Migration Exchange

Cultivating insight, connection and action across the UK migration and refugee field.

Migration Exchange 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.

See our strategic framework for more on our key delivery and development objectives.

Current Projects

In December 2022, we published a report on leadership- A snapshot of leadership development in the UK refugee and migration sector. This report delved into organisational and funder perspectives on leadership and the disproportionate impact of barriers to leadership development on particular groups. Key recommendations from the report are for a more strategic and collaborative approach to leadership and well-being, and for more attention on addressing the barriers faced by lived experience leaders and those who are impacted by intersecting structural inequality. This shape our reflective work on leadership development in the sector in 2023.
In September 2022 we commissioned research on the infrastructure and resources of the UK refugee and migration sector and independent funding landscape, as a follow-up to our 2020 report Taking Stock and Facing the Future. The research will comprise of quantitative surveys followed by interactive workshops to gather insights on our research findings from people working in the sector and funders. Findings set to be published in summer 2023.
Throughout 2022 and at the start of 2023, we have hosted a ‘Welcome & Safety’ series of briefings and dialogues with independent funders, inviting them to hear from people working in the migration and refugee sector on approaches to promoting welcoming communities. Sessions in this series have included speakers talking about the politics of welcome and public perception, community organising, campaigning to fight the hostile environment and resourcing welcome. It has also included a briefing to mark one year since the war on Ukraine, and what the response from the UK to people fleeing Ukraine can teach us about welcoming schemes.
Following the completion of our new strategic framework, in 2023 MEX will focus on more convening around key issues, building our network, and establishing a new advisory group.

Recent Highlights

Developing a new strategic framework, setting out the context, our mission, and how we will pursue our goals over the next five years.
Developing a COVID-19 response programme, Respond and Adapt, distributing over £2.4m to 130 organisations across the UK
Co-designing training & support on anti-racism, collective care & better data on sector trends & sources of support.
Co-developing a Leadership for Social Change programme tailored to emerging and established migration sector leaders, with a focus on lived experience, delivered by Clore Social Leadership and the Centre for Knowledge Equity.
Publishing Taking Stock, a report on the infrastructure & resources of UK migration charities & funders highlighting leadership, collaboration & influencing as key focus areas. The report has informed the work and priorities for organisations and funders in the sector.
Shifting funder practice through co-designed programmes with people with lived experience & supporting funding to grassroots organisations (including £400,000 to Afghan-led refugee community organisations in 2021)

Scroll to the end of this page for Migration Exchange insights and publications.

Funders

With thanks to Barrow Cadbury Trust, Comic Relief, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Migration Foundation, Oak Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Trust for London, Unbound Philanthropy for their support to Migration Exchange.

Connect with us

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If you would like more information or to connect, please contact us on mex@global-dialogue.org

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