration Exchange

Migration Exchange (MEX) is a UK-based charitable programme whose mission is to cultivate insight, connection and action across the UK migration and refugee field, working together with civil society to achieve positive change. We focus particularly on independent funders and charities to achieve this mission, connecting people through convening, events and a funder network. As well as commissioning research and analysis on trends and patterns, we develop and co-design responses to shared challenges and opportunities.

We have two overall goals:

1. 1. An equitable, power-aware and intersectional funding landscape, better able to resource systems change in the migration field
   2. A connected and action-focused refugee and migration sector, better able to drive systems change

See our strategic framework, 2024-25 objectives and theory of change to learn about our key delivery and development objectives.

For our latest publications and updates, scroll down to ‘Insights’  and visit our blog.

Current Opportunities

There are currently no job, funding or consultancy opportunities. Please sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about our latest updates.

Highlights

Insight

• ‘People, power and priorities’ our comprehensive report on the UK refugee and migration sector and independent funding landscape. Read this blog post for a summary of our key findings. Join our mailing list to receive updates on our upcoming 2025 review launch. 
• Insights into the experience of the migration and refugee sector during the racist riots of August 2024 read these blog posts for insights into the impact and improving safety, security and resilience for the future. 

Connection

• For a summary of insights and recommendations from our shared sector and funder events and convenings, check out our blog posts and join our mailing list for invites and highlights:

How funders can address urgent needs and operational challenges for organisations supporting Palestinians from Gaza in the UK 

Healing communities: A call to action after far-right riots 

Celebrating lived experience leadership: Insights and the path forward 

• Our funder network meets online regularly on key topics and challenges and provides space to learn from peers.  Sign up here to receive invites and newsletters.

Action

• NRPF Partnership
  • The NRPF policy affects millions of people in the UK, unfairly shutting people out of the welfare system and government support based on their visa status. Impacted communities, charities, lawyers, local authorities are all pushing to end this policy. Our partnership with Citizens UK and Praxis aims to amplify and enable this movement so it is better resourced and connected to win change.
  • Read more at this blog post and  FAQs page and join the NRPF mailing list.

• ‘Shaping the Future’: Leadership Initiative for systemic change in the UK refugee and migration sector.
  • This fund has been co-created with sector experts to address the growing need for leadership capacity and capability in the refugee and migration sector. It provides resources for individuals, organisations, and networks to foster holistic, sustainable leadership development. The fund promotes leadership development that is: 

Anti-oppressive: Challenging systemic inequities and power dynamics. 

Wellbeing-focused: Prioritising mental health and sustainable leadership practices. 

Grounded in lived experience: Building on the strengths and insights gained through lived experience of migration

• • Shaping the Future has been designed by a ‘Co-Creation Group’ of people with lived experience and leadership experience, and decision-making will be taken through a participatory grantmaking model. The fund opened for applications in 2025, and will be distributing funding in spring.

Our team

Marchu Belete (Co-director), Sarah Cutler (Co-director), Anna Camilleri (Programme Manager), and Li-En Yapp (Programme Coordinator).

We have an excellent Advisory Group who support us to put our values into action, strengthen our intersectional practices, provide key insight and perspective and hold us accountable.

Members are: Ambreen Shah, Ayesha Saran, Basma El Doukhi, Caroline Gentile, Eiri Ohtani, Muma Sinkala, and Ronnie Tagwireyi.

Past work/background

Since MEX was set up in 2010, we have worked with the refugee and migration field and funders in co-designing interventions on strategic communications and public attitudes, emergency funding responses, crisis-preparedness, and influencing funders and the migration field for systemic change. Previous work includes Respond and Adapt, distributing over £2.4m to 130 organisations across the UK in 2020-2021 and  Leading Beyond Borders programme (2018-2022).